feral woman
- noun
- /ˈfɛrəl ˈwʊmən/
:
mujer salvaje
- Legends about a feral woman roaming the wilderness have fascinated people for generations.
Examples
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The novel explores the life of a feral woman who struggles to adapt to modern society.
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After years lost in the forest, she was considered a feral woman by the villagers.
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The feral woman was found living in the woods.
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Many stories describe a feral woman raised by wolves.
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The feral woman wandered through the forest, avoiding contact with any humans.
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After years of living alone in the wilderness, she had become a feral woman, exhibiting animal-like behaviors.
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The documentary explored the life of a feral woman who had been raised by wolves and struggled to adapt to society.
Synonyms
2
7.8
A woman who does not follow normal social rules and is often avoided by others
A person who grows up alone in the wild and does not learn normal human behavior
How Socialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'feral' (reverted to a wild state) combined with 'woman' straightforwardly yields the idea of a woman who is wild or unsocialized; this meaning can be compositionally inferred by a learner who knows both constituents. Although 'feral' is more often used for animals, its metaphorical extension to humans is predictable and follows regular adjective+noun composition patterns, making it accessible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Feral woman comes from the image of a woman living alone in the wild, with feral meaning 'wild' like someone raised outside towns and people. So, it describes 'a woman who has not been socialized' and who lacks the usual social skills.