Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “effeminatus” come from?

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

Ancestry of “effeminatus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latineffēminō—
2Latinfēmina—
3Proto-Italicfēmanāwoman
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂who sucks; one who is sucked; one who suckles;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁(y)-to suckle, nurse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- →