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A woman is a female human, in contrast to an adult male, who is a man.
The term woman (irregular plural: women) is usually used for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. However, the term is also sometimes used for a female human regardless of age, as in phrases like "women's rights".
Etymology
The English term "man" (from Proto-Germanic mannaz "man, person") and words derived therefrom can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their gender or age. This is indeed the oldest usage of "man". In Old English the words wer and wyf (also wæpman and wifman) were what was used to refer to "a man" and "a woman" respectively, and "man" was gender neutral. In Middle English man displaced wer as term for "male human", whilst wyfman (which eventually evolved into woman) was retained for "female human". "Man" does continue to carry its original sense of "Human" however, resulting in an asymmetry sometimes criticized as sexist. * (See also Womyn.) The symbol for the planet Venus is the sign also known in biology for the female sex: a stylized representation of the goddess Venus's hand mirror: a circle with a small cross underneath (Unicode: ♀). The Venus symbol also represented femininity, and in ancient alchemy stood for copper. Alchemists constructed the symbol from a circle (representing spirit) above a cross (representing matter).
Terminology
The English language's original word for "woman" was Old English wīf, akin to German Weib; it later became the modern word "wife." The modern word "woman" etymologically derives from wīfmann, with the addition of mann, "person", from Germanic mannaz. This formation is peculiar to English. The equivalents for "man" in Old English were wer (a cognate of Latin vir, "man") and wǣpnedmann, literally "weaponed person". As previously mentioned, the term man continues to carry its original sense of "Human", though this usage results in an asymmetry which is sometimes criticized as sexist. The word girl originally meant "young person of either sex"; it was only around the beginning of the 16th century that it came to mean specifically a female child. Nowadays girl is also often used colloquially to refer to a young or unmarried woman. Since the early 1970s, feminists have challenged such usage, and today, using the word in the workplace (as in office girl) is typically considered inappropriate in the United States and United Kingdom because it implies a view of women as infantile. The use remains commonplace in several other English-speaking countries. Conversely, in certain non-Western cultures which link family honor with female virginity, the word girl is still used to refer to a never-married woman; in this sense it is used in a fashion roughly analogous to the obsolete English maid or maiden. Referring to an unmarried female as woman can, in such a culture, imply that she is sexually experienced, which would be an insult to her family. In more informal settings, the use of girl to refer to an adult female is also common practice in certain usage (such as girls' night out), even among elderly women. In this sense, girl may be considered to be the analogue to the British word bloke for a man. Some regard non-parallel usages, such as men and girls, as sexist. A number of other derogatory terms for women are also in common usage. There are various words used to refer to the quality of being a woman. The term "womanhood" merely means the state of being a woman; "femininity" is used to refer to a set of supposedly typical female qualities associated with a certain attitude to gender roles; "womanliness" is like "femininity", but is usually associated with a different view of gender roles; "femaleness" is a general term, but is often used as shorthand for "human femaleness"; "distaff" is an archaic adjective derived from women's conventional role as a spinner, now used only as a deliberate archaism; "muliebrity" is a "neologism" (derived from the Latin) meant to provide a female counterpart of "virility", but used very loosely, sometimes to mean merely "womanhood", sometimes "femininity", and sometimes even as a collective term for women. More on [ Woman ]
Women :: Society and Culture
Military Women :: People
History :: Women
Women's Studies :: Women
WOMEN: COME TO MOVIES AT 1:05. PLS. THX.
KIRKJ0NES (Kirk Jones) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:21:15 -0000
WOMEN: COME TO MOVIES AT 1:05. PLS. THX.
@aksofly I've tried it. Women are independent & I want some of that moola LOL
CarterG_PMD (Carter G.) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:21:10 -0000
@aksofly I've tried it. Women are independent & I want some of that moola LOL
@darxmac Well, in the past, I've certainly "transported women" across state lines for any number of reasons.... Not all of them "moral". :)
ShawnKing (Shawn King) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:21:07 -0000
@darxmac Well, in the past, I've certainly "transported women" across state lines for any number of reasons.... Not all of them "moral". :)
my gateman wants me 2 settle him,cuz his chick is comin,shud i give him,or shud i make learn d lesson,ONLY WHEN U HAVE MONEY,DO U CALL WOMEN
nuelzgotgame (Deji Lepe) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:21:04 -0000
my gateman wants me 2 settle him,cuz his chick is comin,shud i give him,or shud i make learn d lesson,ONLY WHEN U HAVE MONEY,DO U CALL WOMEN
RT @AlwaysJennell: RT @mybadFu: #leavetigeralone You know WHITE WOMEN age quick as HELL...<
ShereenNicole (shereen) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:21:03 -0000
RT @AlwaysJennell: RT @mybadFu: #leavetigeralone You know WHITE WOMEN age quick as HELL...<<lol!!
Sharmila opens 'Women in Malayalam Cinema' exhibition - http://bit.ly/7SeuRR
BollyCurry (BollyCurry) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:20:59 -0000
Sharmila opens 'Women in Malayalam Cinema' exhibition - http://bit.ly/7SeuRR
Special Collections - The Women's Archives is an integral part of Duke's Special Collections Library, which houses a broad range of rare and unique primary source material. Some print materials are digitized and can be accessed via the web.
African American Women Writers of the 19th Century - The New York Public Library's digital collection of African-American literary and cultural history.
African-American Women - An on-line collection of letters and memoirs of 19th century slave women, from Duke University.
AFSCME LaborLinks: Women's Labor History - Annotated links to diverse information on the history of women in the labor movement
American Women's History - An on-line research-guide to state and regional women's history resources.
Anne Hutchinson - Details of the events which defined the life of a member of the early Puritan settlement in America.
Archives for Research on Women and Gender Project - From the Special Collections and Archives Department of the University of Texas at San Antonio Library. Collection features primary source materials written by or about women.
Meta Description: [ UTSA Archives Women's Collections ]
Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame - Mission statement and recent inductees. Located at the Hartford College for Women in Hartford.
History of Jewish Women in America - List of significant repositories for American Jewish women's history, with information on published guides, examples of collections of oral histories and private papers, location of records of national offices of Jewish women's organizations; historical scholarship from 1970 to the present from journals, anthologies, and monographs.
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Infography about Nineteenth-Century American Women - Sources recommended by a professor who specializes in the study of Nineteenth Century American women.
Meta Description: [ Sources recommended by a professor whose research specialty is nineteenth century American women. ]
Ladies' Union Aid Society - During the Civil War, women supporting the Union effort organized to aid the cause significantly. Their work in Missouri typified the effort elsewhere.
Living the Legacy of Women's Rights - The history of the U.S. women's rights movement, from 1848 to 1998. An excellent narrative, extensive chronology and links to contemporary activist organizations.
Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska - DistinguishedWomen.com biography of an instructor at the New England Female Medical College who convinced the Board of Lady Managers to open a new teaching hospital.
Mary Lyon - A schoolteacher from Massachusetts, an American pioneer, a remarkable woman who founded the worldwide model of higher education for women--Mount Holyoke College.
Michigan Women's Hall of Fame - Biographical and other historical information; calendar of events.
Nancy Ward - The last Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, and leader of the powerful Women's Council, by D. Ray Smith.
Meta Description: [ History of Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Cherokee. Tennessee History. Dragging Canoe. ]
National Museum of Women's History - A nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, focusing on Political Culture and Imagery of American Women's Suffrage.
National Museum of Women's History - the museum's first virtual exhibit examines the development of the culture and imagery the evolved to promote women's voting rights in the U.S.: extensive collection of banners, buttons, documents.
Native American Women - Although customs affecting early Native American women varied greatly from tribe to tribe, they often had a great deal of power and authority over their lives.
Places Where Women Made History - The National Park Service has developed a travel itinerary featuring 74 different properties from the National Register of Historic Places in New York and Massachusetts. The itinerary includes interactive maps, descriptions of each place's significance in women's history, photographs, information on public accessibility, essays on women's achievements in American history, and links to other pertinent Web sites.
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Rebecca J. Cole: Physician - Dr. Cole (1846-1922) practiced in N.Y., Columbia, S.C. and then Philadelphia where she started a Center to provide medical and legal services to destitute women and children.
Robin Flies Again - Letters written by women of Goucher College, Class of 1903, from 1919-1938, that document topics about suffrage, war, the depression and family life. Also photographs, yearbook, songbook and links.
Sally Hemings - Biography of the slave daughter of Elizabeth (Betty) Hemings and, allegedly, John Wayles, Thomas Jefferson's father-in-law, from the Jefferson Memorial Foundation.
Meta Description: [ A Brief Biography of Sally Hemings ]
The General Federation of Women's Clubs - Visit the Women's history and resource center to learn more about the history of women volunteers.
Meta Description: [ GFWC - General Federation of Women's Clubs ]
The Ladies: A Journal of the Court, Fashion and Society - Online version of a 19th century weekly London newspaper that sought out the burgeoning female readership, explicitly catering to upper-class society women who could pay the sixpenny rate, but implicitly offering middle-class women a guide to social-climbing success.
The Long Road of Woman's Memory - Jane Addams examines how women's memories shape the past to remove its harshness and changes in women's roles as they addressed industrialization and war.
Meta Description: [ Jim Zwick's books on Mark Twain and anti-imperialism, web sites, biography, and how to contact him. ]
The National Women's Hall of Fame - Dedicated to honoring women who have contributed significantly to the development of the country. Includes an extensive collection of biographical profiles.
The National Women's History Project - Official web site of the National Women's History Project: Originator of Women's History Month. Functions of the N.W.H.P.: Clearinghouse for U.S. women's history information; Issues a seasonal catalog of women's history posters, books and materials; Produces videos, posters, guides, and supplies for school and workplace; Conducts in-service training for school teachers; Coordinates the Women's History Network, a national participant organization; Provides consulting services for publishers, media producers, and journalists.
Meta Description: [ The National Women's History Project's Mission ]
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The Women's Archives at Oklahoma State University - Detailed biographies of notable women in Oklahoma history including Angie Debo, Jessie Thatcher Bost, Hannah Atkins and the WAVES.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1775-2000 - Nine hundred documents relating to the role of women in movements throughout American history.
Women and Tea Rooms - History of American afternoon tea rooms of the 20th century and description of the book Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn by Jan Whitaker.
Women in Alaska's History - Introduces the diverse women who helped shape today's Alaska.
Meta Description: [ The home page for the Women in Alaska's History Website. Historical information combined with fun learning activities. ]
Women in America, 1820-1842 - The accounts of 18 foreign travelers describe the conditions of women's lives in the United States, accessed chronologically or topically for comparisons.
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Women in American History by Encyclopædia Britannica - Articles, Media Gallery, Women's History on the Web, Recommended Readings and Study Guides.
Women in Congress - Biographies listed by state, alphabetically and chronologically. Main list includes the state, political party affiliation and dates served.
Women in Industry: A Study in American Economic History - Edith Abbott's historical analysis of women's work and wages from the colonial era through the early 1900s, with case studies of the cotton, shoemaking, cigarmaking, clothing, and printing industries.
Meta Description: [ Jim Zwick's books on Mark Twain and anti-imperialism, web sites, biography, and how to contact him. ]
Women in the Twentieth Century - N.Y. Times magazine review of women's accomplishments and unresolved problems for the past 100 years. Published May, 1999
Women in the United States - Provides texts of key laws, speeches, links to organizations and international conferences, and a bibliography. Women in politics, women in the workplace, domestic violence, the history of the women's movement and government initiatives are among the topics covered.
Meta Description: [ usinfo.state.gov UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE ]
Women in the War of 1812 - Women's roles and the stories ofparticular women involved in the War of 1812. Essay by Hellen Ferguson.
Women of Courage Profiles - Featured the stories of New York women who had made an impact on the North Country and were pioneers in their fields, which included education, medicine, art, politics and music.
Women's History in America - Informative essay on the status of women from colonial America through the 19th and 20th centuries. Topic include religious views, legal rights, women at work, feminism, and reform movements.
Women's History Project of Northwest Michigan - This organization promotes preservation and recognition of women's contributions to their families and communities in northwest lower Michigan.
Meta Description: [ The Women's History Project of NW Michigan seeks to preserve and recognize the contributions of women to their families and communities in NW lower Michigan. ]
Women's Rights National Historic Park - The history of the women's movement. Located in Seneca Falls, N.Y., sites include Declaration Park and the house of early feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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