• @[email protected]
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    514 days ago

    That’s true, but the OP’s and my experience is that the adjectival use, like “woman doctor,” was pejorative. I associate it with Greatest and Silent Generation relatives. We changed to say “female doctor,” as it sounded more neutral.

    Now, there’s a movement back, and lots of younger folks now say that the latter is demeaning, and that “woman doctor” is the respectful phrasing. I know it’s essentially arbitrary, and defined by usage, it’s just interesting to see the evolution.

    • @[email protected]
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      714 days ago

      IMHO fine:

      • female doctor
      • woman who is a doctor

      IMHO weird:

      • woman doctor
      • a female who is a doctor

      So it’s not a reversal. Using “woman” like an adjective is still weird!