Male equivalent of “maid”, please?












2















A friend plays Debussy's "Maid with Flaxen Hair" in a different key, and wants to call it a different name. I suggested "Lad with Flaxen Hair", but I'm not sure whether "lad" is exactly the male equivalent of "maid", as "boy" is to "girl".



I googled it, but few answers are relevant. I think the "maid" here is something just a little different from "girl", so what would you guys suggest as its male equivalent, please? Thank you!






word-choice







share|improve this question




















  • 1





    You’re right that maid is very similar to girl, and conjures up images of a Julie Andrews singing blondely in the Alps. The reason it conjures up “girl” this way and not “woman” is because the word was reserved for unmarried women, especially those who looked marriageable (ie young and pretty, as opposed to an “old maid”). It’s this unmarried thing, especially its entailment of youth, which is the key to your puzzle. You need a word which means “young, attractive guy” or “marriage-eligible guy”.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:22








  • 1





    I think a word for he former would be more fitting, but I can only offer a word for the latter: bachelor. It used to imply similar things to maid, but not as sharply (it sometimes had to be underscored with eligible bachelor).

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:26






  • 2





    maid formerly meant specifically that the woman was a virgin. you wouldn't find a parallel word with this connotation for boys since their status in this respect was never so important that they distinguished with a special word.

    – jlovegren
    Jan 27 '18 at 14:55
















2















A friend plays Debussy's "Maid with Flaxen Hair" in a different key, and wants to call it a different name. I suggested "Lad with Flaxen Hair", but I'm not sure whether "lad" is exactly the male equivalent of "maid", as "boy" is to "girl".



I googled it, but few answers are relevant. I think the "maid" here is something just a little different from "girl", so what would you guys suggest as its male equivalent, please? Thank you!






word-choice







share|improve this question




















  • 1





    You’re right that maid is very similar to girl, and conjures up images of a Julie Andrews singing blondely in the Alps. The reason it conjures up “girl” this way and not “woman” is because the word was reserved for unmarried women, especially those who looked marriageable (ie young and pretty, as opposed to an “old maid”). It’s this unmarried thing, especially its entailment of youth, which is the key to your puzzle. You need a word which means “young, attractive guy” or “marriage-eligible guy”.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:22








  • 1





    I think a word for he former would be more fitting, but I can only offer a word for the latter: bachelor. It used to imply similar things to maid, but not as sharply (it sometimes had to be underscored with eligible bachelor).

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:26






  • 2





    maid formerly meant specifically that the woman was a virgin. you wouldn't find a parallel word with this connotation for boys since their status in this respect was never so important that they distinguished with a special word.

    – jlovegren
    Jan 27 '18 at 14:55














2












2








2








A friend plays Debussy's "Maid with Flaxen Hair" in a different key, and wants to call it a different name. I suggested "Lad with Flaxen Hair", but I'm not sure whether "lad" is exactly the male equivalent of "maid", as "boy" is to "girl".



I googled it, but few answers are relevant. I think the "maid" here is something just a little different from "girl", so what would you guys suggest as its male equivalent, please? Thank you!






word-choice







share|improve this question
















A friend plays Debussy's "Maid with Flaxen Hair" in a different key, and wants to call it a different name. I suggested "Lad with Flaxen Hair", but I'm not sure whether "lad" is exactly the male equivalent of "maid", as "boy" is to "girl".



I googled it, but few answers are relevant. I think the "maid" here is something just a little different from "girl", so what would you guys suggest as its male equivalent, please? Thank you!






word-choice




word-choice






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Jan 27 '18 at 14:01







sfz

















asked Jan 27 '18 at 7:57









sfzsfz

195




195








  • 1





    You’re right that maid is very similar to girl, and conjures up images of a Julie Andrews singing blondely in the Alps. The reason it conjures up “girl” this way and not “woman” is because the word was reserved for unmarried women, especially those who looked marriageable (ie young and pretty, as opposed to an “old maid”). It’s this unmarried thing, especially its entailment of youth, which is the key to your puzzle. You need a word which means “young, attractive guy” or “marriage-eligible guy”.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:22








  • 1





    I think a word for he former would be more fitting, but I can only offer a word for the latter: bachelor. It used to imply similar things to maid, but not as sharply (it sometimes had to be underscored with eligible bachelor).

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:26






  • 2





    maid formerly meant specifically that the woman was a virgin. you wouldn't find a parallel word with this connotation for boys since their status in this respect was never so important that they distinguished with a special word.

    – jlovegren
    Jan 27 '18 at 14:55














  • 1





    You’re right that maid is very similar to girl, and conjures up images of a Julie Andrews singing blondely in the Alps. The reason it conjures up “girl” this way and not “woman” is because the word was reserved for unmarried women, especially those who looked marriageable (ie young and pretty, as opposed to an “old maid”). It’s this unmarried thing, especially its entailment of youth, which is the key to your puzzle. You need a word which means “young, attractive guy” or “marriage-eligible guy”.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:22








  • 1





    I think a word for he former would be more fitting, but I can only offer a word for the latter: bachelor. It used to imply similar things to maid, but not as sharply (it sometimes had to be underscored with eligible bachelor).

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 12:26






  • 2





    maid formerly meant specifically that the woman was a virgin. you wouldn't find a parallel word with this connotation for boys since their status in this respect was never so important that they distinguished with a special word.

    – jlovegren
    Jan 27 '18 at 14:55








1




1





You’re right that maid is very similar to girl, and conjures up images of a Julie Andrews singing blondely in the Alps. The reason it conjures up “girl” this way and not “woman” is because the word was reserved for unmarried women, especially those who looked marriageable (ie young and pretty, as opposed to an “old maid”). It’s this unmarried thing, especially its entailment of youth, which is the key to your puzzle. You need a word which means “young, attractive guy” or “marriage-eligible guy”.

– Dan Bron
Jan 27 '18 at 12:22







You’re right that maid is very similar to girl, and conjures up images of a Julie Andrews singing blondely in the Alps. The reason it conjures up “girl” this way and not “woman” is because the word was reserved for unmarried women, especially those who looked marriageable (ie young and pretty, as opposed to an “old maid”). It’s this unmarried thing, especially its entailment of youth, which is the key to your puzzle. You need a word which means “young, attractive guy” or “marriage-eligible guy”.

– Dan Bron
Jan 27 '18 at 12:22






1




1





I think a word for he former would be more fitting, but I can only offer a word for the latter: bachelor. It used to imply similar things to maid, but not as sharply (it sometimes had to be underscored with eligible bachelor).

– Dan Bron
Jan 27 '18 at 12:26





I think a word for he former would be more fitting, but I can only offer a word for the latter: bachelor. It used to imply similar things to maid, but not as sharply (it sometimes had to be underscored with eligible bachelor).

– Dan Bron
Jan 27 '18 at 12:26




2




2





maid formerly meant specifically that the woman was a virgin. you wouldn't find a parallel word with this connotation for boys since their status in this respect was never so important that they distinguished with a special word.

– jlovegren
Jan 27 '18 at 14:55





maid formerly meant specifically that the woman was a virgin. you wouldn't find a parallel word with this connotation for boys since their status in this respect was never so important that they distinguished with a special word.

– jlovegren
Jan 27 '18 at 14:55










2 Answers
2






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oldest

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4














Actually, "lad" would be fine to change gender.

The original title, La fille aux cheveux de lin, more than suggests that it is about a "girl". "Maid" was, for whatever reason, the word chosen for the English title by a publisher.

Of course, if one is free to change the gender of the subject , then one would also be free to change the character of the subject.






share|improve this answer
























  • Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

    – Laurel
    Jan 27 '18 at 11:33



















3














I would suggest the Youth with the Flaxen Hair as the title of your transposed and transgendered Debussy piece. A youth in the singular evokes the same era as maid and has the same connotation of romance.



Lad would be fine were it not for various modern associations: "Jack the lad," "He's a bit of a lad," "lads and ladettes."






share|improve this answer
























  • This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 15:13











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2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes









4














Actually, "lad" would be fine to change gender.

The original title, La fille aux cheveux de lin, more than suggests that it is about a "girl". "Maid" was, for whatever reason, the word chosen for the English title by a publisher.

Of course, if one is free to change the gender of the subject , then one would also be free to change the character of the subject.






share|improve this answer
























  • Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

    – Laurel
    Jan 27 '18 at 11:33
















4














Actually, "lad" would be fine to change gender.

The original title, La fille aux cheveux de lin, more than suggests that it is about a "girl". "Maid" was, for whatever reason, the word chosen for the English title by a publisher.

Of course, if one is free to change the gender of the subject , then one would also be free to change the character of the subject.






share|improve this answer
























  • Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

    – Laurel
    Jan 27 '18 at 11:33














4












4








4







Actually, "lad" would be fine to change gender.

The original title, La fille aux cheveux de lin, more than suggests that it is about a "girl". "Maid" was, for whatever reason, the word chosen for the English title by a publisher.

Of course, if one is free to change the gender of the subject , then one would also be free to change the character of the subject.






share|improve this answer













Actually, "lad" would be fine to change gender.

The original title, La fille aux cheveux de lin, more than suggests that it is about a "girl". "Maid" was, for whatever reason, the word chosen for the English title by a publisher.

Of course, if one is free to change the gender of the subject , then one would also be free to change the character of the subject.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Jan 27 '18 at 10:40









J. TaylorJ. Taylor

4,46531325




4,46531325













  • Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

    – Laurel
    Jan 27 '18 at 11:33



















  • Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

    – Laurel
    Jan 27 '18 at 11:33

















Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

– Laurel
Jan 27 '18 at 11:33





Because of this definition: "Maid: A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; Now arch. and regional" (OED)

– Laurel
Jan 27 '18 at 11:33













3














I would suggest the Youth with the Flaxen Hair as the title of your transposed and transgendered Debussy piece. A youth in the singular evokes the same era as maid and has the same connotation of romance.



Lad would be fine were it not for various modern associations: "Jack the lad," "He's a bit of a lad," "lads and ladettes."






share|improve this answer
























  • This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 15:13
















3














I would suggest the Youth with the Flaxen Hair as the title of your transposed and transgendered Debussy piece. A youth in the singular evokes the same era as maid and has the same connotation of romance.



Lad would be fine were it not for various modern associations: "Jack the lad," "He's a bit of a lad," "lads and ladettes."






share|improve this answer
























  • This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 15:13














3












3








3







I would suggest the Youth with the Flaxen Hair as the title of your transposed and transgendered Debussy piece. A youth in the singular evokes the same era as maid and has the same connotation of romance.



Lad would be fine were it not for various modern associations: "Jack the lad," "He's a bit of a lad," "lads and ladettes."






share|improve this answer













I would suggest the Youth with the Flaxen Hair as the title of your transposed and transgendered Debussy piece. A youth in the singular evokes the same era as maid and has the same connotation of romance.



Lad would be fine were it not for various modern associations: "Jack the lad," "He's a bit of a lad," "lads and ladettes."







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Jan 27 '18 at 13:20









KarlGKarlG

22k53160




22k53160













  • This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 15:13



















  • This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

    – Dan Bron
    Jan 27 '18 at 15:13

















This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

– Dan Bron
Jan 27 '18 at 15:13





This is it. This is the word which is counterpart to maid. It strictly meant young man and almost always young unmarried man.

– Dan Bron
Jan 27 '18 at 15:13


















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