Where does “penis envy” come from?

penis envy (English) comes from German Penisneid, from German neid, from Middle High German nīt, from Old High German nīd, from Old English nīþ, from Proto-Germanic nīþą, from Proto-Indo-European neyH- — to lead.

penis envy (English): The unconscious desire of a woman to possess a...

Definitions

  1. The unconscious desire of a woman to possess a...

Ancestry of “penis envy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanPenisneidpenis envy
2Germanneidenvy, jealousy
3Middle High Germannīthate
4Old High Germannīdenvy
5Old Englishnīþenvy, hatred, malice, spite, jealousy; envy,...
6Proto-Germanicnīþąhate, envy, malice
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanneyH-to lead
Every word from Proto-Indo-European neyH- →