Grisettes

/ɡrɪˈzɛts/ noun

Definition

Plural of grisette; multiple young working-class women or girls, particularly in the context of 18th-19th century French society and literature.

Etymology

Plural form of grisette, maintaining the French spelling and meaning across multiple individuals.

Kelly Says

The plural appears frequently in French literary texts as these characters became a stock romantic figure—whole novels revolved around the entanglements of young men with grisettes in Paris.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Plural of grisette, carrying the same gendered stereotype and class-moralizing baggage as the singular form.

Inclusive Usage

Use plural form of 'working-class woman' or provide historical context when using 'grisettes'—avoid treating the term as neutral descriptor.

Inclusive Alternatives

["working-class women","Parisian women of the 1800s"]

Empowerment Note

These women formed networks and communities; historical records often reduced them to stereotypes. Centering their labor, autonomy, and social bonds provides fuller truth.

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