A young woman or girl working on a farm; a female farmer, especially one employed in agricultural labor during wartime or shortages.
From 'farmer' plus the diminutive suffix -ette (meaning 'small' or 'female'). This term became popular in the early 20th century, especially during WWI and WWII.
During World War II, 'farmerettes' replaced men who'd gone to war—thousands of young women joined the Land Army in Britain, proving they could do every farm job just as well!
Diminutive form popularized in 20th-century English to denote female agricultural workers, especially during wartime labor drives. The diminutive -ette infantilizes women's agricultural labor and denies them full professional status.
Use 'farmer' or 'farm worker' for all practitioners. The diminutive form trivializes serious agricultural labor; reserve -ette only for actual diminutive objects (e.g., kitchenette, launderette).
["farmer","farm worker","agricultural laborer"]
Female agricultural workers (especially 'farmerettes' in WWII) performed essential food production; the diminutive naming erased their economic and strategic contribution to national security.
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