| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| -ess, -ette, -euse, -ienne, -ine, -ix |
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| These are some of the feminine endings or suffixes that English can add to nouns to make feminine versions of occupational names: aviator/aviatrix; chorus boy/chorus girl/chorine; dancer/danseuse; masseur/masseuse; hero/heroine; priest/priestess; steward/stewardess; usher/usherette; and so on. Most of these except priestess (which now has a referent limited almost entirely to ancient and pagan religious matters) and hero/heroine and masseur/masseuse (which maintain distinctions we apparently still insist on) have fallen into disuse, usually in favor of all-purpose use of the word once reserved for males or another inclusive term now used for either sex: pilot or flier and flight attendant, for example. In some instances semantic distinctions still retain the feminine ending: governor and governess are not simply gender- or sex-distinctive forms with the same referent. Actress and comedienne seem still to be in use, but in divided usage with actor and comedian. Still other terms continue in use much as before: waitress, goddess, princess, countess, duchess, lioness, and the like. But a good many more, including poetess and authoress, are archaic and rapidly becoming obsolescent or obsolete, primarily of historical interest today. See also FEMININE OCCUPATIONAL FORMS; INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE; -IST; SEXIST LANGUAGE. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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