It’s lady chairman

I am here referencing the increasing frequency with which we now refer to female chair holders by the absurd and awkward Americanism chairwoman or chairperson.

The word chairman is indeed gender indifferent.

The word chairman derives from earlier customs adopted principally but not exclusively in English speaking societies. A chair was assigned to the individual who was given the responsibility for the management of the group’s collective social activities.

(Chairs were not readily available to the common man.) It must also be remembered that in former times women were not afforded equal status hence the chairman was invariably male. However, the substantive role function was to manage the meeting and sustain the orderly conduct of the group’s affairs. The word therefore relates to function and not gender.

Let us not fall victim to the collective ignorance of other societies and if we must relate the word to gender, let us do so correctly.

It should then be referred to as the lady chairman and for good measure when pluralising the word, we should properly utilise the term “chairs” of the meeting or council etc, as may be appropriate.

SAMUEL B HOWARD via e-mail