Where does “femme” come from?
femme (Middle French) comes from Old French fame, from Latin fēmina, from Proto-Italic fēmanā, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- — to suckle, nurse.
femme (Middle French): wife; woman
Ancestry of “femme”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | fame | wife, female partner; woman |
| 2 | Latin | fēmina | — |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | fēmanā | woman |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂ | who sucks; one who is sucked; one who suckles;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁(y)- | to suckle, nurse |
Words derived from “femme”