English terms for a female wolf and a female owl?





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In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?



Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".










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  • 2




    The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
    – ab2
    Nov 11 at 13:40






  • 3




    It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
    – FumbleFingers
    Nov 11 at 14:05






  • 4




    Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 16:20








  • 1




    @MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
    – user240918
    Nov 11 at 19:35






  • 1




    Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 21:23

















up vote
6
down vote

favorite
2












In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?



Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".










share|improve this question




















  • 2




    The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
    – ab2
    Nov 11 at 13:40






  • 3




    It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
    – FumbleFingers
    Nov 11 at 14:05






  • 4




    Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 16:20








  • 1




    @MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
    – user240918
    Nov 11 at 19:35






  • 1




    Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 21:23













up vote
6
down vote

favorite
2









up vote
6
down vote

favorite
2






2





In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?



Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".










share|improve this question















In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps "she wolf" and "owl hen"?



Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only "she-wolf" and "owl-hen".







nouns gender-positive






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 11 at 19:52









Rand al'Thor

3,69052145




3,69052145










asked Nov 11 at 13:27









Aqib Mehmood

825




825








  • 2




    The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
    – ab2
    Nov 11 at 13:40






  • 3




    It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
    – FumbleFingers
    Nov 11 at 14:05






  • 4




    Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 16:20








  • 1




    @MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
    – user240918
    Nov 11 at 19:35






  • 1




    Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 21:23














  • 2




    The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
    – ab2
    Nov 11 at 13:40






  • 3




    It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
    – FumbleFingers
    Nov 11 at 14:05






  • 4




    Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 16:20








  • 1




    @MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
    – user240918
    Nov 11 at 19:35






  • 1




    Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
    – Michael Harvey
    Nov 11 at 21:23








2




2




The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 at 13:40




The word for a female dog is bitch. My guess is that this would be the word for a female wolf, except for a reluctance to use the word bitch.
– ab2
Nov 11 at 13:40




3




3




It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 at 14:05




It's not exactly an everyday collocation, but a female owl would normally be called be a hen owl, not an owl hen.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 11 at 14:05




4




4




Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 at 16:20






Oxford Dictionaries says: "bitch NOUN 1A female dog, wolf, fox, or otter."
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 at 16:20






1




1




@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 at 19:35




@MichaelHarvey - books.google.com/ngrams/…
– user240918
Nov 11 at 19:35




1




1




Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 at 21:23




Ngrams are useful, but not the law.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 11 at 21:23










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
14
down vote



accepted










You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:




Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.




(Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)



Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1




    Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
    – Joshua
    Nov 11 at 20:16










  • @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
    – gerrit
    Nov 11 at 23:05










  • @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
    – Joshua
    Nov 11 at 23:47


















up vote
-1
down vote













The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.



Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.



Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'






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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes








    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes








    up vote
    14
    down vote



    accepted










    You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:




    Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.




    (Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)



    Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.






    share|improve this answer



















    • 1




      Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 20:16










    • @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
      – gerrit
      Nov 11 at 23:05










    • @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 23:47















    up vote
    14
    down vote



    accepted










    You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:




    Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.




    (Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)



    Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.






    share|improve this answer



















    • 1




      Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 20:16










    • @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
      – gerrit
      Nov 11 at 23:05










    • @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 23:47













    up vote
    14
    down vote



    accepted







    up vote
    14
    down vote



    accepted






    You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:




    Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.




    (Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)



    Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.






    share|improve this answer














    You used to have wolfess, now an archaic term. She-wolf or female wolf are the terms commonly used:




    Wolfess, the medieval term for a she-wolf, is now rarely used in Present Day English except to mean a woman that is sexually aggressive.




    (Studies in Linguistic Variation and Change: From Old to Middle English)



    Female owl is the more common term as far as owl is concerned; “hen owl” appears to be a more informal expression.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Nov 11 at 14:19

























    answered Nov 11 at 13:33









    user240918

    24.1k967146




    24.1k967146








    • 1




      Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 20:16










    • @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
      – gerrit
      Nov 11 at 23:05










    • @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 23:47














    • 1




      Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 20:16










    • @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
      – gerrit
      Nov 11 at 23:05










    • @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
      – Joshua
      Nov 11 at 23:47








    1




    1




    Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
    – Joshua
    Nov 11 at 20:16




    Incidentally, tigress is still in use.
    – Joshua
    Nov 11 at 20:16












    @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
    – gerrit
    Nov 11 at 23:05




    @Joshua Isn't tigress mostly used metaphorically?
    – gerrit
    Nov 11 at 23:05












    @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
    – Joshua
    Nov 11 at 23:47




    @gerrit: Yeah, quite a lot. But it's also used literally.
    – Joshua
    Nov 11 at 23:47












    up vote
    -1
    down vote













    The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.



    Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.



    Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      -1
      down vote













      The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.



      Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.



      Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'






      share|improve this answer

























        up vote
        -1
        down vote










        up vote
        -1
        down vote









        The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.



        Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.



        Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'






        share|improve this answer














        The problem with the words you are looking for (as seen with the answer bitch for a female dog) is that those words are normally assigned to husbanded animals.



        Hen / rooster, cow / bull, mare / stallion, etc.



        Edit: Adding a generic 'ess' is the equivalent of saying 'female of' and in this case your best options seem to be 'she wolf' or 'wolfess' and 'hen owl'







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Nov 12 at 11:50

























        answered Nov 11 at 23:03









        Sanjurjo7

        153




        153






























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