Are we Females or Women?

[Sweet Deliverance]

I am a Woman....Phenomenally That's Me! To me the term female is an unflattering description of someone who has not matured into or behaves like a woman or Lady. I would not call every "non-male" a woman, sister, or lady. Honestly...some, by the way they carry themselves, are just...females..as in no self-respect, no dignity, no manners, no home training, etc. but just to designate a gender...female.

A woman is responsible to herself and others, refined, etc. JMO.

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Sweet Deliverance's PHI-losophy:
"What you do or do not do today determines what you can or cannot do tomorrow."

[BlueDahlia]

I don't place negative connotations on either female or woman/lady. The only time I personally find offense is when someone calls me a girl. I would rather be called a woman, but in anthropolgy, female can also be rendered as a race. So therefore in some realms of society, being called female is the same as being called Black or White. Some people use female because it is less formal and more succinct than saying, "That Woman is fine." It is in some ways a colloquial term that many people use. I personally do not feel that either term is right or wrong but a term of expression. I am a woman but I am also a female opposite of the race male.

[Shelacious]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Shelacious:
[B]Posted by Soror M. Webster Oxford on another list:

Based on the definitions below I am a Woman. I have
produced no young, as of yet.

Female
1. a.Of, relating to, or denoting the sex thatproduces ova or bears young.
b.Characteristic of or appropriate to this sex; feminine. See Synonyms at feminine.
c.Consisting of members of this sex.

2.Botany.
a.Relating to or designating an organ, such as a pistil or an ovary, that functions in producing seedsafter fertilization.

b.Bearing pistils but not stamens; pistillate:female flowers.

3.Having a recessed part, such as a slot or
receptacle, designed to receive a complementary male part: the female section of an electrical outlet. n. Abbr. fem., f., F

1.A member of the sex that produces ova or bears young. 2.A woman or girl.

3.Botany. A plant having only pistillate flowers.
[Middle English alteration (influenced by male, male); see male of femelle, from Old French from Latin
fmella, diminutive of fmina, woman; see dh(i)- inIndo-EuropeanRoots.]

================================================== ====Woman
1.An adult female human being.

2.Women considered as a group; womankind: “Woman feels the invidious distinctions of sex exactly as the black
man does those of color” (Elizabeth Cady Stanton).

3.An adult female human being belonging to a specified occupation, group, nationality, or other category.

Often used in combination: Englishwoman;congresswoman; saleswoman.
4.Feminine quality or aspect; womanliness.

5.A female servant or subordinate.

6.Informal. a.A wife. b.A lover or sweetheart.

7.A representative, as of a company.
woman \Wom"an\, n.; pl. Women. [OE. woman, womman, wumman, wimman, wifmon, AS. w[=i]fmann, w[=i]mmann;
w[=i]f woman, wife + mann a man. See Wife, and Man.]

1.An adult female person; a grown-up female person, as distinguished from a man or a child; sometimes, any female person.
Women are soft, mild pitiful, and flexible. --Shak.

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman. --Gen. ii. 22.I have observed among all nations that the women ornament themselves more than the men; that, wherever found, they are the same kind, civil, obliging, humane, tender beings, inclined to be gay and cheerful, timorous and modest. --J. Ledyard.

2. The female part of the human race; womankind. Man is destined to be a prey to woman. --Thackeray.

3. A female attendant or servant. `` By her woman Isent your message.'' --Shak.
Woman hater, one who hates women; one who has an aversion to the female sex; a misogynist. --Swift.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, ©
1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

[Shelacious]

For anyone who cares to provide input:

I have noticed more of my friends and associates in casual conversation exchange the word "female" for the word "woman" or "lady". (For example: "I saw this fly female"...or "...these three young females saw the need to...") Yesterday, when I saw a similar such phrase on the history portion of a budding sorority's website, I felt the need to pose the question.

Female describes gender and is appropriate for any gendered animal (dog, cow, horse, human) but woman or lady are uniquely human. Therefore, it seems to be a questionable trend to substitute female for woman or lady, but I hear/see it fairly often.

What are your thoughts? Does it matter? Why do people do it? Is it a generational issue or just a fad?

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Finer Womanhood: the "Cat's Meow" Since 1920

[sistermoon]

I once received a card for a significant birthday that stated ...

"one is not born a woman, one becomes one"
simone de beauvoir ...

Who can a Good Woman Find ... (whether you want to reference, our LORD's book, sojourner truth, maya angelou, angela davis, chaka kahn, whitney houston, helen reddy et al)

i am a "Finer Woman"

walking tall with my head held high ...

[PrettyKitty]

Originally posted by Sweet Deliverance:
I am a Woman....Phenomenally That's Me! To me the term female is an unflattering description of someone who has not matured into or behaves like a woman or Lady. I would not call every "non-male" a woman, sister, or lady. Honestly...some, by the way they carry themselves, are just...females..as in no self-respect, no dignity, no manners, no home training, etc. but just to designate a gender...female.

A woman is responsible to herself and others, refined, etc. JMO.

I agree!

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The Epitome of Beauty, Style, and Grace, Always Exemplifying Good Taste, A Zeta Woman, A Finer Woman, That's Me!

[Professor]

Hi "Ladies,"

I'm just dropping by. This is an interesting topic. I agree with most that there can be different depictions or interruptions regarding words such as girl, female, woman, and even lady.

I think a few of these terms are used if there is an established relationship with the person being talked about or described. I know many Black women use the term "girl" when chatting with friends.

On the other hand, I see vast differences between a woman and a lady. It is ok to be
an adult woman but it is exceptional to be an adult woman that carries herself in a lady like manner.