The quality of being strong, brave, and having characteristics traditionally associated with men, though these ideas change across cultures and time.
From Old English 'man' (adult male) plus '-ly' (adjective-forming suffix) plus '-ness' (noun-forming suffix). The modern sense developed from medieval ideals of masculine virtue, but the specific traits considered 'manly' have shifted dramatically through history.
What counts as 'manly' has flip-flopped wildly—Viking warriors braided their hair and wore eyeliner, while Medieval knights wore perfume and wrote poetry about their feelings, yet both were considered peak masculinity in their time!
Manliness encodes Victorian ideals of male authority and emotional restraint, reinforcing binary gender norms. The term historically excluded women from traits like strength, courage, and leadership.
Replace with 'courage', 'integrity', 'strength', or 'resilience' to describe qualities independent of gender.
["courage","integrity","strength","resilience","fortitude"]
Women have demonstrated these qualities across history; gendering them as 'manly' erases women's contributions to leadership, bravery, and moral character.
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