Introduction

The shortest of the TE glossaries with five entries, this glossary makes the boldest statement about what Trailblazing English users believe the relationship between language and respect should be. TE replaces the Conventional English terms female, wife, and woman with the Trailblazing English words femele, spousewenn, and wenn. These changes introduce — or reintroduce — words with honorable etymologies as the lexicon we use for nearly half the world’s population.

Why “Wife” and “Woman” Must Go!

The meaning of a word may change over time; its etymology doesn’t.

Trailblazing English rejects the words “wife” and “woman” as derogatory and disrespectful to members of the femele sex because their etymology traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root ghwibh-, meaning “pudenda” (i.e., cunt), with associations to “shame” and “dishonor.”  (See links below):

wife – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a110o1xnN11nRFUsF8DO239t9QUx5FIN/view?usp=sharing

(For a website containing the etymology of wife given above, see https://heorot.dk/gloss-en-w.html. Scroll down to “wif.”)

woman – https://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/roots.aspx?type=Indo-European&root=ghw%C4%ABbh-

ghwibh –
https://ahdictionary.com/word/indoeurop.html#IR031900 (Scroll down to ghwībh- on this page of the American Heritage Dictionary.)

The Producer of Children–and Ideas!

While Trailblazing English users take a positive stance on feminine sexuality and its expression and acknowledge that the ability to bear young is one of the greatest powers in Nature, we do not think the femele humin being should “bear” the name of the sex organ between her legs, nor should these organs be associated with “shame” and “dishonor.”

In selecting honorable alternatives to these unacceptable terms, Trailblazing English considered two important facts: First, not all members of the sex can or will have children. And second, looking at our cultural heritage throughout the ages, the femele mind has been a producer of greatness in many areas, including philosophy, art, and literature, as well as in the promotion of a civil
society. The word that acknowleges her ability to produce in many spheres, “wenn,” proves to be a worthy name for the sex. (See the entry for “wenn” below.)

Five Wennly Words for a More Respectable English Language

F

Femele: / ˈfəm – ɛl / Trailblazing English returns the “e” after “m” to this word, which came from the Latin femella and had no etymological connection to “male.”

The spelling and pronunciation were corrupted, being changed to the androcentric “male” in the fourteenth century by John Barbour, Archdeacon of Aberdeen, in his narrative poem, “The Brus.” His reason: He wanted the words for the femele and male sex to rhyme. (See link below):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gQNEn7Z0Sflfee5kUrJeFRS5pOcLw633/view?usp=sharing

By restoring the first “e” to “femele,” Trailblazing English users signal their respect not only for the integrity and unique character of the word that names the femele sex, but, by extension, for the femele sex and its members, as well!

Femisma: (fem-‘iz-mah) A term meaning the indominable power of the femele humin being. Femisma is a quality that includes her uniquely feminine brand of physical energy, strength, motion, and stamina; her mental agility, judgment, and fortitude; and her emotional capacity for tolerance, diplomacy, empathy, and compassion. In other words, the quintessential iron fist in a velvet glove! (Also see “wennisma” below.)

NOTE: Femisma is NOT the feminine version of machismo; rather, femisma refers to that feminine power unique unto itself!

S

Spousewenn:  The term for “spouse” used in Trailblazing English when it is necessary to indicate that a married person is femele. Otherwise, TE speakers simple use “spouse” for any married person, regardless of sex or gender identity. See link to the etymology of “spouse” below:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spouse

W

Wenn: / wɛn / (plural forms: wenns / wɛnz / or wennen / ‘wɛn – nɛn / ) Trailblazing English word for an adult femele humin being. It is also employed as a convenient one-syllable element in compound words relating to a femele person, such as congresswenn, midwenn, and wennhood.

There are two sources for “wenn.” Each is discussed below.

“Wenn” from Old English “Cwen”

One source for “wenn” is Old English cwen. Once upon a time in English, cwen was used for any adult femele person or femele spouse in addition to its also meaning “queen.”

Wenn, in this context, is another example of a term that Trailblazing English reclaims from an older version of the language, this time with a few spelling modifications. — It is a return to the word that was in use before the vulgar term “woman” (i.e., cunt-person) became the fashion!

The etymology of “cwen” can be traced back to Sanskrit jan 
(to produce, bear, beget) and jani (adult femele person, with the implied idea of the “Producer”). Its reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root is gwen-. Gwen- is the etymological root for words pertaining to femeles in a number of modern languages. See links below:

*gwen- – The Kurdish Project.org – https://thekurdishproject.org/connecting-kurdish-and-english-words-woman-and-queen/ (Language Chart included)

*gwen- – Proto-Indo-European Roots – https://tied.verbix.com/project/phonetics/word14.html

Also check out the link below to the Proto-Indo-European root gene-, also related to Sanskrit jan(ati). Gene- is the PIE root from which English gets a plethora of words related to generation and family, including “pregnant,” “progeny,” “kin,” and “king,” among many others:

*gene- – https://www.etymonline.com/word/*gene-

“Wenn” from Madarin Chinese “Wén“

Another source for “wenn” is Mandarin Chinese wén, which means “writing” and “literature” but is also used in the sense of possessing the qualities of a literate person — i.e., being “cultured” and “civil.” See the link for wén below:

https://dictionary.hantrainerpro.com/chinese-english/translation-wen_culture.htm

NOTE: In Chinese philosophy, in addition to the Yin and Yang dichotomy, there is another dichotomy between Wén and Wŭ. The concept of Wén is represented by the archetype of The Scholar, dedicated to the Peaceful Arts, including the art of governing. By contrast, Wŭ is represented by The Warrior, dedicated to the Martial Arts.¹

Wennisma: (wen-‘iz-mah) An alternative to femisma, also eluding to “the indominable power of wenns.” As the etymology of the first syllable of femisma has its etymological roots in the meaning “to suckle,” wennisma may be preferred by those wenns who cannot or choose not to give birth and/or nurse their young or who want a term whose denotated meaning does not focus on elements of the the childbearing and caring process. See the link below:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/feminine

Are You Ready to Be a Linguistic Trailblazer?

So now that you know the etymology of “WOMAN” and “WENN,”

Which word would you rather call
— your mother?
— your sister?
— your spouse?
— your daughter?
— YOURSELF?!

A Pep Talk

Perhaps, you agree with the goals of Trailblazing English and would LOVE to start using these respectful words but find yourself a little self-conscious. You may ask, “What will people think of me?” That’s perfectly normal! Every Trailblazer wonders that when first starting out on a quest to change society.

Below is a success story from the 1970s to boost your courage and show you that linguistic change has been accomplished in the past and can be accomplished now, too!

Success Story from the 1970s: Ms.

Back in the 1970s, many foreward-thinking and just-minded wennen and their allies fought for the adoption of the honorific “Ms.”

These wenns asked, “Why should there be two titles for us — ‘Miss’ and ‘Mrs.’ — so that men can know whether we are singular or married when we can’t glean the same information about them from their one title, ‘Mr.’?”

Introducing the honorific “Ms.” was a perfectly logical solution to this inequity, but, Oh! how the opponents of “Ms.” — of both polar sexes — ridiculed those who wanted to level that playing field!

However, the champions of “Ms.” did not back down. They continued to use “Ms.” Fast forward 50 years, and today it is simply accepted as a standard honorific!

The campaign for “Ms.” back in the 1970s stands as a shining example to all People of Good Will no matter what their gex (i.e., gender/sex combination) of what can be accomplished by having a vision, dedication, and persistence.

So, when you’re ready —

Join the Movement
for
Linguistic Justice.

Honor All In Language!

Say “Wenn”!

Bibliography

1. Gwong Zau Kung Fu, Wen-Wu: The Civil and the Martial in the State and in the Individual, December 07, 2021. https://gwongzaukungfu.com/en/wen-wu-the-civil-and-the-martial/