I am 😕 (confused).

What's up with the English language? We have man and woman. I mean, wo-man? Why not just wo?
Help?
😅 I'm curious now, so I asked ChatGPT's intake on this:


The words "man" and "woman" in English have an interesting linguistic history, rooted in Old English and older Germanic languages. Here's how these words evolved:

The Word "Man"

In Old English, "man" (or mann) originally meant "human being" in a general, gender-neutral sense, not specifically a male person. It was used to describe any person, regardless of gender. The word for a male person specifically was actually "wēr" (from which we get "werewolf," meaning "man-wolf").

Over time, wēr fell out of use, and "man" came to be associated more strongly with males. By the Middle English period, "man" had shifted toward referring specifically to a male, though it was still sometimes used to mean "person" in a general sense.

The Prefix "Wo-" in "Woman"

The word "woman" derives from Old English "wīfmann", where:

  • "wīf" (related to the modern word "wife") meant "woman" or "female."
  • "mann" meant "person" or "human being."
So "wīfmann" essentially meant "female human." Over time, this word evolved into "wīmmann" and then "woman," with "wo-" representing the modified form of "wīf."

Why Not Just "Wo"?

Since "woman" comes from wīfmann, the "man" part wasn't intended to signify a male person. Instead, it was simply a way to indicate "female human." The prefix “wo-” alone wouldn’t make sense because "wīfmann" was needed to create a specific meaning ("female person") distinct from "man" as a general term for all people.

So, in short, "woman" wasn’t derived from "man" in the sense of a "subordinate" term but was a compound word meaning "female person." Over time, though, the meanings and connotations have evolved to what we recognize in modern English.
 
Also, Germans should really reconsider their sexist ways and not recognising their Gerwomans properly. It would be so much cooler if they just used a gender-neutral form, such as 'Gems' :-P
 
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