[1890–95; ‹ Gk thēlytokía, equiv. to thêly(s) female + tók(os) parturition, offspring + -ia -y3]This word is first recorded in the period 1890–95. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: cholesterol, honky-tonk, pogey, takedown, wireless-y is a suffix of various origins used in the formation of action nouns from verbs (inquiry), also found in other abstract nouns (carpentry; infamy)