Etymograph

English

femininity

Femininity comes from Middle English femynyte ‘Womanliness, femininity’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- ‘to suckle, nurse’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁(y)-‘to suckle, nurse’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θēmanāreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fēmanāreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfēmina‘woman’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfēminīnus
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400feminin
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500femynyne
  9. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600feminite
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500femynyteas femynynytee‘Womanliness, femininity’
  11. Englishearliest quotation 2005femininity

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁(y)-‘to suckle, nurse’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θēmanāreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fēmanāreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfēmina‘woman’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfēminīnus
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400feminin
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500femynyne
  9. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600feminite
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500femynyteas femynynytee‘Womanliness, femininity’
  11. Englishearliest quotation 2005femininity

Earliest quotation: 2005, Francine Rose, 'The Peabody Sisters': Reflected Glory: “It's almost eerie, in the wake of the Lawrence…”

Formed from feminine + -ity

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-eh₂ ‘(the one) nursing, breastfeeding’

…

Latin fēmina ‘woman’

Latin fēminīnus

Old French feminin

Middle English feminine

English feminine

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- ‘to suckle, nurse’

doe, fetus, dai, tyre, fawn, felicity, filial, fellatio, dahi, fecundity, 32 more

through Latin fēmina ‘woman’

female, femme, effeminate, 12 more

Today it means

noun The sum of all attributes that are feminine or convey womanhood.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- / femininity

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