Genderization of words

[LFI]

Okay, here's one that's bothered me for years. It's a puzzle I came up with, but then forgot the solution!

Many years ago, in high school, I was working on a play. A word from the play made me think of this:

How many instances of word-pairs are there in which the male version of the word is LONGER than the female version? Here I am speaking of words that share the same root (and, because I grew up in the U.S., speaking English, and doing semi-decently-to-just-eh in my foreign language classes... only words in English).

Normally, the female version is longer. Cases-in-point:
Steward/Stewardess
Count/Countess
Waiter/Waitress
Actor/Actress
etc.

I was able to think of three such word pairs. One was inspired by the play and the other two are hidden in the block below:

widower/widow
mister/miss

I am also hiding the name of the play for those who want a hint, and I suppose I could go back myself and read it to find the word that originally inspired me!

Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"

So can anyone think of the third word pair? ...or any others? ...or disagree with my answers as valid solutions to this puzzle?

--Dave

 

[LFI]

CajunCenturion,

An interesting second-puzzle to this one, then, might be to come up with a way to phrase the question appropriately so that answers are irrefutablly right or wrong. [I dare say, many puzzles would benefit from a closer examination of the parameters set forth, by which solutions may be derived.]

I don't think I'm up for that!

--Dave

 

[CajunCenturion]

That's probably worth it's own thread, and probably in a different forum.

Good Luck
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[Thadeus]

androcracy, gynocracy

I didn't encode this one, because it sort of brushes the edges sharing the same root. -cracy meaning rule or government.

~Thadeus [grasping at straws]

 

[mscallisto]

LookingForInfo

Which one had you not thought of, my first or second?

 

[LFI]

mscallisto,

While the "Arnold" solution is quite funny, it was the first solution on which I was commenting!

There is something about that solution, too, that reminds me of the solution I cannot remember.

I really need to pick up that play and find the word(s) that spawned this idea. I've been thinking about it, on and off, for nearly 20 years now! How's that for procrastination?!

--Dave

 

[GwydionM]

[white]Regarding gentlemen, ladies and lords; 'lady is a polite term that can be used for any female. You could say 'Jane is a lady' - or that she isn't, if you were being snobbish or were maybe saying she had a bad character. The rules are decaying and uncertain, but that is roughly it. If Jane were a male transvestite then you'd say 'Jane isn't a woman'. So gentleman / lady is valid. If you speak of someone as Lady Jane, this means something different, a definite rank within the hierarchy. It includes the wives of knights and some others; Pricess Dianna was Lady Dianna Spencer before she married.
As for wizards and warlocks, common English usage applies these to make magic-users. This habit is observed by most people, including female writers like J K Rowling and Ursula Le Guin. To speak of a male as a witch would be unusual but valid, in normal English. To speak of a female as a a wizard or warlock would be a misuse of the word.
[/white]

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A view from the UK

 

[mscallisto]

Very good, I'll keeping searching my engrams, there has to be one or two more out there somewhere.

 

[hilfy]

the root for "wizard" is a word for "wise," while no such suggestion is made in the entry for "witch".

In my study of Wicca (10+ years), I've always heard that "witch" has its roots in the word "Wicca" which also has its origins the the word "wise".

The use of wizard, warlock, and witch differs greatly in common usage vs. the usage of those who follow the Wiccan path. For us, a Wizard is someone who practices ceremonial magic, a Warlock is an oathbreaker, and a Witch is someone who is Wiccan. None of these nouns has any connotation of gender in the way that Wiccans use them.

Bright Blessings!
-Dell

 

[mscallisto]

Good...I'll try to think of another. There must be a few more somewhere.

 

[entaroadun]

To speak of a female as a a wizard or warlock would be a misuse of the word.

Many words formally reserved for males are now acceptable for both genders. It's usually not true the other way around. I see no problem with using the term wizard to describe a female.

But that's its own thread...

 

[ESquared]

Interesting discussion.

In any case, please start a new thread if you'd like to keep discussing wizard/warlock/witch. In the Making An Impression forum. Thanks!

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It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[mscallisto]

What about

[white] stepbrother  stepsister [/white]

 

[chessbot]

or, more simply

[white]brother sister[/white]

--Chessbot

"So it goes."
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five

 

[johnwm]

However neither of those pairs fulfils the 'from the same root' criterion!

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[mscallisto]

why not???

 

[johnwm]

I can't find a link in any of my online or paper resources that shows an etymological link between [COLOR=white white] brother and sister [/color]. Perhaps you can point me to such a link.

________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

'If we're supposed to work in Hex, why have we only got A fingers?'

http://www.essexsteam.co.uk

for steam enthusiasts

 

[ESquared]

I think the general principle is that the masculine must be formed from the feminine. Thus bride->bridegroom is acceptable, but stepsister->stepbrother also loses a whole part.

My own joke contribution:

[white]lady
ladykiller[/white]

-------------------------------------
It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[LFI]

I will never mention this question to someone again without including among the answers, the two great joke-answers by ESquared and mscallisto!

Thanks, people!

--Dave

 

[mscallisto]

If you ever think of the answer you can't think of, think of us and let us know what you thought of!

 

[GwydionM]

I checked the Oxford English Dictionary: they reckon different roots for brother and sister, with brother being much older. I had wondered if it was a gender-prefix on the same root-term, but the experts think not.

OE. sweoster, swuster... suster and soster represent OE. forms with the w absorbed, while sister appears to be from Scandinavian.

A Common Teut., and Common Aryan word: OE. bróðor

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A view from the UK