sapphism

English

Etymology

From Sappho (“a poet of the isle of Lesbos (612 B.C.E. - 570 B.C.E.)”) +‎ -ism.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈsæ.fɪzm̩/

Noun

sapphism (usually uncountable, plural sapphisms)

1. Lesbianism; female homosexuality. [from 18th c.]
   • 1795 December 9, Hester Lynch Piozzi, Thraliana:

     Its odd that yᵉ Roman Women did not borrow that horrible Vice from Greece—it has a Greek name now & is called Sapphism, but I never did hear of it in Italy where the Ladies are today exactly what Juvenal described them in his Time—neither better nor worse as I can find.

Synonyms

• lesbianism

Derived terms

• sapphist

Translations

lesbianism

• Bulgarian: лесбийство n (lesbijstvo)
• French: sapphisme, saphisme (fr)
• German: Sapphismus
• Italian: saffismo (it)
• Japanese: サッフィズム (saffizumu)
• Norwegian: saffisme (no)
• Portuguese: safismo (pt)
• Spanish: safismo