Mankind, Humankind, and Gender

Mankind, Humankind, and Gender Mankind, Humankind, and Gender Mankind, Humankind, and Gender By Maeve Maddox A reader takes me to task for not having used â€Å"gender neutral language† in a recent post: In your definition of eschatology you use the word mankind. You run a writing website, please use gender neutral language please, it isn’t that difficult. My views on gendered language are perhaps too loose to meet the more extreme requirements of political correctness. For example, I don’t see anything wrong with using the word mankind in the sense of â€Å"all human beings living on the earth.† As I understand the word, it comes from an Old English construct in which man means person. I do not countenance words like poetess and authoress, which I believe convey a sense of condescension. I condemn the expression â€Å"woman doctor† used to indicate the gender of the doctor rather than the doctor’s medical specialty. On the other hand, words like chairperson strike me as faintly absurd. And efforts to translate the Bible into â€Å"gender neutral language† seem rather misdirected, considering the patriarchal viewpoint of the content. I suppose that I was supposed to substitute humankind for mankind. I don’t see the point. The word human derives from the Latin word for â€Å"man†: homo, There was an Old English cognate, guma (pl. guman), that also meant â€Å"man.† It survives in our word bridegroom, â€Å"the bride’s man.† Excessive concern over â€Å"gender neutral language† frequently results in unidiomatic English and/or unnecessary transformations of useful and innocuous words. This is a writing site, but it is also a blog. Readers have to expect that some opinion will inform the posts. I feel an obligation to verify my discussions of standard usage by consulting the OED, the Chicago Manual of Style, and other recognized authorities. In the matter of what does and doesn’t count as â€Å"gender neutral language,† however, I feel no compulsion to buy into the world of Chairperson Greenspan and Every man and woman for him or herself. I don’t happen to see every word with a syllable spelled m-a-n as an affront to womankind. (Should we still be using the word woman?) In my opinion, humankind is no more â€Å"gender neutral† than mankind. Both mean exactly the same thing, and both derive from the word â€Å"man.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesAwoken or Awakened?How to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations