# What Do We Call a Male Ballerina? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946 "2003-10-17T05:54:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/1 "2003-10-17T05:54:01Z")
Is there a word for a male “ballerina”, other than a “dancer”? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/2 "2003-10-17T06:03:29Z")
danseur Not surprisingly, from the French word for “dance” ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/3 "2003-10-17T07:35:28Z")
- - - No, because then a female danseur would be a dansette… ~ ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/4 "2003-10-17T08:03:29Z")
Etymology of ballerina: \>fem. of ballerino, dancer (A word apparently not used since the 18th century) (And no wonder. A ballet-rhino?) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/5 "2003-10-17T09:02:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DougC \* > \*\*- - - No, because then a female danseur would be a dansette… > ~ \*\* No, a “dansette” if there was such a word would be a small dance. Think cigarette -\> small cigare. Masculine words that end in “-eur” become “-euse” in the feminine. Masseur -\> masseuse, danseur -\> danseuse. But of course, maybe I’ve just been whooshed and you knew that all allong. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/6 "2003-10-17T11:13:15Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmalebal.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmalebal.html) ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/7 "2003-10-18T00:24:49Z")
A homosexual? …and I’m the first to think this? ---
**Author:** ![tobeylee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ea924/32.png) [@tobeylee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tobeylee)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/8 "2003-10-18T00:45:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ltfire \* > \*\*A homosexual? > > …and I’m the first to think this? \*\* ITFIRE, LOL!!! That is great! This may be the best reply to a post I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/9 "2003-10-18T01:42:35Z")
Either a homosexual, or a heterosexual who wants to hang out with REALLY LIMBER CHICKS all day long. Or a bisexual who wants to hang out with REALLY LIMBER PEOPLE OF EITHER SEX all day long. That covers it, I think. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-a-male-ballerina/207946/10 "2003-10-18T16:01:14Z")
Yummy?