Plural of epicene; people or things considered effeminate, weak, or lacking in masculine characteristics; can also refer to things of a trivial nature.
English plural of 'epicene' (adjective used as noun). Developed as a substantive form in the 16th-17th centuries when the term transitioned from pure grammar into social commentary.
Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers used 'epicenes' as an insult for men they considered unmanly, but modern linguistics has reclaimed the original meaning as simply a grammatical category, showing how culture can distort scientific terminology.
Plural form carries the same problematic history as epicene—medicalization and stigmatization of gender non-conformity, particularly in early sexology and clinical psychology.
Restrict to technical linguistic or botanical contexts. Avoid when referring to people or identity, given the term's dehumanizing roots.
["gender-nonconforming people","androgynous individuals"]
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