woman
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈwʊm.ən/
ipa: /ˈwoʊ.mən/
ipa: [ˈwo.mɪn]
ipa: /ˈwʊm.ɘn/
note: Indic
ipa: /ˈwʊm.ən/
note: Indic
ipa: /wʊˈman/
rhymes: -ʊmən
homophone: women stripped-by-parse_pron_post_template_fn
Forms: form: womans
form: womaning
form: womanning
form: womaned
form: womaned
form: womanned
form: womanned
Etymology: From Middle English womman, from earlier wimman, wifman, from Old English wīfmann (“woman”, literally “female person”), a compound of wīf (“woman, female”, whence English wife) + mann (“person, human being”, whence English man). For details on the pronunciation and spelling history, see the usage notes below.
Cognate with Scots woman, weman (“woman”), Saterland Frisian Wieuwmoanske (“female person, female human, woman”). Similar constructions can be found in West Frisian frommes (“woman, girl”) (from frou and minske, literally "woman human").
Further information on vocalic development
The current pronunciation of the first vowel of the singular began to appear in western England in the 13th century under the rounding influence of the w, though the older pronunciation with /i/ (→ modern /ɪ/) remained in use into the 15th century. Although the vowel of the plural was sometimes also altered to /u/ (→ modern /ʊ/) beginning in the 14th century, the pronunciation with /ɪ/ ultimately won out there, possibly under the influence of pairs like foot–feet. However, some speakers (especially of New Zealand English or South African English) have either retained or reinnovated the pronunciation of the plural with /ʊ/. The modern spelling women for the plural is due to influence of the singular; it is attested from the 15th century.
For a time in the 16th and 17th centuries, the pronunciation of the singular sometimes drifted even further back towards /uː/ or /ɔː~oː/ (→ modern /oʊ~əʊ/) and the plural sometimes drifted even further forward towards /iː/, leading to comparisons of the words to "woe man" or "we men".)
Senses: examples: text: […]he should prove, from the testimony of the most experienced seamen, that the vessel was, if not, strictly speaking, sufficiently manned, yet that she was sufficiently manned and womanned. The Gypsey was a vessel of 43 tons burden, and there were on board two able seamen and the Captain’s wife, who was a very good sailor;
ref: 1813, “Yorkshire Assizes. May a woman be deemed a sailor sufficient in manning a vessel? Case of Insurance.—Cook v. Thompson.”, in The Literary Panorama, […], volume XIV, London: […] Cox and Baylis, […] for C[harles] Taylor, […], page 683:
text: Apparently the Sixty-ninth Street office of Bagby Answers, Inc., was being womaned for the day from other offices.
ref: 1956, Rex Stout, Three Witnesses, The Viking Press, page 54:
text: Gus Dinsmore, the public beach parking lot attendent,^([sic]) said he guessed that so many cars must be just stopped dead along the road that even those manned (or womaned) by able drivers would be unable to move.
ref: 1990, Stephen King, chapter 28, in The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition, New York, N.Y.: Signet, published May 1991, →ISBN, page 235:
text: The information desk is now manned (womaned) by someone whose main job is to help you reserve time slots for the computers or guide you through the arduous process of “logging on.”
ref: 2010, Julia Glass, The Widower's Tale, page 77:
glosses: To staff with female labor.
examples: text: I have felt so many quirks of joy and grief / That the first face of neither on the start / Can woman me unto't.
ref: c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], line 50:
glosses: To make effeminate or womanish.
examples: text: And think it no addition, nor my wish, / To have him see me woman'd.
ref: c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], line 191:
glosses: To furnish with, or unite to, a woman.
glosses: To call (a person) "woman" in a disrespectful fashion.
Related terms: fair sex
female
feminine
femme
girl
lady
weaker vessel
woman up