Is Chairwoman a proper term??

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   QudsiaP1posted 14 years ago

   Recently I got into an argument with someone who said that 'Chairwoman' is not a word and the word 'Chairperson' should be used if the gender is female.
   
   Is this correct?
   
   Wouldn't it be sexist, if a man can be called a chair man but a woman should be called a chairperson as that gives the illusion that may it is man (in the event that the name applies to both sexes or the name is unknown.)
   
   Please tell me if Chairwoman is a proper term.

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      Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Proper terms, "politically correct" terms, all that nonsense. It's a waste of time and breath. If the words used to describe a job or position really offend people, either use the term with "person" to refer to all, or just get over it. There really is no need to get so hyped over the name or title of a job or position of power.

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         QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         So in your opinion the term 'chairwoman' being coined is a waste of time?

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            Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Honestly yes. Why add more to something that is simple? Simply put, again, if you don't like the word "Chairman" just use "Chairperson." Much like "Mailperson" is the term used from what I've gathered. This keeps it simple, and eliminates using more than one word unnecessarily, and takes away the "sexist" feel.

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               QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Do people write chairperson on their visiting cards?

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                  Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  I am bored enough I looked this up for you. One answer to your question states this:
                  
                  "The word Chairman is very flexible.
                  
                  Chairman both sexes? Yes, though I wouldn't use it. To check this, Google, "Chairman + any popular female name". So "Chairman Susan" yields lots of hits. Chairman Karen yields lots of hits.
                  
                  Chairperson proper term for a female? Yes, that is one alternative.
                  
                  "Chair" by itself is commonly used now to represent either gender. That is how I do it. I simply use "Chair".
                  
                  Try googling "Chair Susan"--lots of hits. Try googling, "Chair John"--lots of hits.
                  
                  I like Chair because it is brief and doesn't get caught up in the gender stuff.
                  
                  Hope that helps."

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                     QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Thank you Travis, you are too kind.
                     
                     Sorry for the annoyance that I have unintentionally caused you.

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                        Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        Oh you haven't caused any! Sorry if any of my answers have seemed that way (: I do not mean to seem rude at all, that's the sucky thing about text related conversations, you never know exactly what people are feeling haha.

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                           QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           Oh phew, I thought I had several ticked you, lol.

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                              QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              Erm severely... not several...

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                                 Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                 Haha, not at all (:

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                                    QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                    Good.
                                    
                                    Pleasure meeting you in here.

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                                       Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                       Indeed! (: And you as well, I have a lot of free time so whatever you need answers for I'll probably be able to look it up for ya! haha

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                     Hauntyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     One thing you left out. "Chairwoman Susan" = lots of hit.
                     
                     Chairwoman is not a coined term. It exists and is in use.

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                        Travis_S_Musicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        That's not my answer if you noticed haha

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   QudsiaP1posted 14 years ago

   Hahaha, thanks for letting me know Travis.

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   Ultimate Hubberposted 14 years ago

   Chairman can be used for both men and women. Let me explain how...
   
   CHAIRMAN= CHAIR+MAN
   CHAIRMAN= CHAIR+woMAN

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      QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Lol Ultimate Hubber.

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   Dale Nelsonposted 14 years ago

   Or theres the rude and dis-respectful way some people talk and say ....
   
   Go ahead and take a chair woman.
   
   But if they were a hippie, they may have said
   
   Like go ahead man and take like a chair man.
   
   So I think both are right.LOL.

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      QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Lol.

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   Manueatesposted 14 years ago

   Hey please try to clarify what you want to say or what you want to know about chairwomen.
   http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-a … 22851.html

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      ThomasEposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Chairwoman is in the Oxford English Dictionary, and the merriam-webster dictionary. It is therefore, a correct use of English.

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         china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         It is proper use - as also is chairman - as the man refers to a person rather than a male as in hu man kind. Chair is also normal use.  As also is chairperson, although that only arose with feminism, and as women are now equal in regard to that ism - if not in reality - the term could and should be discarded as being divisive. I would say

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         QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you.

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   SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 years ago

   ..i just use the term Chair...my boss is the Chair of the Board...and when I think of forms etc that i complete for administrative/biz purposes...Chair is the term that i have been seeing for years.

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      QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Makes sense.

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   ngurecoposted 14 years ago

   You can either use any of these: chair, chairman, chairperson, chairwoman and chair-lady when referring to a woman who presides over a meeting, committee, department, etc.
   
   But on the same note, can you use chair-gentleman when referring to a gentleman who presides over a meeting, committee, department, etc.?

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      QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Very informative thanks.

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   I find that the committees I sit on refer to chairperson for moth men and women. Or just refer to the Chair. Such as, "I defer to the chair."
   
   Why is it necessary to distinguish a gender on a job or position? I wouldn't refer to a dictionary or etiquette book for this answer. It's a rapidly evolving issue.

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   There are also transgender persons who are not covered by chairman or chairwoman.

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      QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting argument.

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    lakeerieartistsposted 14 years ago

    Then of course, there are the chairdogs and chaircats.

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       QudsiaP1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Hmm, never heard of that.

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    MickSposted 14 years ago

    Chairman and chairwoman appear in both Websters and Oxford, so it is definitely a correct term, along with chair (horrendous) and chairperson for those afraid of being gender specific.  There is also an inference in Oxford that chairman does for both genders, probably the 'man' is not gender but rooted in the Latin, manus - hand, the one who handles?  There is a medieval English word for chairwoman, I've seen it once and can't remember the spelling but it is along the lines of, chairtrix.

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