It's no secret that women have been viewed as less important in Western culture for centuries. Unfortunately, this also means that it’s hard to find words in the English language to describe strong, intelligent women. Even the so-called positive terms that do come to mind—queen, patriarch, lady—have such outdated, politically incorrect roots that they are difficult to use in a modern context.
The words we use today—"lady," "baby," "girlfriend"—are so vague and impersonal that they fail to capture the depth and complexity of women. Not to mention the proliferation of female stereotypes in Hollywood. We have so many great role models today (Hillary Clinton, Jane Goodall, Tina Fey) – we need more terms to describe their omnipresent awe.
It wasn’t until recently, when I came across the article “Margaret Atwood: The Grandfather of Digitally Savvy Writers,” that I began to think that maybe the vocabulary for diverse, strong-willed women has always existed. I love how words like doyenne (a badass female leader) and virago (a strong woman) open up new ways for women to see themselves and communicate. That's why these 13 terms need to be brought back into everyday vocabulary and society.
Belladonna
Belladonna literally means "fair lady" in Italian, referring to the deadly plant used to enhance beauty in the 15th century. According to WebMD, women used to squeeze the juice of belladonna berries into their eyes to make their pupils dilate. Although it can be poisonous, the plant is also used as a pain reliever. The bottom line is that belladonna, plant or not, is a force to be reckoned with.
Colleen
I think the closest equivalent to colleen (from Irish cailín ) in our culture is probably "virgin." But the word comes with all kinds of weird and ridiculous baggage. I like the simplicity of the word: Colleen is just an unmarried girl.
Coquettish
Coquettish refers to a woman who flirts lightly and has more positive connotations than the commonly used words "teaser," "whore," and "whore." Not to mention, the Tufted Hummingbird is also an awesome hummingbird with orange and green feathers.
Queen Mother
Although the word was often used to refer to widows, "widow" could refer to any elderly woman of high rank, wealth, or dignity—not just those whose husbands had died.
Dogan
The Elder is the female version of the badass leader, possessing a triple power: seniority, authority, and status. Merriam-Webster defines her as "a person considered knowledgeable or uniquely skilled because of long experience in a field." In other words, she knew exactly what she was doing.
nanny
"Duna" in popular literature is synonymous with female guardians, including Minerva McGonagall in "Harry Potter" and Effie Trinket in "The Hunger Games." When it comes to the Harry Potter series , if you want to know that Professor McGonagall has always been an absolute badass, look no further. You won't be disappointed.
harridan
A particularly vicious old woman - the word harridan has a similar meaning to "hag" but sounds more attractive than "hag". As vocabulary.com puts it, "You might call the old lady next door who yells at you to stay off her lawn a harridan ." It goes on to mention the Wicked Witch of the West. . So while the word isn't necessarily a compliment, it's more creative than calling someone grumpy.
Ma Wuning
Mavourneen comes from Irish and means "my lover" or "my darling" and is a beautiful word. According to Merriam-Webster, it was first used in 1800, so its history goes back quite a while. It comes from the Irish mo mhuirnín .
Magant
The term "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" brings to mind a "termagant," which refers to a woman who causes trouble, is prone to violence or quarrels. The term serves as a reminder, especially when it comes to characters in movies, that women are not one-dimensional and should not be portrayed as such.
regina
Regina has long been the Queen's official Latin title, as in "Elizabeth Regina" or "Mother of Heaven, Regina of the Clouds" (Wallace Stevens) or "Thou coldest How about Regina?"
Slaten
I admit that I can be a bit sloppy at times - a sloppy or sloppy lady. I agree. The dishes can wait until I usher in the new world order.
shrew
The Latin root of virago ( vir meaning man, as in virile) once suggested that a woman who traveled frequently, a virago, was virile. We no longer compare strong-willed women to men, but we can keep our word. For examples of shrews, see Mary Morris's The Shrewd Traveler's Book .
Vitupelat
This word is much cooler and more powerful than "nag". A verbal abuser is a woman who frequently uses harsh or abusive language to express herself. Amy Schumer, this one is for you.
