Plural of 'broadwife,' referring to multiple women with broad physical characteristics.
The plural form of 'broadwife,' created by changing the 'fe' ending to 'ves,' following the standard Middle English pattern for pluralizing words ending in '-wife' (like 'midwife' becoming 'midwives').
English plurals are quirky because different words follow different rules—'wife' becomes 'wives,' so 'broadwife' becomes 'broadwives.' This ancient pattern preserves how Old English handled plurals, which is why we don't just add an '-s' like in modern words.
Plural of broadwife; gendered suffix '-wife' historically marked women as relational to household or husband status rather than independent identity.
Avoid; use 'women,' 'people,' or specific role descriptors instead. The -wife suffix unnecessarily genders what should be neutral.
["women","people","householders","breadwinners (if referring to economic role)"]
Women's roles extended far beyond household boundaries; historical language often confined women's identity to familial relationships, obscuring their agency in commerce, craft, and governance.
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