Lesbianism
/ˈlɛz.bi.əˌnɪz.əm/noun
Sexual or romantic attraction, relationships, or sexual activity between women.
Did you know?The word’s modern sexual meaning grew from Lesbos’s association with Sappho, whose surviving poetry celebrates desire between women, although “Lesbian” originally meant only “from Lesbos.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Λέσβος (Lésbos)
“The Aegean island now called Lesbos; the name’s deeper pre-Greek origin is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Λέσβιος (Lésbios)
“Of or from Lesbos.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Lesbía
“The island or region of Lesbos; the island was associated with the poet Sappho.”
Latin
Latin
Lesbius / Lesbia
“Of Lesbos; also used in literary contexts connected with Sappho and her poetry.”
16th Century
English
lesbian
“Of or relating to Lesbos; later increasingly associated with Sappho.”
19th Century
English
lesbianism
“The condition or practice of sexual relations between women, a meaning established in modern English.”