femaleness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈfiːmeɪlnɪs/
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin fēmella Old French femelebor. Middle English femele Middle English female English female Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English femaleness From female + -ness.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The characteristic, state or condition of being female.
In hunting or agrarian societies dependent upon nature, femaleness was honored as an immanent principle of fertility.
1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| femalenesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Synonyms
Translations (2)
ar أُنُوثَة (characteristic, state or condition of being female) · de Weiblichkeit (characteristic, state or condition of being female)