A woman who leads or presides over a meeting, organization, or committee; the female equivalent of chairman.
Combines 'chair' (a symbol of authority, from Latin 'cathedra') with 'lady' (from Old English 'hlæfdige'). Emerged in the early 1900s as women took on leadership positions in civic and social organizations.
Once a standard term, 'chairlady' has largely disappeared from modern usage in favor of gender-neutral 'chair' or 'chairperson'—it's a fascinating example of how professional language adapts to reflect changing social attitudes.
Emerged mid-20th century as a feminine counterpart to chairman. Signals that the unmarked default (chairman) was male, and female leadership required linguistic marking as exceptional.
Use chairperson or chair. These terms describe the role without unnecessary gender specification.
["chairperson","chair","leader"]
Women chaired organizations and committees throughout history; adding -lady to their title was a linguistic invention that made their authority seem secondary.
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