XPost: alt.usage.english
On 8/10/2024 11:42 AM, HenHanna wrote:
鳳凰 ------- The 2nd char has a [ White King ] inside...
Curious... why this one is Female.
the word for ‘phoenix’ is an ‘epicene’ compound of two Chinese characters, transcribed as ho and wo, where ho means ‘a male phoenix fowl’ and wo ‘a female phoenix fowl’.
Combined in howo, they stand for the mythical Phoenix.
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Epicene is a word with a few different meanings:
1. Grammatical: It refers to nouns or pronouns that can refer to
either male or female, without specifying gender. For example, in some languages, "teacher" might be considered epicene.
2. Descriptive: It can be used to describe someone who has characteristics often associated with the opposite sex, or someone who doesn't fit neatly into traditional gender roles. This usage often
carries negative connotations.
Outdated Term: It's important to note that using
"epicene" to describe a person is considered outdated and potentially offensive, as it can be seen as a way to categorize and stereotype individuals.
late Middle English (as a grammatical term): via late Latin from Greek epikoinos (based on koinos ‘common’).
Origin of epicene1. First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin epicoenus “of both genders,” from Greek epíkoinos “common to many,” equivalent to epi- epi- + koinós “common”
---------- WHere's the [gender] ???
What is the difference between androgyny and epicene?
However, androgyny describes a combination of masculinity
and femininity, while epicenity is neither masculine or feminine. Gender neutrality or neutrois implies a neutrality across all genders, while
epicene has neutrality only across masculinity and femininity.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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