# Word for female form of 'phallic'... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118 "2000-05-10T14:18:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lancer45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@lancer45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lancer45)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/1 "2000-05-10T14:18:28Z")
A friend and I spent a couple of hours poring over dictionaries and thesauri (sp?) while trying to find a word that is the female form of “phallic.” She believes she first encountered the word in ‘The Delta of Venus’ by Anaïs Nin, but hasn’t had any luck finding it again. I didn’t recall any words like that making an impression on my mind, even though I had just read her copy of the book. We debated ‘clitoral,’ ‘clitoric,’ derivations of ‘vagina’ and ‘uterus,’ but she believes it is none of these. Any help in resolving this question is greatly appreciated. -L. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/2 "2000-05-10T14:38:25Z")
I would suggest “sapphic”, but it allude more toward lesbianism. My 2¢ ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/3 "2000-05-10T14:43:16Z")
How about the word **yonnic**? The [link](http://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/~orn/yonnic.html) I got it from is unsure of the spelling, but it’s close to this definition in my dictionary: yoni- (in Shaktism) a representation of the external female genitals, regarded as the symbol of Shakti. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/4 "2000-05-10T15:20:10Z")
In anatomy, _phallus_ refers to the embryonic precursor of either the penis in the male or the clitoris in the female. The penis and clitoris are homologous. (According to some anatomy texts, the lower vagina in the female is homologous to the prostatic utricle in the male, in case you were wondering; I’m sure you were.) In Freudian Psychology, _phallic_ refers the genitals of either the male or the female, especially in prepubescent children. Phallus derives from the Greek word for penis. It can then be argued that the female form of phallic is clitoral (from the Greek word meaning clitoris), but only from a strictly anatomical point of view. “Clitoral symbolism” doesn’t have the same familiar ring as “phallic symbolism.” ---
**Author:** ![writefetus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9de053/32.png) [@writefetus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/writefetus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/5 "2000-05-10T15:24:08Z")
…try gyne as a prefix, as in gyneocentric ( as opposed to PHALLOcentric) ---
**Author:** ![lancer45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@lancer45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lancer45)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/6 "2000-05-10T15:26:31Z")
Squee: I had a similar thought at the time, but the word kept escaping me. I remembered it from something I read about Yoga, or something related. -L. ---
**Author:** ![lancer45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@lancer45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lancer45)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/7 "2000-05-10T15:27:41Z")
Squee: I had a similar thought at the time, but the word kept escaping me. I remembered it from something I read about Yoga, or something related. I’ll let her know and see if it rings a bell. All: Any further input is welcome! -L. ---
**Author:** ![sut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@sut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sut)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/8 "2000-05-10T15:28:39Z")
Websters traces vulva, the external female genitals, back to the latin word, vulva, for womb and postulates that it may be akin to volvere, to roll, giving volubilis evolving to voluble, easily rolling. Maybe you’re looking for volubilic? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/9 "2000-05-10T17:33:04Z")
Pudenda? (plural of pudendum) What’s the Greek for “little man in the boat”? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/10 "2000-05-10T17:38:28Z")
Oops - forgot to put it in adjectival form - pudendal. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/11 "2000-05-10T18:56:57Z")
vestibule, adj form = vestibular. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/12 "2000-05-10T19:46:05Z")
I think we should let the master guide us. No, not Cecil. Shakespeare. I vote for “country.” HAMLET Lady, shall I lie in your lap? [Lying down at OPHELIA’s feet] OPHELIA No, my lord. HAMLET I mean, my head upon your lap? OPHELIA Ay, my lord. HAMLET Do you think I meant country matters? (Act III Scene 2) ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/13 "2000-05-10T19:46:21Z")
[good Sofa King] Don’t you dare say it, you pig! [/good Sofa King] [evil Sofa King] Do it, man, you gotta do it. [/evil Sofa King] [good Sofa King] You do that, and we’ll be mowing the lawn this evening instead of sipping margaritas at Mexicali. [/good Sofa King] [evil Sofa King] It’s worth it. Go ahead. [/evil Sofa King] **angustifolic** **inophullic** **calophyllic** ---
**Author:** ![Iolanthe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7bcc69/32.png) [@Iolanthe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iolanthe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/14 "2000-05-10T21:11:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > How about the word **yonnic**? > > The [link](http://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/~orn/yonnic.html) I got it from is unsure of the spelling, but it’s close to this definition in my dictionary: > > yoni- (in Shaktism) a representation of the external female genitals, regarded as the symbol of Shakti. > \*\* This is also what I’ve heard. I will give you my source, for what it’s worth. From what may be the best parody I have ever seen: (a whole bunch of song, sung by Xena, Warrior Princess, to the tune of Modern Major General) "My sword is rather phallic, though my chakram’s rather yonical, To find out what that means you’ll have to study Indo-Aryan, I am the very model of a Heroine Barbarian! (“She is the very model of a Heroine Barbarian.”) I can’t remember who wrote this; I believe it was a Harvard student. Harvard has just justified itself to me. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/15 "2000-05-10T23:36:40Z")
‘vagina’ comes from latin, ‘sheath’ which comes from ‘scindere’ thus, scindallic. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/16 "2000-05-11T04:19:04Z")
I think that “yonnic” would be more the female equivalent of “lingic” (is there such a word?) from “lingam”. It seems to me that one ought to keep the languages consistent, so since “phallic” comes from the Greek for “penis”, what we need is the Greek word for “vagina” or “vulva”. By the way, Iolanthe, I almost fell out of my chair when I read that song. Do you have a link to the full lyrics? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/17 "2000-05-11T07:29:13Z")
Hindi: Yonic would work only if you accept lingamic (or lingal) as the male counterpart. (The stylized female and male representations of Shiva.) Yonic probably has more of a linguistical currency for ‘the female form’ because there are many yonic statues in Hindu culture representing Yoni. Latin: Vulval (or vulvar) is a perfectly acceptable English word for what you want. Phallos is a Late Latin word borrowed from the Greek, and so phallic and vulval make a good Latinate team. Although, the more proper Latinate word for the male symbol would be penile. Greek: Though clitoris comes from the Greek, it’s English use for ‘the man in the boat’ doesn’t imply the stylized shape you’re looking for. The Greek for vagina or womb is kolpos, and so, the English equivalent would be a coined term ‘colpal’ to go along with phallic. Peace. * * * _I can use a dictionary._ ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Feelgud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Major\_Feelgud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Feelgud)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/18 "2000-05-11T08:24:02Z")
Why screw around? Let’s go with cuntic. ---
**Author:** ![Sentinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sentinel)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/19 "2000-05-11T12:58:33Z")
Does this mean that the New Age Music composer ‘Yonni’ actually named his weird self after the female sexual organ? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118/20 "2000-05-11T14:52:28Z")
Just when is a woman’s sex organs called a ‘vulva?’ Thats only part of it. Any doctor can assure you that a womans sex organs are called the vagina. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-for-female-form-of-phallic/19118.md?page=2)