misogyny

The word is a direct borrowing from the post-classical Latin misogynia, which itself was formed from two ancient Greek roots. The first part, miso-, derives from the verb misein, meaning "to hate". The second part, -gyny, comes from gynē, the standard Greek word for "woman". Combined, they create a literal meaning of "hatred of women". This compound structure entered scholarly English in the 17th century, providing a precise, clinical term for a specific form of prejudice. Its logic remains transparent, directly mapping the ancient components onto the modern abstract concept of systemic bias against women.

Structure: miso (hate) + gyny (women) - miso: From Greek misein (to hate). A combining form meaning "hatred of". - gyny: From Greek gynē (woman). A combining form meaning "women" or "female".