fēmina

fēmina uital.-lat.

Etymology 1 From Proto-Italic *fēmanā, from earlier *θēmanā, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂ (“[the one] nursing, breastfeeding”), the feminine mediopassive participle of *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suck, suckle”).Related to fellō, fētus, fīlius.

Alternative forms

• foemina (Medieval Latin)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfeː.mi.na/, [ˈfeːmɪnä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfe.mi.na/, [ˈfɛːminä]

Noun

fēmina f (genitive fēminae); first declension

1. woman [ quotations ▼]
2. wife
3. (of animals) female [ quotations ▼]
4. (grammar) the feminine gender

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	fēmina	fēminae
Genitive	fēminae	fēminārum
Dative	fēminae	fēminīs
Accusative	fēminam	fēminās
Ablative	fēminā	fēminīs
Vocative	fēmina	fēminae

Synonyms

• (woman): mulier, vira (hapax, mentioning Old Latin)
• (wife): uxor
• (grammar): genus fēminīnum