[Lexicog] Derogatory (?) endings

[Wayne Leman]

Fritz, it is not the words themselves which are particularly demeaning to women but the idea that such words would even need to be used anymore. My wife is director of one of the governing units of SIL. She is not a feminist--at least not in the sense of being a follower of the feminist movement, but she simply wanted to be known as a director, not directress, or any other word that would indicate that she was a female doing the job. When she was chairman of the executive committee, she wanted to be known as chairman, which is the standard word for someone in that role. She requested that she not be referred to as chairwoman. The idea that there needs to be special forms of words when women fill jobs different from the default word for that job is what is demeaning to many women today.

At one time in the past, calling a woman by a category name with a feminine ending might have been a sign of honor given to a woman. Today it is no longer viewed as a matter of honor, but, rather, a means of stating that this is a woman doing a job. Many (most?) women today simply want to do their jobs and have the same title as a man would have for that same job.

Semantic change within English due to changing roles of women in society. Once again, language reflects culture. And perceptions of meaning determine connotative meaning, at a minimum.

In cultures where honor is still the primary component of honorifics, speakers of a language need to continue to use those honorifics. When cultures change, there will likely also be correlating language changes.

Wayne Leman
  Patrick,

  Why does "poetess" or "scuptress" sound derogatory to your or to a contemporary English speaker's 
  ears? I asked other British and American English speakers who did not think so. What is the
  connotation? Does "lady poet" sound better?
  You know German enough to confirm that it is impossible to refer to a female poet/lady poet/poetess
  by the term Dichter (that is reserved for male poets). She is a Dichterin with -in as the feminine suffix.
  And how about other word formations with - ess like "empress"? I cannot see that this is
  demeaning.

  Fritz Goerling
    Patrick Hanks wrote:

    Your point about "mademoiselle" reminds me of Italian "professoressa", 
    which sounds derogatory to my English ears (thinking of English "poetess", 
    "sculptress", etc.), a connotation which apparently does not exist for 
    Italian native speakers. 



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