'authoress' originates from English, specifically formed from the word 'author' (from Latin 'auctor') plus the feminine suffix '-ess' (from Old French '-esse'), where 'auctor' meant 'originator' and the suffix '-ess' marked female gender.

'author' entered English from Old French 'autor' (from Latin 'auctor'); the feminine form 'authoress' was created in Early Modern English by adding the feminine suffix '-ess' to 'author'.

Initially it meant 'a woman who is an author,' but over time usage declined and the term became dated; modern usage generally prefers the gender-neutral term 'author'.