femella Latin · revision 8192

16 Oct 2026, 15:35 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Catullus|origins=la fēmina}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [feːˈmɛl.la]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [feˈmɛl.la]^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''fēmella''' ''f'' (genitive fēmellae); first declension^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is a diminutive of [[fēmina]] “woman”, with the suffix [[-ella]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Köbler's first source is Catullus, whom he dates 81/79–52/50 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant a young woman, a girl.^(OLD 2012) Etymonline explains that in Vulgar Latin the sense spread from young women to the females of animals, and then to females generally.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ British Medieval Latin glossaries explain it as a diminutive of ''fēmina'', a little woman, girl.^(DMLBS) It survives in French ''femelle'' and Catalan ''femella'' “female”, and through Old French ''femelle'' it gave [[en|female]] in the early 14th century.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it.^(Köbler 2010)
+ * early 14th century – English ''female'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A young woman, girl.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A [[m|en|female]].^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[fēmellārius]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[fēmina]]
+ * [[en|female]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}