Damozels

/ˈdæməzəlz/ noun

Definition

Plural of damozel, an archaic spelling of damsel meaning young women or maidens.

Etymology

Variant plural of the archaic term 'damozel,' itself a Middle English variant of 'damsel' from Old French 'damoisele.' The 'z' spelling is found in older English texts.

Kelly Says

The 'z' instead of 's' in 'damozel' shows how English used to be way more flexible with spelling—you could basically spell it however you wanted before Noah Webster decided to standardize everything!

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Plural of damozel; encodes marital-status categories for young noblewomen across multiple individuals, same gendered hierarchy as damoiselle/damoselle.

Inclusive Usage

Historical use only. Prefer 'young women' or 'noblewomen' in modern contexts.

Inclusive Alternatives

["young women","noblewomen","young noblewomen"]

Related Words

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