Female
/ˈfiː.meɪl/noun
Relating to or denoting the sex that produces eggs or ovum.
Did you know?The word 'female' comes from Latin 'femella', a diminutive of 'femina', which is derived from 'femina' meaning 'woman', suggesting an association with gentleness and nurturing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰe-
“to suck, to hold, to nurture”
Latin
Latin
femina
“woman, female, associated with nurturing and softness”
Late Latin
Latin
femella
“young woman, diminutive form of 'femina'”
Old French
Old French
femelle
“female, woman; a borrowing from Latin 'femella'”
Middle English
Middle English
femele
“woman, female; derived from Old French 'femelle'”
Modern English
English
female
“relating to the sex that produces eggs, reflecting the historical softness and nurturing qualities.”