Thursday, April 29, 2010
Okay. So my plan to blog more was kinda dependent of me having a laptop, which started the year off out with a serious case of key logger. But it's back, so here goes.
I'm re-starting things off with a subject I've been planning to address for a while: Words that need to be added to the English language.
1. A non-gender-specific term for niece/nephew.
I have nieces and nephews and when I talk about them, I have to use the unnecessarily wordy "nieces and nephews". This was even more awkward when I only had one niece and said "niece and nephews". There's parents for "mom and dad", childrens for "sons and daughters", and siblings for "brothers and sisters". Cousins don't even need a gender term. A word should be added to the English language to fix this.
2. And while we're at it, same goes for "aunts and uncles".
3. Sticking within a genderless theme, there needs to be a gender neutral equivalent to he/she that doesn't also remove the humanity. Referring to someone as "it" could quite possibly get you hit.
4. Another gender-related term we need is a female equivalent to "guys". Guy/guys is a convenient word. It's doesn't come off as formal as "man" or as scientific as "male". And "boy" sounds like you're talking about a small male child. Guy is a useful term. Yet there's no female equivalent that quite fits. "Girl" has the same problem as "boy" and "gal" comes off a little condescending. And "doll" is perfect if you're a '30's gangster. Otherwise, no. And these terms all, if used in the workplace, could lead to a nice conversation with a representative from HR.
Now, guys can work as a gender neutral terms, especially when used in plural describing a mixed group of men and women. But calling a woman a guy can only work in certain situations and even then could have mixed results.
5. For the last one, I'm getting away from the topic of gender. There needs to be a word for someone who is in a long-time committed relationship but isn't engaged or marry. Basically a word that's husband or wife for people who are, for all intent and purpose, a married couple but haven't made it official. Boyfriend/girlfriend is the word currently used most often, but they sound so "high school". Also, there should be different terms for a coupld who have been dating only a couple weeks and a couple who live together, have kids, own property together, and even have stuff like joint bank accounts. My last girlfriend once said she didn't like me being referred to as her boyfriend cause it sound like we were in high school and both of us were well into our 30's. She said I was "her man". But that sounds less like a partnership and more like ownership.
Speaking of partnership, partner is sometimes used, but referring to someone as your partner requires further explanation to distinguish between business and love. And life partner, I'm sorry, just sounds stupid. And significant other is so unweilding and cold.
Of course, this new term would be of use to gay couples. On that subject, I say if the only thing keeping a couple from getting married is that it's illegal, I say go ahead use the terms associated with marriage. Call yourself husband & husband or wife & wife. But if you're serious and committed, but not marriage serious and committed, the new term, if created, is for you, too.
I'm re-starting things off with a subject I've been planning to address for a while: Words that need to be added to the English language.
1. A non-gender-specific term for niece/nephew.
I have nieces and nephews and when I talk about them, I have to use the unnecessarily wordy "nieces and nephews". This was even more awkward when I only had one niece and said "niece and nephews". There's parents for "mom and dad", childrens for "sons and daughters", and siblings for "brothers and sisters". Cousins don't even need a gender term. A word should be added to the English language to fix this.
2. And while we're at it, same goes for "aunts and uncles".
3. Sticking within a genderless theme, there needs to be a gender neutral equivalent to he/she that doesn't also remove the humanity. Referring to someone as "it" could quite possibly get you hit.
4. Another gender-related term we need is a female equivalent to "guys". Guy/guys is a convenient word. It's doesn't come off as formal as "man" or as scientific as "male". And "boy" sounds like you're talking about a small male child. Guy is a useful term. Yet there's no female equivalent that quite fits. "Girl" has the same problem as "boy" and "gal" comes off a little condescending. And "doll" is perfect if you're a '30's gangster. Otherwise, no. And these terms all, if used in the workplace, could lead to a nice conversation with a representative from HR.
Now, guys can work as a gender neutral terms, especially when used in plural describing a mixed group of men and women. But calling a woman a guy can only work in certain situations and even then could have mixed results.
5. For the last one, I'm getting away from the topic of gender. There needs to be a word for someone who is in a long-time committed relationship but isn't engaged or marry. Basically a word that's husband or wife for people who are, for all intent and purpose, a married couple but haven't made it official. Boyfriend/girlfriend is the word currently used most often, but they sound so "high school". Also, there should be different terms for a coupld who have been dating only a couple weeks and a couple who live together, have kids, own property together, and even have stuff like joint bank accounts. My last girlfriend once said she didn't like me being referred to as her boyfriend cause it sound like we were in high school and both of us were well into our 30's. She said I was "her man". But that sounds less like a partnership and more like ownership.
Speaking of partnership, partner is sometimes used, but referring to someone as your partner requires further explanation to distinguish between business and love. And life partner, I'm sorry, just sounds stupid. And significant other is so unweilding and cold.
Of course, this new term would be of use to gay couples. On that subject, I say if the only thing keeping a couple from getting married is that it's illegal, I say go ahead use the terms associated with marriage. Call yourself husband & husband or wife & wife. But if you're serious and committed, but not marriage serious and committed, the new term, if created, is for you, too.
Labels: new words
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