4.1253 Words: Promptuarium; Gender-Neutral Titles (2/43)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Wed, 17 Apr 91 22:42:09 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 1253. Wednesday, 17 Apr 1991.


(1) Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 14:54:01 EDT (13 lines)
From: "William P. Stoneman" <1426279@PUCC>
Subject: promptuarium

(2) Date: Fri, 12 Apr 91 10:35:39 -0500 (30 lines)
From: Dennis Baron <baron@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: gender-neutral terms

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 14:54:01 EDT
From: "William P. Stoneman" <1426279@PUCC>
Subject: promptuarium

I wonder if a promptuarium is the same thing as a promptorium? More
context for the word might help. On a promptorium, see A. L. Mayhew,
ed., The Promptorium Parvulorum: The First English-Latin Dictionary,
Early English Text Society Extra Series 102, London, 1908. The most
recent reference to this work is Linda Voigts and Frank Stubbings'
article in the Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society
9(1989), 358-371. William P. Stoneman, Scheide Library, Princeton
University Library, Princeton, NJ 08544

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------39----
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 91 10:35:39 -0500
From: Dennis Baron <baron@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: gender-neutral terms

i've recently learned of a French search for a term equivalent to English
Ms. The form is Madelle, but I have no cires, references, context, or
discussion. Can anyone supply same? I'm going to be on a panel next
Fall discussing the fate of Ms. The feeling of the panel organizer is
that young women, particularly undergrad, use the term as a trendy
synonym for Miss, indicating they intend to switch to Mrs. upon
marriage. My own survey of students in my classes confirms this. Has
anyone else noticed this "com- promised" use of Ms.

Ms. dates back at least to 1932 in English (there was a letter in the NY
Times that year inquiring about the appropriateness of this "new" form).
So far as I can determine it derives from an early 20c feminist call to
have Miss function as the equivalent of Mr., doing away with Mrs. altogether.

Any comments on this too would be greatly welcomed.

debaron@uiuc.edu ____________ 217-333-2392
|:~~~~~~~~~~:| fax: 217-333-4321
Dennis Baron |: :|
Dept. of English |: db :|
Univ. of Illinois |: :|
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