Members of a crew, especially those working on ships, aircraft, or in film production. The plural form of crewman.
From crew (from Old French creue meaning 'reinforcement, recruit') + man. The term evolved from military contexts in the 15th century to include sailors, then expanded to aviation and entertainment industries.
The word 'crew' originally meant military reinforcements, which explains why ship and plane crews still operate with military-like hierarchy and precision. Modern film crews adopted this terminology, creating a bridge between maritime tradition and Hollywood.
Maritime and aviation terminology defaulted to 'men' despite women serving in these roles, particularly since WWII. The gendered suffix obscures women's contributions to crew operations.
Use 'crew members' or 'crew' (noun) to include all genders without loss of meaning.
["crew members","crew","personnel"]
Women served as pilots, flight attendants, and naval personnel from WWII onward; 'crewmen' erases their documented service history.
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