Heroine
/ˈhɛr.oʊ.ɪn/noun
A female hero; also a woman who is the central character in a story.
Did you know?The word ultimately goes back to Greek hḗrōs, a figure often linked with semi-divine status, so its oldest history is closer to sacred power than to modern romance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ser-
“to protect or watch over”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hḗrōs
“a hero, especially a noble or semi-divine warrior”
Latin
Latin
hērōina
“a female hero”
Old French
Old French
heroine
“a female hero; a woman of heroic character”
Middle English
English
heroine
“a female hero, later especially the leading woman in a story”