It is possible to find English words that seem to be related. Or at least they are written similarly. It is the case for our terms emasculate and demasculate. What’s the meaning of these words? How are they related to each other?
Emasculate is a verb that means to strip a male’s vigor or to remove male genitals. Some sources define demasculate as eliminating masculinity from someone.
However, it seems like “demasculate” is not an actual English word. When typing the word “demasculate,” most auto-correct tools ask you to change your spelling. But, let’s see more information about these terms before we jump to any conclusions.
Understanding The Terms “Emasculate” VS “Demasculate”
It is essential to see where the word comes from and its importance throughout the years. To understand these terms better, we will look into the etymology and meaning of both words.
Etymology Of “Emasculate”
The word “emasculate” has its origin in the Latin word Emasculare. It combines the prefix “e,” which means deprivation, loss, or absence of an attribute; And the root word masculus, which was used to refer to males and masculinity.
Meaning
By reading the etymology of the word, we assume its meaning is “deprivation of masculinity.” But, there are other meanings people have given to it.
- A person or animal that doesn’t have any part of the male genitalia
- A person that others see as effeminate
- Someone who has lost its male vigor
- When a man loses some of the abilities related to men.
How People Use The Terms “Emasculate” And “Demasculate”
Now that we understand their origins and meaning, let’s find out how people use these terms and why some people consider them related to each other.
Use Of The Word “Demasculate”
People often use the term demasculate instead of emasculate. It could be a misconception that originated from the meaning of the word. In English, we often find terms that use the prefix “de-” to indicate the opposite of action. Some examples of it include:
- Deactivate
- Deform
- Decolored
- Decrypted
- Defrosted
- Dehydrated
- And the list goes on.
However, when looking at any major dictionary, we can’t find the definition of the word “demasculate.” But, some sources relate it to the word “emasculate.”
Use Of The Word “Emasculate”
The meaning of the word emasculate can be literal or symbolic, depending on the context. Nowadays, the word applies to other fields that we will describe up next.
- Medical emasculation
Emasculation, also known as gender nullification or medical castration, is a medical procedure. Here the male genitalia (penis and testicles) are entirely removed by surgery.
- Societal emasculation
People use the word emasculate to refer to a male that has lost his ability to act like one. Society has a standard of the things a man should be able to do. When a man doesn’t behave like a big macho man, people say that he has been emasculated.
- Agriculture
More specifically, people that work with gardens will remove the pollen from male plants to keep pollination controlled.
- Linguistic use
The grammar around “emasculate” dictates that it is a regular verb. You will form the past tense and past participle adding “d” in the end. There are two nouns you can get out of the word; these nouns are “emasculator” and “emasculation.”
How To Pronounce “Emasculate”
The IPA symbols for “emasculate” are /ɪˈmæskjʊleɪt/. There are four syllables in the word, where the second syllable would be the stressed one.
The first sound is the short “i” as in “bit.” To make the vowel sound, you will start with your lips spread and slightly opened, your tongue will remain resting in the bottom of your mouth, and the vocal cords will make a sharp sound.
On your second syllable, the consonant sound requires your lips together while vibrating your vocal cords to make the /m/ sound. The following vowel sound is a short /æ/, the same vowel as in the word “back.” To make the sound start with your lips open, then your lips and tongue will move backward, vibrate your vocal cords to make the sound.
To make the /s/ sound, place your teeth together while pushing air through them. The next sound will require you to open your mouth slightly, put the mid-part of your tongue touching your palate, and push air from your throat.
The final vowel sound in this syllable is the /jʊ/ sound, the same sound as in the word “few.” You will leave your mouth slightly open and release the tongue seal to make a “j” sound to make this sound, then move your lips into a rounded shape to make an “u” sound.
The final syllable starts with /l/, place the tip of your tongue touching your upper teeth while your mouth is slightly open, vibrate your vocal cords. Then we have the /eɪ/ sound; your tongue and lips will move backward. At the same time, you keep your mouth open, vibrate your vocal cords to make the “e” sound, then slowly move your lips as if you were going to close them together to make the short /ɪ/ sound.
Finally, place your teeth on top of each other, like if you were smiling, use your tongue to push air through them, and there you have the consonant /t/.
Other Terms Related To The Word “Emasculate”
Here we have other terms related to the word emasculate. These are some expressions people use to replace the term.
Synonyms
- Debilitate
- Weaken
- Devitalize
- Effeminate
Some people think that “castrate” is a synonym for the word “emasculate.” But, there’s a difference between both of them. Castrate is to remove the penis out of a male body.
Antonyms
Some words you can use as opposites to the term “emasculate” include:
- Fortify
- Strengthen
- Encourage
Common Questions
Is “Demasculate” a real word?
Yes, it is a real word. It is used to express when someone removes their masculinity.
What is the feminine version of emasculate?
The feminine version of the word “emasculate” is the term ‘defiminize.” Note that the term is only applicable for one of the meanings of emasculate. It will mean losing the female identity.
Example Sentences Using “Emasculate”
Here you can find a list of sample sentences using the word “emasculate.”
- It is more than evident that Karla has emasculated Tom since they started going out in this relationship.
- Emasculation was punishment in ancient China for rapists. However, I think it should be considered torture.
- Nowadays, experts say that emasculation is so common that even people with mental disorders are getting away with these processes.
- Some guys feel emasculated when they realize their jobs don’t pay enough to sustain a family, and their spouse gets to be the breadwinner.
- You have to be extremely careful when referring to someone as being emasculated; I would say that you should never say that to anyone that is not close to you.
Final Thoughts About The Terms
As you can see, “emasculate” is related to masculinity. You can use it in figurative or literal speech. Its symbolic meaning expresses when a man loses his ability to do what society thinks he does. To most men, this adjective can be hurtful and offensive. Its literal meaning is to remove all male genitals.
“Demasculate” seems to be an alternative form of the word “emasculate.” However, the dictionary doesn’t have a definition for it. Some authors claim that they both share meaning. But, most auto-correction tools mark it as a typo.
We hope the article can help you understand these two terms better and use them in writing and speaking.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.