Femme
/fɛm/noun
A woman, especially in French or in the English term for a conventionally feminine lesbian or queer person.
Did you know?In French, femme means both “woman” and “wife,” while English queer usage of femme emerged as a self-conscious identity term in the 20th century.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
fēmina
“Woman; female”
Late Latin
Latin
femina
“A woman or female person”
Old French, 10th–12th Century
Old French
feme
“Woman; wife”
Middle French, 13th–16th Century
French
femme
“Woman; wife”
17th–19th Century
English
femme
“A woman, chiefly in literary or French-influenced usage”
20th Century–Modern English
English
femme
“A feminine-presenting woman, especially within lesbian and queer communities”
Explore more surprising origins