this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024
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One of the comments reads : Actually, we will probably never figure out, was it man or woman. but I thought this comment of the professor was an interesting eye opener. https://mastodonapp.uk/@MarkHoltom/112070436760917344

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[–] demonen@lemmy.ml 56 points 8 months ago (3 children)

It occurs to me that the solution might be to start referring to men as "wermen" again, and revert "men" to it's gender neutral roots. That also means we can have a bunch of other prefixes for other genders.

Languages are fun.

[–] Ultraviolet@lemmy.world 19 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That's also where the "were" prefix in werewolf comes from.

[–] bob_lemon@feddit.de 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Does that mean female werewolves should be called wowolves? (Or even better, woowolves)

[–] Ultraviolet@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

Wifwolves, unfortunately.

[–] TIMMAY@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

just lean all the way in and call us vermin

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 8 months ago

Scholars seem to agree it stems from Proto-Indo-European, so Latin is not the source.

[–] huf@hexbear.net 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

lol what the fuck, yeah right, ancient germanic word "man" derives from latin... whoever drew this didnt bother to open up the dictionary once...

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 3 points 8 months ago (2 children)

¯\(ツ)

I’m not an entomologist.

[–] blawsybogsy@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

"Entomology (from Ancient Greek entomon 'insect', and -logia 'study')[1] is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term insect was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans. This wider meaning may still be encountered in informal use."

[–] huf@hexbear.net 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

pff nah, entomologists are experts at entoming people. you know, like putting them in a tom underground. dead. like that cara loft lady.

[–] blawsybogsy@lemmy.ml 4 points 8 months ago

i need to branch out with my sources