Plural of milk maid

[edmondjanet]

They are milk maid. or
They are milk maids.

[BobK]

What a strange question... definition of milkmaid from Oxford Dictionaries Online : add an s.

b

[edmondjanet]

What a strange question... definition of milkmaid from Oxford Dictionaries Online : add an s.

b

Sir, we have been taught plural also "milkmaid"
Now I could understand what is the plural.

[freezeframe]

Sir, we have been taught plural also "milkmaid"
Now I could understand what is the plural.

This is taught as essential vocabulary?

[BobK]

(... in the same way that 'the postilion has been struck by lightning' or 'I have lost the key to my watch' are essential phrases for the modern traveller!)

b

[Barb_D]

Does any country actually have "milk maids" any longer? I picture rosy-cheeked lasses running down the mountain, their hair in braids, to the happy cows or goats awaiting them.

[birdeen's call]

Does any country actually have "milk maids" any longer? I picture rosy-cheeked lasses running down the mountain, their hair in braids, to the happy cows or goats awaiting them.

If that's your definition of milkmaid, then it could be difficult to find one.

But girls do milk cows here in Poland and everywhere, I guess, where milking cows hasn't become a fully automated process. There are many families here who have two or three cows of their own and have to milk them themselves.

[freezeframe]

If that's your definition of milkmaid, then it could be difficult to find one.

But girls do milk cows here in Poland and everywhere, I guess, where milking cows hasn't become a fully automated process. There are many families here who have two or three cows of their own and have to milk them themselves.

No one denies that there are people who milk cows manually all around the world.

It's just that the word "milkmaid" is an old word and it only brings to mind stereotypical image of a "Mädchen" in a dirndl or something like that. It's not a word we'd use to describe someone whose job is to milk cows. Plus "maid" sounds outdated and quite possibly sexist/offensive.

I don't know what the "modern" or "correct" term would be. You could use something more descriptive -- "My job is to milk cows". Or, if it's someone who owns the cows, they're a "cattle farmer".

Or, if you want it to sound impressive, you could say "I work in the dairy industry"

EDIT: "dairy worker" is a good word for this

[birdeen's call]

I understand, but the question whether there are milkmaids in different countries creates the problem of translating the word. We don't call a girl who milks cows "a milkmaid" , we call her "mleczarka". And the word might have different connotations in Polish. I just assumed the most tangible definition of the English word.

[freezeframe]

I understand, but the question whether there are milkmaids in different countries creates the problem of translating the word. We don't call a girl who milks cows "a milkmaid" , we call her "mleczarka". And the word might have different connotations in Polish. I just assumed the most tangible definition of the English word.

Well, there is a word "dairywoman". But we'd probably say "dairy worker".