English terms for a female wolf and a female owl?
In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?
Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".
nouns gender-positive
|
show 4 more comments
In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?
Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".
nouns gender-positive
2
The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 '18 at 13:40
3
It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 '18 at 14:05
4
Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 16:20
1
@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 '18 at 19:35
1
Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 21:23
|
show 4 more comments
In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?
Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".
nouns gender-positive
In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?
Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".
nouns gender-positive
nouns gender-positive
edited Nov 11 '18 at 19:52
Rand al'Thor
3,71562145
3,71562145
asked Nov 11 '18 at 13:27
Aqib MehmoodAqib Mehmood
1796
1796
2
The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 '18 at 13:40
3
It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 '18 at 14:05
4
Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 16:20
1
@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 '18 at 19:35
1
Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 21:23
|
show 4 more comments
2
The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 '18 at 13:40
3
It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 '18 at 14:05
4
Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 16:20
1
@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 '18 at 19:35
1
Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 21:23
2
2
The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 '18 at 13:40
The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 '18 at 13:40
3
3
It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 '18 at 14:05
It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 '18 at 14:05
4
4
Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 16:20
Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 16:20
1
1
@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 '18 at 19:35
@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 '18 at 19:35
1
1
Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 21:23
Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 21:23
|
show 4 more comments
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:
Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.
(Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)
Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.
1
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
add a comment |
The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.
Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.
Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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active
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2 Answers
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active
oldest
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active
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active
oldest
votes
You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:
Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.
(Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)
Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.
1
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
add a comment |
You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:
Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.
(Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)
Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.
1
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
add a comment |
You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:
Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.
(Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)
Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.
You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:
Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.
(Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)
Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.
edited Nov 11 '18 at 14:19
answered Nov 11 '18 at 13:33
user240918user240918
26.5k1072153
26.5k1072153
1
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
add a comment |
1
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
1
1
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 20:16
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
– gerrit
Nov 11 '18 at 23:05
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
@gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
– Joshua
Nov 11 '18 at 23:47
add a comment |
The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.
Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.
Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'
add a comment |
The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.
Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.
Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'
add a comment |
The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.
Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.
Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'
The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.
Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.
Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'
edited Nov 12 '18 at 11:50
answered Nov 11 '18 at 23:03
Sanjurjo7Sanjurjo7
153
153
add a comment |
add a comment |
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2
The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 '18 at 13:40
3
It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 '18 at 14:05
4
Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 16:20
1
@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 '18 at 19:35
1
Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 '18 at 21:23