Introduction

The shortest of the TE glossaries with five entries, it, nevertheless, makes the boldest statement about the relationship between language and respect. 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 etymologies that honor the dignity of nearly half the world’s population. I hope you will agree!

Why “Wife” and “Woman” Must Go!

The meaning of a word may change over time;
its etymology does not.

Justy DeForest,
Poet / playwright & trailblazing english user

Trailblazing English rejects the words “wife” and “woman.” While their etymology is disputed, some linguists suggest they trace back to the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root ghwibh–, meaning “shame” or “pudenda” (i.e., cunt).

The Producer of Children — and Ideas!

Trailblazing English takes a positive, healthy stance on feminine sexuality, stressing the enlightened view that there is nothing “shameful” or “dishonorable” about it. Furthermore, while the ability to bear young is one of the greatest powers in Nature, not all members of the sex can or want to have children. Language can do better than naming an entire sex for an organ found between the legs!

Looking at our cultural heritage through the ages, the femele mind has produced greatness in many areas, including philosophy, mathematics, art, and literature, as well as in promoting a civil society. Trailblazing English reaches back to Proto-Indo-European to find two roots, gen- and g^wen-, which, one by its definition and the other by its spelling, inspired “wenn,” the TE word for an adult femele humin being. The etymological meaning of wenn is “producer.” And a wenn can produce many things besides children! (See to entry for wenn below to read more about its etymology.)

Five Wennly Words for Respectable English

F

Femele: / fə –ˈmɛl / TE returns the middle “e” to this English 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 middle “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, itself!

Femisma: (fə – meez’ – mah, /fə – ‘mi:z – mɑː/ ) 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: ( sg.: / wɛn / pl.: 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”: Not Quite Old English “Cwen”

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

The etymology of cwen goes back to Proto-Indo-European g^wen-, a root shared among many languages, both living and extinct. (See the Kurdish Language Project Chart.) Trailblazing English wenn, by contrast, comes from the PIE root gen-, which carries the broader meaning “to produce, to bear, or to beget.” Wenn, therefore, widens the scope of what she can produce and how she reproduces. Both cisgender and transgender wenns are included under this expanded linguistic tent.

NOTE: Although there is no “w” in its root gens-, wenn “borrows” that letter from g^wen- so that Trailblazing English speakers can, in good conscience, conveniently use acronyms common in Conventional English, such as YWCA or WIC, easily substituting TE “wenns or wennen” for the unacceptable CE word “women.”

Fellow etymology nerds can click on the following hyperlinks to compare more differences between the Proto-Indo-European roots gwena- (queen) and gens- (produces). And check out these words related to gens- in Sanskrit, jan and janayatiḥ.

“Wenn” from Madarin Chinese “Wén“

Another source for “wenn” is Mandarin Chinese wén, which literally 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:

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

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/

Wennisma: (wen- neez’-mah) An alternative to femisma, also eluding to “the indominable power of wenns.” As the etymology of the first syllable of femisma comes from femele and has its etymological roots in the meaning “to suckle,” wennisma may be preferred by those wenns who cannot or choose not to give birth or nurse their young or who want a term whose meaning is not tied to the idea of childbearing and childcare. See the link below:

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”!