[net.nlang] Androgynous vs Hermaphroditic

gam@amdahl.UUCP (Gordon A. Moffett) (03/20/85)

Actually androgynous originally meant 'having the physical
characteristics of both sexes'; the Websters New World dictionary
still uses this definition.  However, the social scientists picked
up the word fairly recently (50's/60's?) to describe having the
characteristic behaviors (?) of both male and female.

It is this newer meaning I think of when I hear the word 'androgynous'.
I think the 'hermaphrodite' meaning is obsolete, or becoming that
way.
-- 
Gordon A. Moffett		...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam

sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) (03/22/85)

> Actually androgynous originally meant 'having the physical
> characteristics of both sexes'; the Websters New World dictionary
> still uses this definition.  However, the social scientists picked
> up the word fairly recently (50's/60's?) to describe having the
> characteristic behaviors (?) of both male and female.
> 
> It is this newer meaning I think of when I hear the word 'androgynous'.
> I think the 'hermaphrodite' meaning is obsolete, or becoming that
> way.
> -- 
> Gordon A. Moffett		...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam

I believe that current usage in the medical and psychological fields
relates that hermaphroditic pertains to reproductive organs, while
androgynous pertains to all characteristics of the male/female sex
spectrum, or masculine/feminine gender spectrum.  Given the comparatively
specific definition of hermaphroditism, androgyny tends to be used to
describe the rest of the body/person/personality/social-role/etc.
Anyone can be androgynous, but you need a birth "defect" to create a
hermaphrodite.
				Sunny
-- 
{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)