On the use of "man".

[The Jade Knight]

I've a general-use question.  Is it acceptable to call non-humans "man" or "woman" in a multi-racial (speci-al) world?

For example, is it okay to refer to a male Elf as "that man", or to talk about a group of female Klingons as "the women"?

That sort of thing.

I've always wondered about this, and find myself naturally wanting to do it, and specifically trying to avoid it.

[stacer]

We've actually been talking about it at work because I edit the Dragonlance: The New Adventures series. We prefer to stay away from that, as it's confusing. I don't know, though--I'd be interested in hearing what others have to say on that.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

well, "it depends."

If it happens all the time in your story, go with it.
if anyone takes "man" as meaning "human" and that offends them, though, don't make it general use. ALthough it would be good used by a character who is rough and abrassive.

[42]

Well, I guess you could refer to them as "the male" or "the females." Course it kind of makes them sound like their animals. Which if the story involves a lot of racism or specieism, then it could be very appropriate.

I agree with e: a lot of it depends on the story. Also, in some way the esteem the narrator holds the race or species.

[stacer]

That's the thing--I agree that it makes them sound like animals. Which isn't right in a story in which the elf you're speaking of is one of the main characters, and what racial problems there are don't involve people thinking of other people as animals.

[42]

Not to continue the animal analogy, but shouldn't it be something like lion and lioness? Elf and Elvess...?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

elfette?

Maybe it's like Spanish. El Fo and La Fa.

[MsFish]

Elfette reminds me of smurfette.  

I guess it works if your elves happen to be small and blue.  


Or you could make it Elvette and give her a guitar.

[The Jade Knight]

Well, that doesn't work well when the race is "Vyahira", or even more so, "K'Sharr".

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

K'sharra (or K'Shannara!)
K'Sharron
K'Sharona (The males would be the K'Naak)

[The Jade Knight]

That's one way to do it.  =þ

[Master Gopher]

A friend suggested "Elf" and "Elfe" (On second thoughts he decided it was silly, but I still think that would be ok.)

[Eagle Prince]

We've actually been talking about it at work because I edit the Dragonlance: The New Adventures series. We prefer to stay away from that, as it's confusing. I don't know, though--I'd be interested in hearing what others have to say on that.

They make it a point in D&D to show how humans think of other races.  Humans would have no problem saying man and woman even if referring to elves.  In fact, if a human said " you'll want to speak with that man over there" and points to an elf, then the elf said "I"m not a man."  Then the human would be confused at why the elf tries to make the distinction, and would probably tell the elf to chill out or say that he was too stuck up or something.  And I believe elves would use the elven words for male/female.  Humans who used Gutterspeak might also use the elf words for it, but elves usually wouldn't because they are too stuck up to use Gutterspeak.  And Common would be way too neutered for there to be any real different between man/male or woman/female.