Womyn
Encyclopedia
"Womyn" is one of a number of alternative spellings
of the word "women" used by some feminist writers. There are many alternative spellings, including "wimmin", "womban", "wom!n". Writers who use alternative spellings see them as an expression of female independence and a repudiation of traditions that define females by reference to a male norm
.
-neutral, with a meaning similar to the modern English usage of "one" as an indefinite pronoun
. The words wer and wyf were used to specify a man or woman where necessary, respectively. Combining them into wer-man or wyf-man expressed the concept of "any man" or "any woman." Over time, in the context of a patriarchal
social and legal system, wer-man was simplified to man while wyf-man developed into woman. Feminists have suggested that the less prejudicial usage of the Old English sources reflects more egalitarian notions of gender at the time.
poetry of James Hogg
. Its usage as a feminist spelling of "women" (with "womon" as the singular form) first appeared in print in 1975 referring to the first Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
, an annual art festival that admits only womyn-born womyn
.
movement, which claims that present-day patriarchy represents a fall from a matriarchal golden age
.
Alternative political spelling
Names and words are sometimes intentionally and satirically misspelled for a rhetorical purpose. This is often done by replacing a letter with another letter , or symbol...
of the word "women" used by some feminist writers. There are many alternative spellings, including "wimmin", "womban", "wom!n". Writers who use alternative spellings see them as an expression of female independence and a repudiation of traditions that define females by reference to a male norm
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
.
Background
In Old English sources, the word "man" was genderGender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
-neutral, with a meaning similar to the modern English usage of "one" as an indefinite pronoun
Indefinite pronoun
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that refers to one or more unspecified beings, objects, or places.-List of English indefinite pronouns:Note that many of these words can function as other parts of speech too, depending on context...
. The words wer and wyf were used to specify a man or woman where necessary, respectively. Combining them into wer-man or wyf-man expressed the concept of "any man" or "any woman." Over time, in the context of a patriarchal
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
social and legal system, wer-man was simplified to man while wyf-man developed into woman. Feminists have suggested that the less prejudicial usage of the Old English sources reflects more egalitarian notions of gender at the time.
Womon/womyn
"Womyn" appeared as a regular spelling of "woman" in the ScotsScots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
poetry of James Hogg
James Hogg
James Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote in both Scots and English.-Early life:James Hogg was born in a small farm near Ettrick, Scotland in 1770 and was baptized there on 9 December, his actual date of birth having never been recorded...
. Its usage as a feminist spelling of "women" (with "womon" as the singular form) first appeared in print in 1975 referring to the first Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, called "the Original Womyn's Woodstock" and often referred to as MWMF or Michfest, is an international feminist music festival occurring every August since 1976 near Hart, Michigan...
, an annual art festival that admits only womyn-born womyn
Womyn-born womyn
Womyn-born womyn is a term that describes women who were born with typically female-appearing external genitalia, as opposed to trans women.-History:...
.
Womon/wimmin
"Wimmin" appeared in 19th century renderings of African American English, without any feminist significance. Z. Budapest promoted the use of "wimmin" (singular "womon") in the 1970s as part of her Dianic WiccaDianic Wicca
Dianic Witchcraft and Dianic Feminist Witchcraft, is a tradition, or denomination, of the Neopagan religion of Wicca. It was founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest in the United States in the 1970s, and is notable for its focus on the worship of the Goddess, and on feminism...
movement, which claims that present-day patriarchy represents a fall from a matriarchal golden age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...
.
See also
Further reading
- Sol SteinmetzSol SteinmetzSol Steinmetz was a Hungarian American linguistics and lexicography expert who wrote extensively about etymologies, definitions and uncovered earliest recorded usages of words in English and Yiddish...
. "Womyn: The Evidence," American Speech, Vol. 70, No. 4 (Winter, 1995), pp. 429–437