Why Lionesses?

[EhatBow]

I'll admit I haven't been a fan of women's football. Until recently it's been a lot like watching schoolboys. I felt they needed to develop their own game, like the female tennis player have. In tennis, rather than the same play slower it's a different game and I think the female footballers have achieved that in this competition.

However, we don't have manageresses or actresses anymore, so why Lionesses? Or am I over thinking?

Absolutely.

Language evolves. -tor is no longer understood as a masculine suffix and -trix is all but completely defunct. Unless a job actually requires to be done differently by men and women, I don't see any need to have gender-differentiated terms for it.

Sport does still have legitimate reasons to distinguish between the men's and women's games, and Lionesses gives us a one-word way to be clear what team of superstars we are talking about. It's entered our language because it's useful, just as -trix has fallen out of it because it's no longer needed.

Lionesses are the bad ass hunters and bring home the bacon in a pride.
The Lions stay home with the cubs.

However, we don't have manageresses or actresses anymore, so why Lionesses? Or am I over thinking?

Don’t we? I still say and hear the words ‘manageress’ and ‘actress’! 😳

The more I think about it the more I like having this name that utterly specifies strength and the female of the species.

It's school holidays, OP. Get outside and play with your schoolboy friends rather than starting inane threads on Mumsnet.

That you felt the need to respond to?

I asked a question, genuinely interested in views, but some people can only fire agressive responses back rather than attempt a discussion.

They are called lionesses because that’s what they are! Strong, capable, skilled, champion women. There is great value and strength in being female and male is not the automatic default (or absolutely shouldn’t be).

@AquaticSewingMachine
Sometimes within the military a distinction is usefully made between women and men - for accommodation and kit issue reasons etc. But that is not at the heart of what irks me. Yes aviatrix, for example, has fallen out of use, but the fact that aviator and actor have become the default and are now seen as non-gendered is because the masculine has traditionally been the default. Why does that out-dated tradition continue? Language evolves as you rightly say. It has evolved thus far to encompass women into male terminology. I notice that, similarly, male names are sometimes adopted for females (Hilary, Robin and so in). Yet I cannot think of a single common female to male name transition . It is a fascinating illustration of how far society has adjusted to female equality and yet how entrenched inequality remains. Language does not evolve in a vacuum.

Overthinking. Lots of people and teams like nicknames. As long as it's not offensive it's really no big deal. Lionesses are female, cool,strong, leaders, it's a great thing to call a female team and if they don't mind no one else should.

Not a football fan at all, but I assume it is becuase The males teams are known as British lions

No. The British Lions are a rugby union team made up of players from the four home nations.

DH mad into cycling - did it semi-professionally in France in the dim and distant past, and very much follows women's cycling. Not on the same level as men's but he watched the Women's TDF this year as did his cycling WhatsApp group. I think it's getting there.

Slightly off topic but why do they need to be called lionesses?

What's wrong with just the women's England football team? I am sure I see more talk of the women being referred to as Lionesses than the men were called Lions.
It sort of feels like - you have serious footballers (men) and women who are just playing, in a fun way - hence the fun name. It's hard to explain it. I don't like it.

Agree with this. Own it, I say.

I don't know, i had to pop out to shops yesterday evening (i don't follow football normally) i was amazed at the number of people using the convenience store, lots of cars on the roads too, mostly men in the shop, no one talking about the match.

This is sort of the opposite of what I have experienced. All around has been such a wave of enthusiasm.

yeah - lionesses all the way, not the lazy cocklodger lions

Lionesses are magnificent.❤️‍🔥

I'm slightly annoyed they are doing away with feminine words. Why can't I be proud to be a woman. Why must I be included in the pool of masculine titles. Why can men not all be grouped in with actresses, manageress, etc. Lionesses are tough, powerful and rule the animal kingdom. Lions lay around all day being fed by the lionesses in a herd, who wants to be a lazy lion when you can be a tough, powerful lioness.

However, we don't have manageresses or actresses anymore, so why Lionesses?

Lioness distinguishes a female lion biologically from a male lion - an obviously important distinction, just as we need the word 'woman' rather than just saying 'human'.

Managers and actors are job titles. 'Lionesses' isn't a job title, 'footballer' is the job title and we call the Lionesses 'footballers' in the same way we call female actors 'actors' etc.

Ok, don’t know in’s and outs…but the lions they wear comes form heraldic symbols used by English and now Uk monarchs. That’s why they ended up on national squad jerseys.

Love lionesses! Biology!

It's a sport thing. Aussie rugby players are the wallabies. Everton football player are the Toffeemen, Arsenal player the Gunners. And so on...

Don't you think it's a bit rude to watch a few games of a particular sport and then decide that they are doing it all wrong and should use different words so that it more neatly meets your expectations?

Yes and how fucking out of order with that ‘schoolboys’ comment, actually.

Let’s see you do better.

On the Africa savannah where lionesses live, they are the ones who do the hunting while the male lions lie around sleeping and swotting at flies.

Basically, lionesses get shit done, so I think it's the perfect name for the European Champions of women's football.