Etymology Explorer › Italian

Where does “femmina” come from?

femmina (Italian) comes from Latin fēmina, from Proto-Italic fēmanā, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- — to suckle, nurse.

femmina (Italian): female

Definitions

  1. female

Ancestry of “femmina”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinfēmina—
2Proto-Italicfēmanāwoman
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂who sucks; one who is sucked; one who suckles;...
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁(y)-to suckle, nurse

Words derived from “femmina”

  • femminiello
  • superfemmina
  • femminuccia
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- →