Category talk:English gender-neutral terms

I added "actor" and "waiter" to this category. Do these fit with what you had in mind despite not being suffixed with -man? DTLHS (talk) 21:55, 8 June 2016 (UTC)


 * They evidently do belong in this category because they are gender-neutral terms. They aren't "PC", though. That's why some of these terms need the "rare" gloss (or whatever else) and others don't. I bet it will be tricky to determine which -man forms are in fact gender-neutral in the 21st century (e.g. a female chairman). Equinox ◑ 22:02, 8 June 2016 (UTC)


 * Yes. I don't think that words ending in -er or -or retain the implication of masculinity, despite the existence of parallel terms ending in -ess or -(r)ix.
 * Differentiating gender-neutral of terms into those that drop man, substitute person for man, substitute existing terms (like server for waiter/waitress), or are new inventions (s/he) looks like a job for an appendix on the subject. The transformation of terms ending in -or or -er into gender-neutral terms is worth noting in an appendix too.
 * Most objection and ridicule is aimed at the neologisms and the dissonant words using person, some of which seem artless. DCDuring TALK 22:15, 8 June 2016 (UTC)