gynoid?

[Robbert Raets]

What's gynoid mean?

[Captain Blake]

the short form: female "android"

This comes from same construction as Andro == Male, so Android is a male artificial life form resembling a human.

Gyno == female

Oid == Artificial Life form resembling human.

Hence, Gynoid == female artificial life form resembling a human

Technically, calling Data's daughter Lal an Android was wrong. Because she was female, she was a Gynoid.

Hope this helps.

Alex

[Aldaron]

Okay, while we're being picky...

Calling Lal a gynoid would also be incorrect. Since Lal has no chromosomes, she can not be female, any more than Data can be a male.

Anatomically, perhaps, they may appear to be male and female, but even today surgery can alter a person's anatomy to be that of the opposite gender. Legally, and colloquially, the gender-switched person may be referred to as "she" rather than "he", but since their 23rd chromosome pair remain XY and don't change to XX, biologically the person is still whatever gender they started at.

Data and Lal, while appearing male and female, don't have chromosomes, and therefore don't have a biological gender, only an apparent one.

In that sense, referring to them as "android" (man-like) or "gynoid" (woman-like) is incorrect.

(Incidentally, if the anatomical terminology for narrow and wide pelvises is anything to go by, "gynacoid" is the proper term )

Data and Lal should really be referred to as "anthropoids", which is the correct term for "human-like".

But then, of course, people will be thinking that they're gorillas or something!

So I'll just shut up now!

------------------
"Every atom in our bodies was forged in the furnace of ancient stars - it is our destiny to return home..."

[spyone]

While we're at it, the true meaning of "android" is "Synthetic man", so Baron Frankenstein's monster would count.

Many common sci-fi terms are actually mis-applied. "Cyborg" for instance. Cyborg is short for Cybernetic Organism. Cybernetics is the science of interface between man and machine, "control theory" as one dictionary puts it, and especially the development of automated control systems. "Cybernation" is the automated control of a process or operation by means of computers.
So, Data could be a Cyborg under this definition, sice he is considered an artificial life form (organism), and he is also a computer whose role is to oversee an automated process (the distribution of resources aboard the Enterprise.
In fact, all OPS officers might fit the literal definition of the term.

BTW, my dictionary says that valid combining forms of "gyno" to mean "woman" include: gynec-, gyneco-, gynaec-, gynaeco-, and the more obvious gyn-, or gyno-

------------------
You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[Aldaron]

Yep, you're right.
I left the "e" out of "gynaecoid"

Thanks for the pickup. Mind you, I don't know if I should trust your dictionary - everyone knows you Yanks spell everything wrong!

Al, screaming at MS Word's spellchecker:
"No! No! NOOOOO! 'colour' IS the correct spelling for it, not 'color'!!!!!!!"

Oooooooh...now I'm in for it!

------------------
"Every atom in our bodies was forged in the furnace of ancient stars - it is our destiny to return home..."

[LCM]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Aldaron:
Mind you, I don't know if I should trust your dictionary - everyone knows you Yanks spell everything wrong!
</font>

Well, it seems to me that if there's a choice between "color" and "colour" that the former is better, becuase the "u" in the latter is superfluous. Therefore, "color" is a more efficient and economical use of letters--and, thus, inherently superior to "colour."

Brits usually hate when this is pointed out.

[Whispers] Confidentially, though, I think "colour" looks "cooler," too.



[This message has been edited by LCM (edited 08-10-2001).]

[Dan Gurden]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by LCM:


Brits usually hate when this is pointed out.

</font>

First, glad you like our language...

However, to address the point above, I personally have never seen the arguement of the missing letter being economical... Probably because that arguement can be easily burned by the use of the silent P in Pschycology and other similar words... Its noted you keep that one!!!

I think you might find the real sticking point is in the Phoenetics, the sound of the word after the 'superfluous' vowel is removed...

I could be wrong though, as I only speak for myself and my friends, not the entire UK population...



------------------
DanG.

"Hi, I'm Commander Troy McClure, you might remember me from other academy training holo-simulations as, Abandon Ship, the quickest way out, and I sense danger, 101 things you dont need a Betazoid to know..."

http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

[Karg]

So, would a mechanic for a female android be a OB gyn-oid?

And would a Force using Gynocologist be

a Obi GYN Kanobi

Ok, Ok , Stop throwing things at me "OUCH"

Karg

------------------
All these worlds are yours, except Europa, which is a wholy owned subsidary of weownthattoo, Inc. (TM)

[This message has been edited by Karg (edited 08-10-2001).]

[qerlin]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Karg:
So, would a mechanic for a female android be a OB gyn-oid?

And would a Force using Gynocologist be

a Obi GYN Kanobi

Ok, Ok , Stop throwing things at me "OUCH"

Karg

</font>

LOL!!! Oujr female android calls herself a gynoid, as well -- it's a tip of the hat to Sorayama.

[Robbert Raets]

What about genderless A.I.'s (are ExoComps genderless?)

And where is dr-oid derived from?

------------------
'I dunno, I can imagine quite a bit...'

[Phantom]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Dan Gurden:
First, glad you like our language...

However, to address the point above, I personally have never seen the arguement of the missing letter being economical... Probably because that arguement can be easily burned by the use of the silent P in Pschycology and other similar words... Its noted you keep that one!!!

I think you might find the real sticking point is in the Phoenetics, the sound of the word after the 'superfluous' vowel is removed...

I could be wrong though, as I only speak for myself and my friends, not the entire UK population...
</font>

Well, you speak for me my friend. (looks to the left and right and whispers) Don't let them fool you about the "economics" of spelling. I think laziness is the only reason they drop the "U".

Ok, I think I better shut up now...I'm within rifle range of some of these guys.



------------------
In the Praetors Name!

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[spyone]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Robbert Raets:
What about genderless A.I.'s (are ExoComps genderless?)

And where is dr-oid derived from?

</font>

IIRC, Droid is simply a shortened form of android. Yes, Artoo looks more like a trash can than a man, but there it is.

FWIW, Japanese media (mainly manga and anime) also uses the term "bioroid" for genetically engineered people and/or clones.

Or, if you prefer Heinlein, there's Altered Person and Living Artifact status (reflecting genetic engineering or surgical modification, respectively).



------------------
You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[spyone]

As long as we're picking on the English, my freshman year of high school, my teacher in the subject "English" would circle in red ink every instance where I used the word "compleat". I brought this to her attention, and complained that it was not wrong, that it was a fully accepted alternate spelling for the word "complete". She protested that she had not deducted any points for it, to which I responded, "But you marked it wrong, and it isn't." Which left her speechless.
Of course, I loved doing that to her.

------------------
You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster