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[python-committers] Transfer of power

Alex Martelli aleax at google.com
Sat Jul 14 01:33:34 EDT 2018 
>
>
> How about a triumvirate (or trium*ate if “vir” is seen as too male-centric,
>

The root "vir" in appropriate contexts (though clearly not in all, e.g in
`virile`) has long been divorced from its original "male" denotation. The
best example is probably in the word "virtus" (in English, "virtue") and
further derivatives (e.g "virtuoso", an Italian word which has also been
adopted in English), where nobody perceives a denotation of "maleness" any
more (even though a long time ago the word was coined to refer to "a male's
positive traits" such as courage and strength).

I contend that "triumvir" today has no more denotation of maleness than
"virtue" does -- e.g, Merriam-Webster defines it as "one of a commission or
ruling body of three" (appropriately gender-neutral) and I think they're
spot-on about this.


Alex
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