Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “femme fatale” come from?

femme fatale (English) comes from French femme fatale, from French femme, from Middle French femme, from Old French fame, from Latin fēmina, from Proto-Italic fēmanā, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- — to suckle, nurse.

femme fatale (English): An attractive and seductive but ultimately...

Definitions

  1. An attractive and seductive but ultimately...

Ancestry of “femme fatale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchfemme fatalefemme fatale
2Frenchfemmewoman; wife; Alternative form of fem
3Middle Frenchfemmewife; woman
4Old Frenchfamewife, female partner; woman
5Latinfēmina—
6Proto-Italicfēmanāwoman
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂who sucks; one who is sucked; one who suckles;...
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁(y)-to suckle, nurse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- →