Online Encyclopedia
Make a correction
Your email address will not appear on the site. Note, comments may take some time to be approved.
Back to article:
DUENNA (Span. duena, a married lady or mistress, Lat. domina)
Your email:
Article name:
Article content:
DUENNA (Span. duena, a married lady or mistress, Lat. domina), specifically the chief lady-in-waiting upon the queen of Spain. The word is more widely applied, however, to an elderly lady in Spanish and Portuguese households (holding a position midway between a governess and companion) appointed to take charge of the young girls of the family; and " duenna " is thus used in English as a synonym for chaperon (q.v.).