Fun fact

closet-keys:

volcanopunk:

marzipanandminutiae:

The word “woman/women” isn’t related to the modern definition of “man” but the word “werewolf” is

this is true, @closet-keys told me all about it and she’s never wrong

!!! 

Originally the terms for “man” and “woman” wereman and wifman. 

“Man” meant “human” or “person” (e.g. “mankind” = humankind) and “were”/“wif” were gendered prefixes to denote “male human” and “female human.”  Similar to how today we have “Folks” denoting everybody in a gender neutral way, and then you can further specify “womenfolk” and “menfolk” 

werewolf denoted someone who was a combination of a wereman and a wolf. In the modern context of the word “man” the word essentially translates to “man-wolf.” 

Eventually wifman became woman, and wereman became shorted to just man– reflecting the misogynist cultural belief that male adults are default.

So if you’re speaking about someone who is part human woman and part wolf, she wouldn’t be a werewolf, she’d be a wifwolf!