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Blond vs Blonde
I agree with mjd. I guess it's a feature that we imported from French.
Note that this difference isn't 100% strict -- using "blonde" for a male or "blond" for a female isn't really an error -- but this is probably by far the most common usage.
- Kef
Note that this difference isn't 100% strict -- using "blonde" for a male or "blond" for a female isn't really an error -- but this is probably by far the most common usage.
- Kef
Is it? Maybe it would go like this.
"She has blonde hair."
"He has blond hair."
"She has blonde hair."
"He has blond hair."
I think the distinction is less important when it modifies the word "hair" than when it modifies a person.
So Blonde is only used to refer to a female person? English is sexist too!
<< Blond = male
Blonde = female >>
Theoretically. But in practice you don't really distinguish them like that.
Blonde = female >>
Theoretically. But in practice you don't really distinguish them like that.
I make no attempt to match up the French gender with the person in question when I spell, and I generally go for the simpler spelling no matter what -- all people get to be "blond" as far as I am concerned.
I'm a blond and proud of it. If anyone described me as a blonde I'd soon prove to them just how inaccurate they are! I'd draw the line at punching their lights out though - it's not that much of an issue anyway. And it would have to be in script form anyway, wouldn't it, so what the heck!
It just happens that many people think that "blonde" is the only word to use, irrespective of gender - and the word is used to describe female hair coloration far more often than that of the male, but there you go.....that's the way it is. Such is the situation in using words which are French in origin, and in having English as a virtual asexual Language.
If you were to describe Swedish people, for instance, you would most probably say that Sweden is a country with a high percentage of blonde people - without making any distinction between the sexes. I would think so, anyway. It is, statistically, but when I was in Sweden (albeit just inside the country on a half day trip from Copenhagen in Denmark) I was surprised to see so many dark haired people. They didn't look like immigrants either.
It just happens that many people think that "blonde" is the only word to use, irrespective of gender - and the word is used to describe female hair coloration far more often than that of the male, but there you go.....that's the way it is. Such is the situation in using words which are French in origin, and in having English as a virtual asexual Language.
If you were to describe Swedish people, for instance, you would most probably say that Sweden is a country with a high percentage of blonde people - without making any distinction between the sexes. I would think so, anyway. It is, statistically, but when I was in Sweden (albeit just inside the country on a half day trip from Copenhagen in Denmark) I was surprised to see so many dark haired people. They didn't look like immigrants either.
<<If anyone described me as a blonde I'd soon prove to them just how inaccurate they are!>>
Damian, you're a BLONDE!
(paste facebook link here)
Damian, you're a BLONDE!
(paste facebook link here)
I never use "blonde", even in reference to females who are blond.
"blonde" to me is gendered, but is akin to other alternate spellings like "shoppe" and "towne", etc. This alt. spelling just happens to include gender.
If I were to use it, it would be in context of beauty/fashion where I'd be referring to a female as a "blonde" (a blonde person). That's it.
"blonde" to me is gendered, but is akin to other alternate spellings like "shoppe" and "towne", etc. This alt. spelling just happens to include gender.
If I were to use it, it would be in context of beauty/fashion where I'd be referring to a female as a "blonde" (a blonde person). That's it.
Excuse me, but...
how do you define a brunette (woman), by the way? And any male equivalents?
If it's only about hair color, then even many Chinese (me included) fall into this category, when they have a single patch of slightly brown hair, esp. under strong sunlight.
Can you say an average white woman is a brunette for having a lot of blonde hair _as well as_ a lot of black and brown hair?
how do you define a brunette (woman), by the way? And any male equivalents?
If it's only about hair color, then even many Chinese (me included) fall into this category, when they have a single patch of slightly brown hair, esp. under strong sunlight.
Can you say an average white woman is a brunette for having a lot of blonde hair _as well as_ a lot of black and brown hair?
<<how do you define a brunette (woman), by the way? And any male equivalents? >>
Yes. A male is a "brunet"
Yes. A male is a "brunet"
No one really refers to men as "brunet" but rather they just say "the guy with brown hair."
<<No one really refers to men as "brunet" but rather they just say "the guy with brown hair." >>
umm,,, it's "Dude"
the "Dude" with brown hair
Geeze
:)
umm,,, it's "Dude"
the "Dude" with brown hair
Geeze
:)