Advertisement
effeminacy (n.)
c. 1600; see effeminate + -acy.
Entries linking to effeminacy
effeminate (adj.)late 14c., "womanish; voluptuous; tender," from Latin effeminatus "womanish, effeminate," past participle of effeminare "make a woman of," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + femina "woman, a female" (literally "she who suckles," from PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). Rarely used but in reproach. The noun meaning "effeminate person" is from 1590s. Related: Effeminately; effemination.
-acy word-forming element making nouns of quality, state, or condition, a confusion in English of three similar suffixes from Latin: 1. in primacy, etc., from Old French -acie and directly from Medieval Latin -acia, Late Latin -atia, making nouns of quality, state, or condition from nouns in -as. 2. in advocacy, etc., from Late Latin -atia, forming nouns of state from nouns in -atus. 3. in fallacy, etc., from Latin -acia, forming nouns of quality from adjectives in -ax (genitive -acis). Also forming part of -cracy. Extended in English to nouns not found in Latin (accuracy) and to non-Latin words (piracy).
Share effeminacy
‘cite’
Page URL:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/effeminacy
HTML Link:
<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/effeminacy">Etymology of effeminacy by etymonline</a>
APA style:
Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of effeminacy. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/effeminacy
Chicago style:
Harper Douglas, “Etymology of effeminacy,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/effeminacy.
MLA style:
Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of effeminacy.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/effeminacy. Accessed $(datetimeMla).
IEEE style:
D. Harper. “Etymology of effeminacy.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/effeminacy (accessed $(datetime)).
Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of effeminacy
effeminacy (n.)
the trait of being effeminate (derogatory of a man);
the students associated science with masculinity and arts with effeminacy
Dictionary entries near effeminacy
effectively
effectiveness
effects
effectual
effectuate
effeminacy
effeminate
effendi
efferent
effervesce
effervescence