Plural of boatsman; multiple men who work with boats or possess boat-related skills.
Plural of 'boatsman', formed by replacing '-man' with '-men' following the standard Old English pluralization pattern. This word combines the boat compound with the irregular plural of 'man'.
The existence of both 'boatmen' and 'boatsmen' as competing plurals is a perfect example of how English sometimes creates multiple valid forms for the same concept—it's redundancy that stuck around!
Plural of -man, defaulting male. Excludes female boatspeople from categorical recognition in historical and formal maritime language.
Replace with 'boaters', 'boat operators', or 'boat crew' for gender-neutral reference. Use 'boatwomen' only if gender-specific reference is intentional.
["boaters","boat operators","boat crew"]
Women constituted working maritime populations globally; gendered terminology ('boatsmen' vs. 'boatwomen') enforced their secondary status and invisibility.
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