Where does “feminine” come from?

feminine (Latin) comes from Latin fēminīnus, from Latin -īnus, from Proto-Italic -īnos, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.

feminine (Latin): femininely, womanly; vocative masculine singular...

Definitions

  1. femininely, womanly; vocative masculine singular...

Ancestry of “feminine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinfēminīnusfeminine
2Latin-īnusof or pertaining to; -ine
3Proto-Italic-īnosof/belonging to
4Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
5Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →Every word from Latin -īnus →Every word from Latin fēminīnus →