Womanwords: A Dictionary of Words About Women

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I’ve not inured myself to this language. You would think by now it wouldn’t really affect me,” Tompkins said. “But I’ve done some pieces where I’m crying because I feel so badly for the woman. I find them very moving.”

There are also serious gaps in our basic knowledge about our bodies. David Lammy doesn’t know what a cervix is or whether or not you can grow one or have one implanted or as he put it ‘all the rest of it’, but many women don’t know what a cervix is either – around 50%. In researching My Period, I found more and more gaps, for example, what on earth IS cervical fluid?! Nobody seems to really know much about it! I spent a lot of time creating this list because I wanted to make sure the words I chose all had a positive connotation, or feeling. I was not looking for empowering words for women that are reflective of anger, hate, or contempt for others. Or words that can sometimes be used in a negative way. Or words that only focus on a woman’s appearance. When women’s is made into possessive, it becomes an attributive noun. The word serves as an adjective to describe something else in the sentence and show possession of that item. Common Errors Made with Women’s I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will.” ~ Amy SchumerMany of today’s women don’t have any positive narrative about periods, birth or breastfeeding, and many women struggle with some or all of these aspects of being female. We need to revive the tradition of women passing on wisdom, somehow. For one thing we know beyond all doubt: Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, ‘It can’t be done.’” — Eleanor Roosevelt What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters.” — Vice President Kamala Harris There are no exceptions to the above rules. “Woman” is the singular, and “women” is the plural. While this is an irregular formation for pluralization, you won’t have to worry about it again once you remember how to do it. Women Mother Tongue is a historical investigation of feminist language and thought, from the dawn of Old English to the present day. Dr. Jenni Nuttall guides readers through the evolution of words that we have used to describe female bodies, menstruation, women’s sexuality, the consequences of male violence, childbirth, women’s paid and unpaid work, and gender. Along the way, she challenges our modern language’s ability to insightfully articulate women’s shared experiences by examining the long-forgotten words once used in English for female sexual and reproductive organs. Nuttall also tells the story of words like womb and breast, whose meanings have changed over time, as well as how anatomical words such as hysteria and hysterical came to have such loaded legacies.

Gabhal mná, means vagina, or literally, woman’s fork, crotch, groin, a female estuary or creek. The English slang word gowl, in reference to a disreputable person, comes from this. Artist: Sandra AdamsLatin terms such as vagina (derived from the word for sheath), vulva and cervix were translated from medieval textbooks and also by physicians popularising the findings of anatomists.

Kindhearted – She sees the world through a kind perspective and cannot tolerate cruelty or meanness. After asking where the women’s department was, the shopper looked up, saw the sign and answered herown question. Shrewd – She makes practical decisions based on her needs, but does not give away more than she thinks is necessary. I wanted all women to be proud to feel empowered by these 79 words. This quote resonated with me because it relates to how I feel about empowerment. Dynamic – She is often the most interesting person in the room; her stories are fascinating to hear.

Women’s

Intuitive – She balances her gut feeling with experience to form a keen sense of the right decision. My talk will spin through some of the issues around birth, women’s reproductive biology, the narrative and words around women’s bodies, that I have observed in the past decade of talking and writing about pregnancy, birth and most recently, periods. The thread that (hopefully!) runs through will be woman’s knowledge and wisdom of their body, and the power of words. Women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, and they need to feel empowered to use it. And people need to be encouraged to listen.” ~ Meghan Markle