a personal
noun suffix occurring in loanwords from French, where it forms feminine
nouns corresponding to masculine nouns ending in
-en (comedienne, doyenne); on this
model, of very limited productivity in English, forming distinctively feminine nouns from words ending in
-an: equestrienne.
Usage noteThe few English words that end in
-enne, indicating the feminine counterpart of a traditionally masculine term ending in
-en or
-an, usually carry little implication of inferiority. Many women, however, prefer that no distinction be made and that, as with other gender-specific words, the terms once reserved for males be applied to males and females alike. English is quite inconsistent in adopting such feminine nouns.
Equestrian has the form equestrienne; pedestrian has no corresponding feminine term. Although we have both comedienne and tragedienne, there is no feminine variant for thespian. See also -ess, -ette, -trix.
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00:10
Enne
is always a great word to know.
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