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How often had I overlooked women's contributions ? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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One of the comments reads : Actually, we will probably never figure out, was it man or woman. but I thought this comment of the professor was an interesting eye opener. https://mastodonapp.uk/@MarkHoltom/112070436760917344

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[–] Z3k3 286 points 11 months ago (46 children)

I always read this type of statement as man = species.

I know this particular thinking is falling out of fashion but it's not totally dead yet

[–] KombatWombat 32 points 11 months ago

That's the correct interpretation of that use of the word, and the quote in the post is meaning to use it in that way before pretending it's a gotcha.

The term man (from Proto-Germanic *mann- "person") and words derived from it can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their sex or age. In traditional usage, man (without an article) itself refers to the species or to humanity (mankind) as a whole.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_(word)

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