womanish

English

Alternative forms

• womannish (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English wommanyssh. Equivalent to woman +‎ -ish. The verb is from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwʊmənɪʃ/

Adjective

womanish (comparative more womanish, superlative most womanish)

1. (often derogatory) Characteristic of a woman; effeminate, feminine. [from 14th c.]
   • 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 113, column 1:

     […] Romans novv / Haue Thevves, and Limbes, like to their Anceſtors; / But vvoe the vvhile, our Fathers mindes are dead, / And vve are gouern'd vvith our Mothers ſpirits, / Our yoake, and ſufferance, ſhevv vs VVomaniſh.

   • 1817 (date written), Jane Austen, chapter 12, in R[aymond] W[ilson] Chambers, editor, Fragment of a Novel Written by Jane Austen, January–March 1817 […] [Sanditon], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, published 1925, →OCLC, pages 167–168:

     The Fence was a proper Park paling in excellent condition; with clusters of fine Elms, or rows of old Thorns following its line almost every where.—Almost must be stipulated—for there were vacant spaces & through one of these, Charlotte as soon as they entered the Enclosure, caught a glimpse over the pales of something White & Womanish in the field on the other side;—it was a something which immediately brought Miss B. into her head—& stepping to the pales, she saw indeed—& very decidedly, in spite of the Mist; Miss B—seated, not far before her, at the foot of the bank which sloped down from the outside of the Paling & which a narrow Path seemed to skirt along;—Miss Brereton seated, apparently very composedly—& Sir E. D. by her side.

   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIV, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 259:

     I don't very much wonder at her fright. We have met before; but I owe her no grudge, and we must not wait for womanish fear.

   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, “Aristotle’s Ethics”, in History of Western Philosophy […], London: George Allen and Unwin, →OCLC, book 1 (Ancient Philosophy), part 2 (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), page 202:

     Friends are a comfort in misfortune, but one should not make them unhappy by seeking their sympathy, as is done by women and womanish men.

   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 753:

     Perhaps he did too, for he turned scarlet and turned his face away to the wall, with a womanish gesture of shyness.

2. Carried out by or pertaining to a woman. [from 14th c.]
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 496:

     And gan recomfort her in her rude vvyſe, / VVith vvomaniſh compaſſion of her plaint, / VViping the teares from her ſuffuſed eyes, […]

Related terms

• old-womanish
• womanly

Translations

characteristic of a woman

• Armenian: կանացի (hy) (kanacʻi)
• Bulgarian: женски (ženski)
• Finnish: naismainen (fi)
• Greek: γυναικείος (el) (gynaikeíos)

  Ancient Greek: γυναικώδης (gunaikṓdēs)

• Hungarian: nőies (hu)
• Irish: banda

  Middle Irish: banamail

• Korean: 여자 같은 (yeoja gateun)
• Norwegian: kvinnelig (no)
• Russian: ба́бий (ru) m (bábij), женоподо́бный (ru) (ženopodóbnyj)
• Spanish: afeminado (es)
• Turkish: kadınsı (tr)

Verb

womanish (third-person singular simple present womanishes, present participle womanishing, simple past and past participle womanished)

1. (rare, obsolete) To make womanish.

   Synonyms: effeminate, femalize, femininize, feminize, woman, womanize

   • 1561, Baldessar Castilio [i.e., Baldassare Castiglione], translated by Thomas Hoby, “The First Booke of the Courtier of Count Baldessar Castilio, vnto Maister Alphonsus Ariosto”, in The Courtyer of Count Baldessar Castilio Diuided into Foure Bookes. […], London: […] vvyllyam Seres […], signature I.ii., recto:

     Then the L[ord] Gaſpar [Pallavicino], I beleue muſicke (quoth he) together with many other vanities is mete foꝛ women, ⁊ paraduenture foꝛ ſome alſo that haue the lykenes of men, but not foꝛ them that be men in dede: who ought not with ſuche delicacies to womanniſhe [translating effeminare] their mindes, and bꝛynge themſelues in that ſoꝛt to dꝛead death.

     • 1907, “Book First”, in Rossiter Johnson, Dora Knowlton Ranous, editors, The Courtier (Il Cortegiano) (The Literature of Italy, 1265–1907), [New York, N.Y.]: The National Alumni, →OCLC, page 75:

       Then the Lord Gaspar: “I believe music,” quoth he, “together with many other vanities, is meet for women, and peradventure for some also that have the likeness of men, but not for them that be men indeed, who ought not with such delicacies to womanish their minds and bring themselves in that sort to dread death.”

   • c. 1570s – 1580 (date written), [Philip Sidney], “The First Booke or Acte”, in [T]he Countess of Pembrookes Arcadia [The Old Arcadia], folio 10, recto, lines 4–7:

     [T]his effeminate love of a Woman, dothe ſo womaniſh a man, that, yf yow yeelde to yt, yt will not onely make yow a famous Amazon but a Launder, a Diſtaff ſpinner, or whatſoever other vyle occupacyon theyre Idle heades can Imagyn, and theyre weyke handes ꝑforme [performe]: […]

     For a transcription, see: Albert Feuillerat, editor (1926), “The First Book”, in The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia: Being the Original Version […] (Cambridge English Classics; The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; IV), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, →OCLC, page 17.

   • 1583 May 1, Phillip Stubbes, “[Of Musick in Aligna, and hovv it allureth to vanitie.] Of musick in publique assemblies, and conuenticles.”, in The Anatomie of Abuses: Contayning a Discouerie, or Briefe Summarie of Such Notable Vices and Imperfections, as Novv Raigne in Many Christian Countreyes of the VVorlde: but (Especiallie) in a Verie Famous Ilande called Ailgna: […], London: […] [John Kingston for] Richard Iones:

     But béeing vſed in publique aſſemblies and pꝛiuate conuenticles as directoꝛies to filthie dauncing, thoꝛow the ſwéet harmonie ⁊ ſmoothe melodie therof, it [music] eſtraungeth yͤ mind / ſtireth vp filthie luſt, womanniſheth yͤ minde / rauiſheth the hart, enflameth concupiſence, and bꝛingeth in vncleannes.

     • [1857], W[illiam] Chappell, “Puritanism, in Its Effects upon Music and Its Accessories”, in Popular Music of the Olden Time; a Collection of Ancient Songs, Ballads, and Dance Tunes, Illustrative of the National Music of England. […], volume II, London: Cramer, Beale, & Chappell, […], page 406:

       He [Stubbes] complains of music “being used in public assemblies and private conventicles as a directory to filthy dancing;” and that “through the sweet harmony and smooth melody thereof, it estrangeth the mind, stirreth up lust, womanisheth the mind, and ravisheth the heart.”

See also

• girlish
• ladyish