entry
female
/ˈfiːmeɪl/Of or relating to women, girls, or ova-producing organisms
From Latin fēmella (A young woman or female).
from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”)
from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”)
from Old French femele, femelle (“female”)
from Middle English female, an alteration of Middle English femele
Word Ancestry
from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”)
from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”)
from Old French femele, femelle (“female”)
from Middle English female, an alteration of Middle English femele
Latin fēmella began as a small-word version of fēmina: not necessarily “tiny woman,” but something like “girl” or “young female.” It traveled through Medieval Latin and Old French before appearing in Middle English as femele. Then English performed one of its favorite acts of historical mischief: it remodeled the spelling and pronunciation under the influence of male, even though male is not its true linguistic relative. The apparent pair “female/male” is therefore partly a spelling illusion—like two strangers dressed in matching uniforms. And the popular joke that female means “Fe” plus “male,” or “iron man,” is clever wordplay, not etymology; the real story begins with a Latin word for a young woman.
The Story
Latin fēmella began as a small-word version of fēmina: not necessarily “tiny woman,” but something like “girl” or “young female.” It traveled through Medieval Latin and Old French before appearing in Middle English as femele. Then English performed one of its favorite acts of historical mischief: it remodeled the spelling and pronunciation under the influence of male, even though male is not its true linguistic relative. The apparent pair “female/male” is therefore partly a spelling illusion—like two strangers dressed in matching uniforms. And the popular joke that female means “Fe” plus “male,” or “iron man,” is clever wordplay, not etymology; the real story begins with a Latin word for a young woman.
Modern Usage
An informal noun for a girl or woman, sometimes used in a detached, objectifying, or derogatory way
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries for female
Kin & Kindred
From 'fēmella'·A young woman or female; literally a diminutive form related to fēmina
Derived Terms
English words from this root