A female beggar; a woman who asks for charity or lives by begging.
Compound of 'beggar' + 'woman,' specifying a female person. Parallels 'beggarman,' following English gender-marking practices in occupational terms.
Historical records show beggarwomen often faced harsher treatment than beggarmen in literature and law—the gendered terms reflected real social differences in how poverty was perceived.
'-woman' suffix marks female as exceptional or secondary; male form ('beggarman') reads as default. Reflects linguistic subordination of women.
Use 'beggar' unless gender is essential to the context. If needed, use parallel language: 'beggar man' and 'beggar woman' equally.
["beggar"]
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