<P> The word `` damsel '' derives from the French demoiselle , meaning `` young lady '' , and the term `` damsel in distress '' in turn is a translation of the French demoiselle en détresse . It is an archaic term not used in modern English except for effect or in expressions such as this . It can be traced back to the knight - errant of Medieval songs and tales , who regarded protection of women as an essential part of his chivalric code which includes a notion of honour and nobility . The English term `` damsel in distress '' itself first appeared in Tobias Smollett 's 1755 translation of Don Quixote , a parody of medieval chivalry tales . </P>
<P> The word `` damsel '' derives from the French demoiselle , meaning `` young lady '' , and the term `` damsel in distress '' in turn is a translation of the French demoiselle en détresse . It is an archaic term not used in modern English except for effect or in expressions such as this . It can be traced back to the knight - errant of Medieval songs and tales , who regarded protection of women as an essential part of his chivalric code which includes a notion of honour and nobility . The English term `` damsel in distress '' itself first appeared in Tobias Smollett 's 1755 translation of Don Quixote , a parody of medieval chivalry tales . </P>
where does the term damsel in distress come from
where does the term damsel in distress come from
a translation of the French demoiselle en détresse
a translation of the French demoiselle en détresse