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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=600393016-01092005>Patrick,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=600393016-01092005></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>Why does "poetess"
or "scuptress" sound derogatory to your or to a contemporary English speaker's
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>ears? I asked other
British and American English speakers who did not think so. What is
the</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>connotation?
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>Does "lady
poet" sound better?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>You know German
enough to confirm that it is impossible to refer to a female poet/lady
poet/poetess</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>by the term Dichter
(that is reserved for male poets). She is a Dichterin with -in as the feminine
suffix.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>And how about other
word formations with - ess like "empress"? I cannot see that this
is</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=600393016-01092005>demeaning.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=600393016-01092005></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=600393016-01092005>Fritz
Goerling</SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><SPAN class=600393016-01092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Patrick
Hanks wrote:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Your point about "mademoiselle" reminds me of
Italian "professoressa", </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>which sounds derogatory to my English ears
(thinking of English "poetess", </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"sculptress", etc.), a connotation which
apparently does not exist for </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Italian native speakers. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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