A woman who gives massages to people's muscles to help them relax or feel better.
From French 'masseuse,' the feminine form of 'masseur,' derived from the verb 'masser' meaning 'to massage.' The root comes from Arabic 'massa' meaning 'to touch' or 'to feel,' reflecting the technique's tactile nature.
The word shows how French keeps different forms for men (masseur) and women (masseuse), but in English we're moving away from this—many people now just say 'massage therapist' for everyone, showing how language evolves as gender roles change.
French feminine form; profession was gendered feminine despite male practitioners existing. Created semantic assumption that massage therapy is women's work, enabling lower pay and status.
Use 'massage therapist' regardless of gender. 'Masseuse/masseur' only if gender-specificity is contextually necessary and explicitly requested.
["massage therapist","somatic therapist"]
Male massage therapists historically earned higher wages and professional status; eliminating gendered terms equalizes the profession.
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