When a boy grows up he is called a man, usually around 18 in American culture. Why is it that the term "boyfriend" applies to all ages? A woman would call the man she's dating her boyfriend whether he is 67 or 12. It doesn't make much sense. Shouldn't the word change to manfriend and womanfriend the same time you change from being a boy/girl to a man/woman? Is there some reason the words didn't evolve this way over time? Thanks.
2006-09-13 12:52:07 · 13 answers · asked by imaqtpai 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Excellent question and your right once you become an adult it is no longer considered a b/f or g/f its is a friend that your involved in a serious or not so serious relationship with. I have heard it called my guy friend many times female acquaintance so it really just all depends upon the person and what they are comfortable with to be honest. The age of the person also has allot to do with this and the culture they are in. The upper class tends to use the words acquaintance more often then not and the lower class tends too be blunt and honest
2006-09-13 13:23:14 · answer #1 · answered by yahoo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Boyfriend and girlfriend have evolved to cover all ages. Besides manfriend and womanfriend sound gay.
2006-09-13 19:59:54 · answer #2 · answered by Bluealt 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because manfriend sounds weird, so does woman friend, and most kids who have their parents dating think the term only applies to little children, so your partly rigt but partly wrong.
2006-09-13 20:01:45 · answer #3 · answered by Bluefire 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Language does not evolve as fast as culture does.
Beyond that, all languages have quirks.
In German, the word for "woman" is neutral gender.
If you want to hear what sounds to us like something odd, start learning some of the Asian or Aboriginal languages of the world.
;-)
2006-09-13 20:04:32 · answer #4 · answered by WikiJo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
.
Maybe at the time the words were invented, it was taken for granted that only young boys or girls were allowed such a relationship so buy the time you are an old man or woman you were either expected to be married or condemned to a solitary life for ever!
.
2006-09-13 20:03:50 · answer #5 · answered by kevinrtx 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My interpretation is boyfriend and girlfriend are the ones you see in public with family and friends, while man-friend and woman-friend sounds more like those you would see in private away from family and friends. But it is personal choice I guess. We are just comfortable with the terms I guess.
2006-09-13 20:05:00 · answer #6 · answered by Wake Cobra 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A woman friend is actually just a friend of the opposite sex to me, and a girlfriend is the one I'm closer with, so as confusing it it already, it would become more confusing.
But then I'm not native English.
2006-09-13 20:03:36 · answer #7 · answered by Chri R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Caus it's stupid how in English they're simple words. In Portuguese, girlfriend is namorada and boyfriend is namorado. They sound a lot better for grown ups in other languages than English.
2006-09-13 21:24:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know why people talk this way - I myself say 'gentleman friend' or 'lady friend' for people who are of an age where 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' would be undignified.
2006-09-13 20:03:54 · answer #9 · answered by songkaila 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree. And isn't Clint Eastwood too old to be called a cowboy?
2006-09-13 20:00:36 · answer #10 · answered by Vinh 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋