The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Midwife \Mid"wife`\, n.; pl. Midwives. [OE. midwif, fr. AS.
   mid with (akin to Gr. ?) + ? woman, wife. Properly, the woman
   or wife who is attendant upon a woman in childbirth. See
   Meta-, and Wife.]
   A woman who assists other women in childbirth; a female
   practitioner of the obstetric art.
   [1913 Webster]