Lioness
/ˈlaɪ.ə.nəs/noun
A female lion.
Did you know?The English word comes through Latin and Old French, while the ancient Greek root ultimately goes back to a word for lion that spread across the Mediterranean world like a royal title.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewo-
“A proposed ancestral root connected to lion words in some branches, though the exact prehistory is debated.”
Ancient Greek
GRK
λέων (léōn)
“Lion.”
Latin
LAT
lĕō
“Lion.”
Old French
OFr
lion
“Lion.”
Middle English
ME
lioness(e)
“A female lion.”
Modern English
EN
lioness
“A female lion.”