# Total Different Base Words To Represent A Male -vs- Female **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666 "2009-11-23T18:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/21 "2009-11-23T20:27:59Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Not sure about that. I believe that titles correspond to territories held, not genders…An earl/earless holds an earldom… Wrong, there is no such thing as an “earless”. The wife of an earl is a countess. On theory as to why the English didn’t adopt the title “count” after the Norman Conquest because it sounded to much like a certain another word. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/22 "2009-11-23T20:39:18Z")
same job, but male and female are totally unrelated words: butler/ maid barber/hairdresser ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Astronaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bad\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/23 "2009-11-23T22:33:11Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > same job, but male and female are totally unrelated words: > > butler/ maid > barber/hairdresser These and some others are good examples, although it’s interesting to note that a significantly different image is brought to mind for each gender’s title. In pairs like waiter/waitress or actor/actress there is very little difference, at least in my mind, and it’s really the exact same job being done by different genders. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/24 "2009-11-23T22:43:13Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Wrong, there is no such thing as an “earless”. [ORLY?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earless_owl) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/25 "2009-11-23T22:55:38Z")
> [@](#): > > They’re not really identical occupations either. A warlock is closer equivalent to witch. /pedantry. Not really. “Witch” and “wizard” are both “wise one”, or something similar, while “warlock” is more like “oathbreaker”. I think the only reason witches got associated with warlocks is that (probably for misogynistic reasons), witches became associated with evil forces, in a way that wizards, by and large, didn’t. And I would regard “hairdresser” as being a unisex term, without any real specifically-female equivalent to “barber”. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/26 "2009-11-23T22:56:51Z")
Uncle/Aunt Brother/Sister Son/Daughter ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/27 "2009-11-23T23:02:39Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Did you miss the first line? Did you miss “for example”? > [@](#): > > Anyway, _boy_ and _girl_ are not parallel to _actor_ and _actress_. They don’t come from the same root, for one thing. Isn’t that the point? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/28 "2009-11-24T16:34:06Z")
master/mistress ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/29 "2009-11-24T18:53:22Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > The man/woman pairs, e.g. policeman/policewoman, still have something in common, i.e., the first part of the word. > > There’s the witch/wizard pair, if you think of witchcraft or wizardry as an occupation. Actually, I believe that witch (wit-ch) and wizard (wise-ard) are related, both deriving from the Old English for wise, educated, or knowledgeable person, from the same sourcethat we get the words “wise”, “wit”,“witness” (person with knowlege), “unwittingly” (without knowledge) and the name of the religion of Wicca. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/30 "2009-11-24T19:23:19Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > An earl/earless holds an earldom. What a diplomatic blunder to show up with a gift of earrings for her. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/31 "2009-11-24T22:35:17Z")
Do you care only about the current form of the words or the historical root? Because these pairs are from the same root: Lord/Lady - from hlāford/hlǣfdīġe, both incorporating _hlāf_, “loaf” master/mistress - both descended (through different lines) from Latin _magister_, teacher ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/32 "2009-11-24T23:10:41Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I would say _seamster/seamstress_ myself. _Tailor_ is an unrelated (though obviously more common) synonym that does not imply either gender. Funny, I thought you were making up seamster. Nope. It’s a real word. Of course here is the definition in the free online dictionary I found it in. [QUOTE=thefreedictionary] seam·ster (smstr) n. A tailor. [/QUOTE] [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seamster](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seamster) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/33 "2009-11-25T20:42:53Z")
> [@justrob](#): > > Funny, I thought you were making up seamster. Nope. It’s a real word. Of course here is the definition in the free online dictionary I found it in. > > [Seamster - definition of seamster by The Free Dictionary](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seamster) Those shouldn’t be the same; a seamster is a guy who repairs clothes, a tailor is someone who makes them. (In my part of the world there is a monetary difference as well) ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/34 "2009-11-25T20:53:32Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Those shouldn’t be the same; a seamster is a guy who repairs clothes, a tailor is someone who makes them. > > (In my part of the world there is a monetary difference as well) Interesting. I only looked it up because seamster really seemed like a made-up word to me. I commented on it because the first definition I found for it was simply “A tailor.” [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seamster](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seamster) Looking further the next 4 I found also call them tailors. > **[Seamster Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary](https://www.yourdictionary.com/seamster)** > > Seamster definition: A tailor. > **[Definition of SEAMSTER](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seamsters)** > > a person employed at sewing; especially : tailor… See the full definition > **[Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions](https://www.answers.com/redirectSearch?query=seamster)** > > Answers is the place to go to get the answers you need and to ask the questions you want [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/seamster](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/seamster) It may be that your location has a more specific meaning for the two words but I don’t think saying a seamster is a tailor is completely wrong. Your definition of the two lend credence to the seamstress ailor combo though. ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/35 "2009-11-28T22:12:04Z")
Here’s another one: midwife/babygetter (or something like that, right?) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/36 "2009-11-28T22:16:29Z")
Midhusband. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/37 "2009-11-29T00:55:46Z")
> [@fandango](#): > > Here’s another one: > > midwife/babygetter > > (or something like that, right?) No, midwife is actually gender neutral the “wife” part refers to the woman giving birth. In Old English mid=with and wif=woman so “midwife” actually means “with woman”. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/38 "2009-11-29T01:28:32Z")
> [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](#): > > They’re not really identical occupations either. A warlock is closer equivalent to witch. /pedantry. That depends on what literary rtadition one follows. There was a flurry of “witch vs warlock” citations from fantasy literature in the 1940s through 1960s, but the actual word witch, meaning anyone who exercised powers through sorcery, first showed up in English with male and female gender endings. It is true that warlock, meaning one who breaks faith, has always been masculine, but witch, (and its earlier antecedents), has never precluded the masculine. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/39 "2009-11-29T01:32:35Z")
> [@robert\_andrews](#): > > Actually, I believe that witch (wit-ch) and wizard (wise-ard) are related, both deriving from the Old English for wise, educated, or knowledgeable person, from the same sourcethat we get the words “wise”, “wit”,“witness” (person with knowlege), “unwittingly” (without knowledge) and the name of the religion of Wicca. This was something that was pushed in the mid 20th century to support the new Wiccan religion, but it is not accurate. The word wise had a rarely attested alternative spelling of _wice_, but the words for witch, _wicce_ and _wicca_, always meant evil manipulators of sprirtual powers and were never associated with wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666/40 "2009-11-29T03:51:25Z")
gigolo and mistress? > [@alphaboi867](#): > > In Japanese the Emperor is called 天皇 (tennō), but the Empress is 皇后 (kōgō). so they share the same root word - 皇. tenno would be “heavenly 皇”, and a kogo would be “behind the 皇”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-different-base-words-to-represent-a-male-vs-female/518666.md?page=3)