“the evolution of language should be recognised as giving different meanings to words as time passes.”
Yes. The word “man” (originally monn) once meant a person of undefined gender and only acquired the sense of being “male” much later. “woman” is derived from wif-monn or “wife-person”. In German, man still means “person of undefined gender”.
“the evolution of language should be recognised as giving different meanings to words as time passes.”
Yes. The word “man” (originally monn) once meant a person of undefined gender and only acquired the sense of being “male” much later. “woman” is derived from wif-monn or “wife-person”. In German, man still means “person of undefined gender”.