• flying_sheep@lemmy.ml
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    5 months ago

    In addition to what the other reply to you said, I was talking specifically about “female” as a noun.

    “females like xyz” and so on.

    • SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social
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      5 months ago

      That’s true, but the OP’s and my experience is that the adjectival use, like “woman doctor,” was pejorative. I associate it with Greatest and Silent Generation relatives. We changed to say “female doctor,” as it sounded more neutral.

      Now, there’s a movement back, and lots of younger folks now say that the latter is demeaning, and that “woman doctor” is the respectful phrasing. I know it’s essentially arbitrary, and defined by usage, it’s just interesting to see the evolution.