eugenez@azure.UUCP (Eugene Zinter) (12/14/83)
Subject: girl vs boy Well, since no one else bothered, I decided to look up "girl" and "boy" in Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1979). The definitions follow, matching definitions where possible: ********************************************************************** GIRL BOY ==== === 1a: a female child 1a: a male child from birth to puberty 2a: a young unmarried woman NO MATCH 1c: a single or NO MATCH married woman of any age 2a: a female servant or employee 3a: a male servant, sometimes to be taken offensive 2b: sweetheart 1d: sweetheart, beau 2c: daughter 1b: son NO MATCH 1c: an immature male: youth NO MATCH 2a: one native to a given place (local boys) NO MATCH 2b: fellow, person (the boys at the office)--often used interjectionally (boy, what a game!) ********************************************************************** Perhaps the most interesting thing was the sentence (for the definition of GIRL): [ME gurle, girle young person of either sex] It is curious that the mention of immaturity was only mentioned in the definition for BOY. And that the word man isn't used in any way, yet in the definition for GIRL, the word WOMAN was used twice!! And in not a demeaning manner as was "immature male". ECZ
eugenez@azure.UUCP (Eugene Zinter) (12/14/83)
SUBJECT: girl vs boy Well, since no one else bothered, I decided to look up "girl" and "boy" in Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1979). The definitions follow, matching definitions where possible: ********************************************************************** GIRL BOY ==== === 1a: a female child 1a: a male child from birth to puberty 2a: a young unmarried WOMAN NO MATCH 1c: a single or NO MATCH married WOMAN of any age 2a: a female servant or employee 3a: a male servant, sometimes to be taken offensive 2b: sweetheart 1d: sweetheart, beau 2c: daughter 1b: son NO MATCH 1c: an immature male: youth NO MATCH 2a: one native to a given place (local boys) NO MATCH 2b: fellow, person (the boys at the office)--often used interjectionally (boy, what a game!) ********************************************************************** Perhaps the most interesting thing was the sentence (for the definition of GIRL): [ME gurle, girle young person of either sex] It is curious that the mention of immaturity was only mentioned in the definition for BOY. And that the word MAN isn't used in any way, yet in the definition for GIRL, the word WOMAN was used twice!! And in not a demeaning manner as was "immature male". Oh yes, WOMAN is defined as "an adult female person". And, MAN is defined as "a human being; especially: an adult male human. ECZ