Feminacy
/ˈfɛmɪnəsi/noun
The quality or state of being feminine; femininity.
Did you know?Feminacy is a rare English formation built from the same Latin root that produced female, feminine, and effeminate, all ultimately connected with Latin femina, “woman.”
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
femina
“Woman; female”
Medieval Latin
Latin
femininus
“Of or belonging to a woman; feminine”
14th Century
Old French
feminin
“Feminine; womanly”
14th–15th Century
English
feminine
“Having qualities conventionally associated with women”
17th Century
English
feminacy
“The quality of being feminine; femininity”
Modern English
English
feminacy
“A rare or literary term for femininity”
Explore more surprising origins