'female-preferring' originates from English, specifically the words 'female' and 'prefer', where 'female' ultimately comes from Old French 'femelle' (from Latin 'femella') meaning 'woman' and 'prefer' comes from Latin 'praeferre' where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'ferre' meant 'to carry'.

'female' changed from Old French 'femelle' and Middle English 'female', and 'prefer' changed from Latin 'praeferre' through Old French 'preferer' into Middle English 'prefern' and eventually modern English 'prefer'; the compound 'female-preferring' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Initially, components meant 'woman' (female) and 'to carry before' (prefer in Latin), but over time 'prefer' evolved to mean 'to like or favor more', and the compound came to mean 'having a tendency to favor females'.