Definition
A woman who collects things, especially one who collects taxes, fees, or funds on behalf of an organization or government.
Etymology
From collector plus the feminine suffix -ess (from Latin/Old French). This gendered form appears occasionally in historical documents and administrative records, though modern usage typically uses 'collector' for all genders.
Kelly Says
The -ess suffix creates a fascinating linguistic problem: it marks gender but in doing so, it implies the default masculine form, which is why modern English prefers gender-neutral terms like 'collector' for all people.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ማግኘት ቤት
ma-g-ny-et be-t
ARالعربية
مcollectress
ma-k-ta-b-ta-ḥṣīl
BNবাংলা
সংগ্রাহিকা
song-ra-ha-ika
CACatalà
recol·lectora
re-kol-lek-to-ra
CSČeština
sběračka
s-bě-ra-čka
DEDeutsch
Sammlerin
sam-mel-rin
ELΕλληνικά
διοικητική
di-oik-e-ti-ki
ESEspañol
recaudadora
re-kaw-da-do-ra
FAفارسی
جمعآوریکننده
jam-e-a-vo-ri-ke-ne
FISuomi
keräilijä
ke-räi-li-jä
FRFrançais
récolteuse
re-kɔlt-jøz
GUGU
સંગ્રહિકા
san-gra-hi-ka
HIहिन्दी
संग्रहकर्ता
san-grah-kar-ta
HUMagyar
bevétel-szabályozó
be-ve-tel-szab-a-lo-zo
IDBahasa Indonesia
pengumpul
peng-ku-lup
ITItaliano
raccolta
ra-kol-ta
MRMR
संग्रहकर्ती
san-grah-kar-ti
MSBahasa Melayu
pengumpul
peng-ku-lup
NLNederlands
incomstenverzamelaar
in-kom-sten-ver-za-me-la-ar
NONorsk
innkrever
in-n-kre-ver
PLPolski
zbieraczka
z-bie-ra-cz-ka
PTPortuguês
recaudadora
re-kaw-da-do-ra
RORomână
administratoarea colectării
ad-min-is-tra-to-rea ko-lec-tării
RUРусский
собирательница
so-bi-ra-tel-ni-tsa
SVSvenska
insamlingskvinna
in-sam-lings-kvin-na
SWKiswahili
mkusanyaji
m-ku-sa-na-ji
TAதமிழ்
சேகரிப்பாளர்
sa-e-kari-ppa-la-r
TEతెలుగు
సేకరణ
sa-e-ka-ra-na
THไทย
ผู้เก็บภาษี
phu-ge-p-ha-si
TLTL
mangangalaga
man-ga-nga-la-ga
TRTürkçe
toplamacı kadın
to-pla-ma-cı ka-din
UKУкраїнська
збирачка
z-bi-ra-chka
VITiếng Việt
người thu thập
nguoi thu thap
ZUZU
ukushela
u-ku-she-la
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Female agent noun formed with -ess suffix, common practice in English to mark women's roles as grammatically distinct and often secondary. Reflects historical pattern of feminizing office-holder titles, implying the female version is derivative.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'collector' regardless of gender, or specify role without gendered suffix: 'female collector' if relevant to context. The -ess suffix is archaic for professional roles.
Inclusive Alternatives
["collector","female collector"]
Empowerment Note
Women have held collecting positions since antiquity (museum curators, tax collectors, art collectors). The -ess form ironically marked their presence while simultaneously making their roles appear exceptional rather than standard.