Gentleman vs. Gentlewoman

@vandana7 The term 'gentlewoman' has fallen out of use. I can't say why but perhaps it was just too long and cumbersome - the middle sounds of '-tle' and '-wo- are difficult to pronounce together. The origin of 'lady' is interesting. It comes from an old Germanic root, 'hlaf', meaning bread and 'dige meaning 'to knead', so 'hlafdige' means, literally, someone who kneads [dough] or 'bread-maker' - hlaf' still exists when you talk about 'a loaf [of bread]. (Interestingly, the word 'lord' comes from 'hlafward' meaning 'bread-keeper', so the lady of the house made the bread and the lord kept it and, presumably, dealt it out to those who needed it!). So a 'lady' would have once meant any good housewife who made bread for the household and 'lord' meant any goodman who kept the household in food. Don't ask me how 'lady' came to mean specifically someone who would not have made the bread!

Ah ..so the space or lack of it says it all. If only the world would accept that meanings change across the period, we would all be so blessed ..no disputes over religion...we could always blame it on changing meanings. LOL. But thanks for clarification. It sure helped to understand about men. My doubt however remains... why are we ladies...why are we not gentlewomen.

So basically it's "birds of a feather", only for a different species?

The prefix automatically gives dignity to the guy. Nobody would use gentleman for a thief or murderer.

@stapllotik Tell me about it... they spit on the ground...rub the ball against their groin with whatever be the hope for making it smooth.. wear napkins like a monkey's tail..I could go on...still they call it a gentleman's game...even when there are women cricketers. Not gentlemanly, eh...

@vandana7 Also, what about cricket? Why they call it as a gentleman's game? All other sports do play on the grounds of fairness, respect and sportsman spirit. Then why only cricket is called as the gentleman's game?

That is facetious...as Pony would say.

Oh I agree with that. It is easier not to be gentle than to be gentle.

@LadyDuck True that..

Owl really comes up with informative comments, like you do. :)

@vandana7 Thank you, when it comes to British words or traditions Owl is the best.

I know...I like tearing the language apart like some tiger is eating flesh.

@vandana7

@vandana7 Yes, it is a kind of discriminatory for a gentle woman like you. Would you like yourself to be called gentle woman?

@dpk262006 It would be too verbose, I think. LOL

Don't you think it discriminatory and kinda antithesis? Evil Grin.

@vandana7 At the end of your nose.

@BarBaraPrz Oh that point...anything from there will tip into mouth.

I do?

@vandana7 That is only all too true. Why this why that about us girls? I guess at the moment I say at the moment its the name of the game. It will take a very long time to change but it will change I just wish it would change right now. You should have a Radio Show vanny you sure would have a lot of listeners I mean that.

@vandana7 That is the way things are we always have to look over our shoulder be careful whom we speak to in the sense of men. I married my Spanish guy and I have been bombarded both sides of the ocean about morality and all that stuff. Too long a story but its true.

Why are we women not respected as much is my feeling. I mean, we cook, we clean, we work, we earn, we dress smartly, we color our hair, we walk on those nasty high heels, dangle bags like slaves, we drive cars - carefully so insurance premiums are lower, we manage budgets better than men, we even brush our teeth and smell all nice...and still the respect goes the men's way. Something is wrong...very wrong.

Then why is it confined to men even today.

@Shavkat That sounds like extension of stag party.

@vandana7 Perhaps it was commonly used for men.

Ah... now that is an interesting aspect I had not considered...but extremely relevant. Evil Grin.

I did.

My mind is full of such doubts.

I would say genlewomen and gentlemen...surely that sounds better than Ladies and gentlemen?

The status was lord, not gentleman..I think.

Owl really explained it well. :)

Lady vs. Lord... Gentleman vs. Gentlewoman. We women are denied a word in the dictionary...to what extent are you men gonna keep denying us ..sigh. ..Kidding.