Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lioness” come from?

Lioness comes from Middle English lionesse, from Old French lionesse, from Latin leonissa, from Ancient Greek leonissa, ultimately from Ancient Greek leon meaning lion.

lioness (English): A female lion

Definitions

  1. A female lion

Ancestry of “lioness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-essSuffix appended to words to make a female...
2French-esseused to form nouns describing the condition of...
3Italian-essa-ess
4Portuguese-esafeminine singular of -ês
5Spanish-esafeminine singular of -és
6Spanish-ésForms nouns and adjectives of nationality;...
7Spanishpolíticapolitics; policy; female equivalent of político
8Spanishpolíticopolitical; in-law; politician
9Latinpolīticus—
10Swedishpolitiskpolitical, having to do with politics
11Swedishpolitikpolitics
12Ancient Greekπολιτικόςcivic, constitutional, public; social
13Ancient Greekπολῑ́τηςcitizen
14Ancient Greekπόλιςcity; a whole country, as dependent on and called...
15Proto-Hellenicptóliscity
16Proto-Indo-EuropeantpólHis—
17Proto-Indo-EuropeantpelH-fortification, city
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tpelH- →