Why is a male called a man and a female called a woman.?

Question

I have answerd a lot of silly questions and now I am going to ask one myself.

Answer 1

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 English. This derives from a Proto-Indo-European root *man-" meaning hand. A similar cognate is Old Norse "mund", hand. The distinctive and dexterous hands of humans, compared to those of other animals, are the basis of this term and the similarly derived term, "manual" (from Latin "Manus", hand), by hand.

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.

Answer 2

Actually I think that the word man is and Anglo Saxon word for a person of either sex. The male word is gar-man and the female of course woman over time we have dropped the word gar-man.

Answer 3

Because biblicly speaking Woman came from Man.

Answer 4

because a man is a male and a woman is a female

Answer 5

R U ignorant to people. If their not bothering you leave them alone. The law will look at an individules genitalia and define them according to what they have. Therefore their are two types of transgender. Who enjoys life and might be considered a winner, and those who have a prision mentallity. I know both types and it really doesn't matter does it.

Answer 6

Women are also knowns as: femnine(i think thats how you spell it)For women they put "fe"male. And men= masciline. Already, theres an "m". They left it.

Answer 7

They aren’t always. Sometimes you get “man” and it’s both male and female. Like mankind or manmade.

Answer 8

We have to have some terms to separate us. There are two species of people. People with Penises and people with Vaginas.




Krazy Libra

Answer 9

Becasue nobody could think of anything better to call them.

Answer 10

Don't know, don't care but in my local you can't tell the difference anyway!