From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!npois!alice!rhm Newsgroups: net.nlang Title: Re: sexless words Article-I.D.: alice.779 Posted: Thu Jul 8 00:22:39 1982 Received: Fri Jul 9 01:17:51 1982 How did we get into the mode that there is some implicit agreement that we all want to "eliminate the gender discrimination"? I have some pretty strongly held gender preferences - mebbe I should enjoy the company ov men as much and in the same way as women, but I don't - vive la difference. I would never introduce my mother to someone or even refer to her as my "parent-person" or any other sexless descriptor. I maintain that her gender is relevant in almost any context. There are a number of cases where the retention of gender specification is generally considered very important - e.g. policewoman vs. policeman. There are some situations that require (even by law) one or the other but not a policeperson. Is it really necessary to point out again (for the zillionth time) that the word "man" refers to both genders by common usage, by dictionary definition, and in fact by etymology. The word "woman" derives from an Old English word which roughly translates as "female person"; the Old English ancestor of "man" was exactly as ambiguous as the modern word, referring to "man" or "person".