femme

The story

1. Latin · derived fromfemina“woman”
2. Old French · derived fromfame
3. Middle English · inherited fromfemme
4. English todayfemme

From Middle English femme, itself borrowed from Old French fame (whence French femme), from Latin femina (“woman”). Doublet of feme, femina, and hembra.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 19th c. A woman; a wife; (now chiefly Canada, US) a young woman or girl.
• from 20th c. A lesbian or other queer woman whose appearance, identity etc. is seen as feminine as opposed to butch.
• from 20th c. Pertaining to a femme; feminine, female.
• from 20th c. Effeminate (of a man).
• from 20th c. Characteristic of a feminine lesbian or queer woman.