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Gender-neutral words

UserPost

1:17PM
Jan-26-08


Jacquie Lowell

Guest

With respect to the call about "professor emeritus/emerita" and other gender-specific words, it seems (at least among the improv comedy students in my San Diego classes) that a gender-neutral word remains preferable to defaulting to the masculine version, so we have taken to using "actron" as the gender-neutral version of actor/actress and "waitron" as the gender-neutral version of waiter/waitress. Similar to the way that feminists and then others neutralized words ending in "-man" by converting them to "-person" as in chairperson or salesperson, in the late '60s. "-tron" has such a nice futuristic ring, too.

8:06AM
Jan-27-08


Jeanne

Guest

I object to substituting gender neutral words unless both genders use the term. It's perfectly fine for a female to use "actor" (and they do) or "chairman" or "waiter." To "person"alize a title or profession and use it only for the female gender is demeaning to women, especially since men don't take the term "person"ally.
Don't you think the only "actron" would be R2D2?

7:45PM
Jan-27-08


martha

martha

Admin

posts 802

Jacquie, you didn't encounter any resistance among your students to "actron"?

It Does sound kind of R2D2ish, now that Jeanne mentions it.

12:11PM
Feb-09-08


David F

Guest

Am I being old fashioned and sexist here? Here's my take on why professor emerita is just fine (and preferable): It's Latin, plain and simple. Although we use it in English, it is a rare enough word–even around universities, really–to show its roots clearly. It seems very different from actor/actress, which is an example of people not wanting to use a diminutive suffix. That's quite understandable, although given the respect actors have historically received, going from actress to actor is not a great step up.

8:57AM
Feb-11-08


bittermuse

Guest

I wonder: do other countries and cultures with Latin based language have this issue with the gender neutralization of words? I ask this because most Romance languages have masculine and feminine form which is what English lacks, so if I am a Transgendered or gender sensitive person in Italy, or Spain, what am I to do?

5:51PM
Feb-13-08


Eve

Guest

Just to add to the emerita/emeritus question, I graduated from a medical school that had once been all female, but was no longer single sex. They referred to their graduates as "alumnae/i". Think how that sounded out loud.

1:05AM
Feb-18-08


Marc Naimark

Guest

bittermuse said:

I wonder: do other countries and cultures with Latin based language have this issue with the gender neutralization of words? I ask this because most Romance languages have masculine and feminine form which is what English lacks, so if I am a Transgendered or gender sensitive person in Italy, or Spain, what am I to do?


You are up a creek without a paddle, I'm afraid, at least in France. While Quebec has made great strides in feminizing job titles, the French remain resistant, although certain titles (une Ministre, une écrivaine, une auteure…) are now (sometimes) used.

11:52AM
Feb-18-08


bittermuse

Guest

That is unfortunate. I would love to meet some word-gender-revolutionaries from other countries. The freedom we are allowed here in the US is, although many times unfortunate, quite progressive. I imagine that if I were born female but identified as male, I could speak in masculine form in my every day speech to my friends and family, but might encounter issues in a more public matter. Or like you mentioned; in my job title.

1:40PM
Apr-01-08


Wordsmith

Member

posts 158

Chinese is basically gender-neutral in many of its names for professions and titles (the word ? [n?] can be added to the beginning of the term to make it female, similar to Hungarian adding n? at the end of the term to make it female). Chinese also lacks gender for its third person singular pronoun, in spoken form; in written form they differ: he = ? [t?], she = ? [t?], and it = ? [t?]). Okay, sorry, I'm getting off track…

4:33PM
Apr-01-08


Glenn Peters

Portland, OR

Member

posts 55

My college used "alumn" as a generic term to refer to students of any gender.

Also, I'd like to add that Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker are wonderful actrons.

5:23AM
Apr-02-08


Wordsmith

Member

posts 158

As are Dan Quayle and Al Gore.

(pause)

What? Why is everyone staring at me?…

12:53PM
Apr-02-08


martha

martha

Admin

posts 802

Ya'll are so funny!

And Eve:

They referred to their graduates as “alumnae/i”

I'm plotzing! What an abomination!

9:31PM
Apr-05-08


Software Poet

New Member

posts 2

This is silly, I know, but why not refer to a graduate as a graduate?

3:15PM
Apr-06-08


Wordsmith

Member

posts 158

“Graduate” may imply that the person that has gratuated has done so only recently. Whereas, “alumnæ/i” can be used thenceforth in any number of ways. “Post-graduate” and “under-graduate” can imply certain things as well: the former, that one has “finished his/her studies” and the latter, that s/he has chosen not to or at least hasn't yet. Other than that, “graduate” seems fine, if only it weren't for the already-established connotations of having recently graduated. But it depends. Martha? Grant?

8:18AM
Apr-13-08


felixblackcat

Member

posts 32

Wordsmith said:

“Graduate” may imply that the person that has gratuated has done so only recently. Whereas, “alumnæ/i” can be used thenceforth in any number of ways. “Post-graduate” and “under-graduate” can imply certain things as well: the former, that one has “finished his/her studies” and the latter, that s/he has chosen not to or at least hasn't yet. Other than that, “graduate” seems fine, if only it weren't for the already-established connotations of having recently graduated. But it depends. Martha? Grant?


Well, "undergraduate" often means refers to (or a student) at the baccalaureate level, and "postgraduate" can refer to studies (or a student) beyond this level. I don't think I've ever heard or seen "postgraduate" used to mean that someone is done with their studies — in fact, it usually means they're continuing their studies.

12:33PM
Apr-13-08


Wordsmith

Member

posts 158

From my experience, "postgraduate" usu. implies that one has received his/her master's or doctorate. But there are different shades of meaning. Like I said, it depends.