With the rise of new interpretations of pronouns, genders, and biology; we have begun to slowly move away from the source of words. As someone who adores etymology, biology and data, I thought I’d do a little dive into the definition of “woman”.
The word “woman” has deep roots in the Germanic and Indo-European language families. Here’s some information of its origins and evolution:
Modern English: woman
Comes from Old English wīfmann or wīfman, meaning “female human”
• wīf = woman or wife (biological female)
• mann = human being, person (not originally male specific)
So wīfmann literally meant “female person”
In the core: wīfmann (wifman) literally means “female person,” and the term female in that context is rooted in biological sex, not just a social or cultural identity. Female, itself, is a biological term. Thus, woman is rooted in biology.
The word “wifman” directly referred to a biologically female human, not a socially constructed role. That makes it clear that the original word “woman” was tied to biological sex, not gender as it’s sometimes defined today. This supports the point that “woman” historically and etymologically includes a biological component, not just a social or personal identity. The word’s very foundation is rooted in sex distinction.
Old English (c. 800s): wīfmann / wīfman
• Wīf (woman, wife) + mann (person, human)
• At that time, man referred to any person; wer was the word for male (see werewolf = man-wolf)
Middle English (c. 1100s–1400s): wimman, wumman
• Over time, wīfmann became wimman, then woman
• Plural became wimmen, then women, with pronunciation shift in vowels
Proto-Germanic roots (pre-500 CE):
• wībamann- = female person
• wībą = woman, wife
• mann- = human, person
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) roots (possibly 4000–2500 BCE):
• gʷḗn = woman, wife
• This PIE root led to:
– Greek: gynē (γυνή) → modern “gynecology”
– Sanskrit: jani = woman
– Old Irish: ben = woman
– Latin: femina is separate, but may share a root through PIE dʰeh₁- (to suckle, nurse)
• PIE man- = person, possibly from manu- (hand, thinking person), but debated
Summary of roots:
• “Woman” = wīfmann → wimman → woman
• Combines Old English wīf (female) + mann (person)
• Traces back to Proto-Germanic and PIE roots like gʷḗn (woman) and manu- (person)
It’s a blend of old words for gender and personhood, reflecting how meanings evolved over time from non-gendered to gendered forms.
WHAT IS A GENDER?
Gender was rooted in biology, especially when referring to human gender, not just grammar.
In early use:
• In grammar, gender classified words. But the terms masculine and feminine came from biological sex roles
• In human classification, gender referred to male and female, which were biological realities, not identities
Grammatical Gender is different. Examples like masculine and feminine in language, pronouns, adjectives, etc. Also, for example other languages like “el libro” : the book masculine, or “la mesa” : the table feminine. This was symbolic, but human gender was grounded in biological sex.
Over time, gender was reinterpreted socially. But originally, the concept was biologically rooted, not just inspired by sex.
WHAT IS SEX?
Sex refers to a person’s biological classification as male or female, based on physical and genetic traits at birth.
Key components of biological sex:
• Chromosomes – XX (female), XY (male)
• Gonads – Ovaries (female), testes (male)
• Hormones – Estrogen/progesterone (female), testosterone (male)
• Primary sex characteristics – Genitalia and reproductive organs
• Secondary sex characteristics – Physical traits that appear at puberty (like breasts, facial hair, etc.)
Fun fact, puberty (sex hormone release) happens several times in a human being’s life, not just once: 1. Mini puberty (infancy) 2. Childhood (quiet phase) 3. Main puberty (8-14) 4. Late adolescence (early 20s).
Sex is observable and measurable, present at birth, and does not change, even if external features are altered.
Basically, Sex is biological.
Modern theory separates the two, but biologically speaking, sex is fixed and gender evolved from it.
What about intersex?
Intersex people are born the way they are and are not part of the “two gender” discussion because of their biological rarity. Just as much as I am still human even if I am dyslexic, I might not be like every other human but I was genetically born this way. It was not a change I made to my existing biological or genetic existence. So, since biology of male and female is the issue, this would exclude the a biological uniqueness of intersex because it is unrelated to the non-biological concern of transgenderism. Transgenderism isn’t biological and intersexuality is biological, therefore that is why they are not in the same conversation regarding the biological spaces of male and female. So saying “well intersex people have existed just as long as transgender individuals” is a contrary sentence, as neither are related to one another.
What is the biological issue?
In recent times we have seen a change in the interpretation as to what a woman is. There was a recent sport competition where two trans women competed against one another in a “women’s competition”. Not one biological female was involved in a sport competition for women. This is one of many instances where women are essentially being erased in their own lane. My confusion is: Why can’t we just have trans spaces for trans people? Why take away what biological women worked so hard to create? What we need to realize is that it is not phobic to disagree with bigotry and misogyny against biological women. There’s a difference between enabling and inclusivity.
BIOLOGICAL QUALM
My qualm is that gender supposedly has nothing to do with biology… but people are changing their biology, through surgeries (or appearances) involving their biological parts, to become the “gender” they claim is entirely separate from biology. That seems contradictory. If gender is truly independent of the body, then why is there a need to physically alter the body to match it?
It’s one thing to dress like a woman, or even appear like one through makeup, voice, or presentation. But going so far as to medically and surgically change the biological body to align with a chosen gender suggests that biology does matter. That action itself implies that internal organs, sex characteristics, and physical anatomy are essential to validating one’s gender identity.
Which leads to the contradiction: if biology is irrelevant to gender, then why is so much effort put into altering it? The very act of changing biology to “match” gender seems to reinforce the idea that gender and biological sex are not entirely separate, and maybe not separate at all.
Clarifying even further… the word woman is not just a social label or performance, it is also biological. It has a deep linguistic and historical link to sex and reproductive roles. To detach it entirely from biology erases its origin, its meaning, and even the reality of those born female.
Sadly, those who defend biological women’s rights and spaces are being labeled (without consent ironically) the term “TERF”. TERF means someone who supports women’s rights but doesn’t accept trans women as women. Essentially a label created to disrespect biological women from defending their own sex. It’s either one is transphobic or a bigot, and now TERF. Which is not at all what most women who defend women are trying to express; they just want boundaries. When will the logical biological woman be respected? When will their voice be heard? It is not inclusivity to enable disrespect toward an entire gender in the name of blind acceptance. In any case, we should recognize transgender individuals exist and they matter of course. But boundaries must exist as well.
Zenia is a multifaceted artist, musician, singer, actress, and tech advisor, dedicated to inspiring transformation through authentic expression. A natural wellness advocate and activist, she supports movements, foundations, and individuals committed to meaningful change. Zenia empowers people to live from the heart, harnessing the power of music, art, lifestyle shifts, and conscious awareness. Rooted in a family legacy of yoga, meditation, holistic health, education, and law, she carries forward a tradition of healing and knowledge, blending artistry with advocacy to make a lasting impact on the world.
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