In English it seems that all the types of farm animals are named, like boar and sow, cow and bull, hen and rooster, goose and gander etc. But it is much more shocking when we look at the animals we are truly the closest with, cats and dogs. There is a definite inequality.
What leaps to mind first is that the female dog is called a bitch. That word has become one of the most insulting terms to people and is used largely against women. No one is flattered to be called a female dog it seems.
Why then is the female, of the other main pet to humans, called a queen? It is the ultimate thing to almost all little girls to be a princess. Being a queen is just the grown up version. Adult cats that haven’t been spayed are called queens.
Why is there such a discrepancy to humanity’s two favourite pets? In the war of words between dog lovers and cat lovers, it seems that cat lovers are far in the lead and have seemingly rigged the competition.
Well let’s look at the names for male pets. The female names were at the high and low end of the spectrum so the names of the males must be closer in meaning.
A male cat is called a tom. Much like the human male name, Tom. We feel for the male cat so much that we give it a human name.
So what is a male dog called? Well I don’t want to get too technical but the technical name is dog. What? Humanity thinks so lowly of male dogs that it hasn’t even given them a name? They gave male gooses a name! Maybe male dogs haven’t quite earned the right to a name yet.
So those dogs that guide the blind, save Timmy from the well, got the job of police dog, hunting dogs, other service dogs and even herding dogs are either nameless or bitches.
Where are the dog lovers of this world to protect the good names of dogs everywhere? Okay, perhaps the word bitch has become too entrenched. But they can at least give male dogs a name, finally. Pick a good name, dog lovers. Or else the English language will swallow this one opportunity and name male dogs, say, butches. Look how close that is to bitches.
