Androgyny
/ænˈdrɒdʒ.ɪni/noun
The combination of masculine and feminine characteristics in one person or appearance.
Did you know?The term comes from Greek andr- (“man”) + gynē (“woman”), and its deeper root *gʷenh₂- is the same ancient source behind words like queen and gyno- terms, showing how language has long encoded gendered power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷenh₂-
“to beget, give birth; woman”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂nḗr
“man, male adult”
Ancient Greek
Greek
anḗr, andr-
“man, male”
Ancient Greek
Greek
gynḗ
“woman”
Late Greek
Greek
androgynos
“having both male and female characteristics; hermaphroditic”
18th Century
English
androgynous
“having both masculine and feminine traits”
19th Century
English
androgyny
“the quality or condition of being androgynous”
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