What's the difference between womyn and women?

Question

Is there a difference in attitude?

Answer 1

If they insist on writing it as womyn they are likely L*****n feminists.

It is true.

Answer 2

1.  "Womyn" is not in standard contemporary English language usage.

2.  "Women" is.

'The Word Womyn:  It’s Origin,

History, and Development'

Just as societies evolve, so does

language.  In 2004 alone, more than 2,000

new words were added to the Oxford English

Dictionary.  While new words are being

added, so too, are old words brought back

into usage.  An example of this process is the

word womyn.

  There are a number of definitions and

explanations for the word womyn.  There are

those who believe that womyn is simply a

feminist term that empowers “women”.  

Similarly, there are those who consider

womyn a term used primarily by feminists

who find it offensive to read the word “man”

in “woman”.  Further, there are those who

insist that “woman” is a sexist term; therefore

replacing the “a” with a “y” works to

eradicate the sexism.  Additionally, it has

been said that the term womyn defines L*****n

womyn exclusively, however this is not the

case.

    

The most widespread etymology of the

word womyn is that it is derived from the

Old/Middle English words wyf + mann.  Wyf

meaning female and mann denoting a person

of either gender.  An obvious translation is:

‘wife-of-man’.  (This is a definite example of

the sexism behind its meaning.)  

Consequently wyfman” is a female human.  

The term wyfmann evolved into the words

“wimman”, “wumman”, and finally “woman”

over the course of approximately 250 to 300

years.  

When the word womyn is used in

today’s English, it is most often used by

feminists who use womyn in their

terminology to describe “woman” and

“women” - womyn.

Answer 3

There might be. If people are presenting themselves as 'womyn', it is probably for political or philosophical reasons, so they may have some ideas and attitudes that are a little out of mainstream.

There are still some publications that use the term and I occasionally see it on the internet, but it's no longer that common.

As others have said, it's archaic, was 'recovered' for a short time in the 1970s, and now is probably used in academic or political writing more than anywhere else.

The people using it might have certain political or philosophic views but may be fairly ordinary in most other ways. That's what I've found, anyway.

That's interesting about the vampi/yre thing though, I didn't know that.

Cheers :-)

Answer 4

"womyn" is an alternative spelling used by feminists to take out the "men" from the word "women". Just like how some q***r theorists and some feminists use "hyr" instead of "her" to disrupt/challenge heteronormative language.

Answer 5

Gender orientation in most cases.  Massive feminist man hating females use the "y" version.  I'm just saying that is the kind of females I've met who use the term.  

Its a political statement.  

And some of them are my freinds so stay off me about my opinion.  I'm just a "myn" anyhow...

Answer 6

You're a myn, figure it out.

Answer 7

From what I've heard from my university's "Womyn's Club," it means women of all sexual orientations (straight, L*****n, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, q***r, Two-Spirit, etc.).

Answer 8

Womyn are what the feminist organisation NOW (National Organisation for (Womyn-Lesbians)) are fighting for.

Answer 9

i'm not quite sure.. i can tell you this..

vampire is a term used for a blood sucking demon. right?

well vampyre is a term used when a real person [human] believes they are a vampire.

so perhaps womyn is actually a man who thinks hes a woman or someone whos had a s*x change..

maybe the y means something.. iduno.. wild guess. =]

Answer 10

Anyone who spells women as 'womyn' is stating that they are an idiot and should be avoided at all costs.

Answer 11

i'm sorry, but i'm not a touchy feely mystical type, and if i heard a woman use this word to describe herself i'd probably run for the hills.

i relate to the "goddess" types...the crazy crunchy feminists.

Answer 12

Different spelling, but womyn is an archaic form no longer really used - where as women is more current. Usually, womyn is a feminist way of writing women. Other than that.

It's just spelled differently.

Answer 13

their spelt different.

Answer 14

Womyn is a feminist alternate spelling for woman.  It first appeared around 1975.

Used to avoid the word man, which was taken by some to be an exclusively male term.

Answer 15

I have never heared the word of womyn.

Look for what you wrote is right.