English
femme
Femme comes from Old French fame ‘woman, especially one of lower social status’, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂ ‘the one nursing, breastfeeding’, and ultimately from *dʰeh₁(y)- ‘to suckle, nurse’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁(y)-‘to suckle, nurse’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂‘the one nursing, breastfeeding’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θēmanāreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fēmanāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfemina‘woman’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fame‘woman, especially one of lower social status’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500femme
- Englishearliest quotation 1885same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁(y)-‘to suckle, nurse’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂‘the one nursing, breastfeeding’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θēmanāreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fēmanāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfemina‘woman’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fame‘woman, especially one of lower social status’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500femme
- Englishearliest quotation 1885same form
Earliest quotation: 1885, Richard Francis Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night: “Then I turned to him and said, "O my…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- ‘to suckle, nurse’
doe, tyre, fetus, dai, felicity, fawn, filial, fellatio, fecundity, dahi, 30 more
through Latin femina ‘woman’
female, feminist, feminine, feminism, femininity, effeminate, 9 more
through Old French fame ‘woman, especially one of lower social status’
Today it means
noun A woman; a wife; (now chiefly Canada, US) a young woman or girl.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- / femme