. For details on the pronunciation and spelling history, see the usage notes below.
Cognate with Scots woman, weman. Compare Saterland Frisian Wieuwmoanske ("female person; female human"). Similar constructions can be found in West Frisian frommes ("woman, girl") (from frou and minske, literally "woman human").
A few alternative spellings (see below) respell the term so as not to contain man.
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