Not so long ago, ‘man’ was a noun and ‘male,’ while principally an adjective, could also be used as a noun.

The man went to the beach. The male flower is found only on the tall plants. Males of many ungulate species have long horns.

On t’other side, ‘woman’ was a noun and ‘female,’ while principally an adjective, could also be used as a noun.

The woman went to the beach. The female flower is found only on the tall plants. Females of many ungulate species have short horns.

In recent years, while ‘man’ has remained only a noun, ‘woman’ has gone, er, AC-DC.

News reports and magazine articles, at least in North America, often carry such phrases as:

"A woman judge . . ."
"The all-woman group . . ."
"A woman bus driver . . ."

One never reads "the all-man group," or any similar construction using ‘man’ as an adjective.

Anybody else notice this phenomenon? What about British and antipodean usage?  

Well, we do have The Man Show here on cable TV in the US, and I’ve heard a song called The Man Song floating around the EMail at work.  Which word is the adjective in these cases?  

But then, I find the use of the word "woman" surprising since some of the radical P.C. forces have tried to eliminate any word with "man" or "son" in it; I think we’ve already been down that particular road, though.

OK, then let’s call what’s under those round steel covers in the middle of the road ‘personholes.’

OK, then let’s call what’s under those round steel covers in the middle of the road ‘personholes.’

Then we also have walkpersons and discpersons, as well as the old video game, pacperson.

...and what do we do with McDonald’s?  Surely we can’t let them get away with being ‘son of Donald’?

(S)ome of the radical P.C. forces have tried to eliminate any word with "man" or "son" in it.

[quote author=Agoraphile link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#2 date=10/25/02 at 04:59:21]

OK, then let’s call what’s under those round steel covers in the middle of the road ‘personholes.’

Shhh… don’t mention it.  They might persondate the change immediately.    :-/

[quote author=Agoraphile link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#2 date=10/25/02 at 04:59:21]

OK, then let’s call what’s under those round steel covers in the middle of the road ‘personholes.’

You can’t because that has the word "son" in it !

[quote author=Linnet link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#3 date=10/25/02 at 05:12:52]

Then we also have walkpersons and discpersons, as well as the old video game, pacperson.

...and what do we do with McDonald’s?  Surely we can’t let them get away with being ‘son of Donald’?

Nope.  Not with the word "son" in them you can’t.

[quote author=tamisaac link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#4 date=10/25/02 at 09:32:05]

Shhh… don’t mention it.  They might persondate the change immediately.    :-/

Again, you can’t use "son."

[quote author=Agoraphile link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#0 date=10/24/02 at 16:24:31]One never reads "the all-man group," or any similar construction using ‘man’ as an adjective.

Interesting. The gender flag is obviously used whenever the gender is perceived as unexpected by the speaker. But you’re right, we say a male nurse not a man nurse.
In our local Intensive Care Unit, it’s a constant source of amusement and/or irritation that visitors refer to "nurses" and "male nurses", but "doctors" and "lady doctors". Firstly, both jobs are split roughly 50/50 male/female, so there is no real asymmetry to comment on. Secondly, the nurses wonder why they’re not "gentleman nurses".

Grant

[quote author=granthutchison link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#8 date=10/25/02 at 18:14:38] . . .  Secondly, the nurses wonder why they’re not "gentleman nurses".

Grant

Perhaps it’s a comment on their deportment?

[quote author=Stargzer link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#9 date=10/25/02 at 18:19:19]Perhaps it’s a comment on their deportment?

Ah, I see you have met our nurses ...
(But not our doctors.)

Grant

[quote author=granthutchison link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#8 date=10/25/02 at 18:14:38] . . . Secondly, the nurses wonder why they’re not "gentleman nurses".

Grant

Which gender of nurses are doing the wondering?

[quote author=Stargzer link=board=grammar;num=1035491071;start=0#11 date=10/29/02 at 00:46:27]Which gender of nurses are doing the wondering?

Both. The women feel the choice of "male" rather than "gentleman" reflects a general view of the status of nursing when compared to doctoring, which has "lady" doctors.

Grant

Lady doctors, eh? Are these doctors of either sex all of whose patients are ladies?

Back in the days of my youth, I remember a little piece in good ol’ MAD magazine, making fun of feminist language change.  It had plenty of suggestions for replacements, my favorite being:

[center]MAILMAN  — PERSONPERSON[/center]

(Of course the first one needs to be read as MALEMAN.)   ;D

Brad

Aha!  I see someone got a digital camera, Brad!  Been a loooooonnnnnnnggggggg time since mine were that small.  Don’t worry:  the worst is yet to come! ;D