'old-womanly' originates from English, specifically the compound phrase 'old woman' + suffix '-ly', where 'old' meant 'advanced in years', 'woman' meant 'adult female', and the suffix '-ly' meant 'having the quality of'.

'old-womanly' was formed in Modern English by compounding 'old' and 'woman' and adding the adjectival suffix '-ly'. The elements 'old' and 'woman' themselves trace back to Old English (e.g. 'eald' for 'old' and 'wifmann/wifman' for 'woman'), which evolved through Middle English into the current forms.

Initially it meant 'in the manner of or like an old woman'; over time it has retained that basic meaning but has also acquired occasional pejorative connotations such as 'timid' or 'fussy' in some contexts.