the word 'suffragette' is a modern english formation from the early 20th century, directly coinciding with the militant women's suffrage movement. it is built upon the core noun 'suffrage', which entered english from old french, tracing back to latin 'suffragium', meaning a voting tablet, a vote, or the right to vote. the addition of the french-origin diminutive suffix '-ette' served to specify a female participant in the cause. while the suffix can imply smallness, in this context it primarily marks gender, creating a term that was initially used dismissively by opponents but was later proudly adopted by the activists themselves.

Structure: suffrage + ette suffrage (from latin 'suffragium', meaning a vote, a right to vote, or support) + ette (a french diminutive suffix, often used to form feminine nouns).