'auditress' originates from English, formed by adding the feminine suffix '-ess' to 'auditor.' The element 'aud-' ultimately comes from Latin 'audīre' meaning 'to hear.'

'auditress' developed as a feminine variant of 'auditor' (from Latin 'auditor' meaning 'hearer') in English usage; the feminine suffix '-ess' (from Old French/Latin feminine formations) was applied to form 'auditress.' Over time the feminine form fell out of common use and 'auditor' became the neutral term.

Initially it meant 'a woman who hears/inspects' (female auditor or listener). Over time it has become archaic or marked for gender and has largely been replaced by the ungendered term 'auditor.'