Gotta love how everyone is getting all holier-than-thou and judgmental (yes, that judgemental that you tell us we all shouldn’t be) about the societal norms of past eras.
Not to commit the etymological fallacy, but the interesting thing about ‘man’ was that at least as late as OE it’s primary meaning was ‘person’ (of indeterminate sex). Differentiation came from terms like ‘wer’ and ‘wif’ (indeed ‘wif man’ survives , worn down, to this day as ‘woman’. Poor men lost their werewithal! Or even their (to use a cognate) virility!!
Adiraiju over 6 years ago
…And to boot, a slaveowner…
GreasyOldTam over 6 years ago
It was actually some stinky booger-brained white male landowner; who were the only ones who counted in those days. Not like today.
Farside99 over 6 years ago
Well of course it wasn’t a booger-brained girl. They weren’t up to such incredibly enlightened ideas, were they?
Varnes over 6 years ago
Yay for Kate! They are sisters….
derdave969 over 6 years ago
Gotta love how everyone is getting all holier-than-thou and judgmental (yes, that judgemental that you tell us we all shouldn’t be) about the societal norms of past eras.
tripwire45 over 6 years ago
Triggered!
Richard Howland-Bolton Premium Member over 6 years ago
Not to commit the etymological fallacy, but the interesting thing about ‘man’ was that at least as late as OE it’s primary meaning was ‘person’ (of indeterminate sex). Differentiation came from terms like ‘wer’ and ‘wif’ (indeed ‘wif man’ survives , worn down, to this day as ‘woman’. Poor men lost their werewithal! Or even their (to use a cognate) virility!!
Radish the wordsmith over 6 years ago
It was the post office motto for awhile, we hold these truths and hold them and hold them…
wwward1948 over 6 years ago
Stinky booger brained boys gave you the greatest country and the most liberty of any country in history! Live with it!