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? :shock:

 

[BobK]

:up: (... 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. :-D

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. :-D

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 Plus "maid" sounds outdated and quite possibly sexist/offensive.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" :-D

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".

 

[AlexAD]

In Belarus, we still have such lasses , they compete with machines in the "proper" country and machines are going to defeat them. Not soon, though.
I think, Russia, Kazahstan (Did you watch "Borat"?) and some of countries from the former Soviet Union join the club.

 

[Barb_D]

I read an entertaining book a while back set on a dairy farm where girls who were "in trouble" (pregnant without benefit of partners) came to be dairy maids, and they sang songs from the Sound of Music to the cows while they took care of them, until it was time for them to have their babies. The milk was then made into cheese, widely coveted for its incredible taste.

Ah - the title of the book was Blessed Are the Cheesemakers. How can you not love a title based on a Monty Python sketch. It was quirky and not great, but had some lasting images.

 

[freezeframe]

I read an entertaining book a while back set on a dairy farm where girls who were "in trouble" (pregnant without benefit of partners) came to be dairy maids, and they sang songs from the Sound of Music to the cows while they took care of them, until it was time for them to have their babies. The milk was then made into cheese, widely coveted for its incredible taste.

Ah - the title of the book was Blessed Are the Cheesemakers. How can you not love a title based on a Monty Python sketch. It was quirky and not great, but had some lasting images.

Hm... I think you mean Blessed Are any Manufacturers of Dairy Products.

 

[SoothingDave]

You are more likely to find 8 maids a-milking than you are 10 lords a-leaping.

 

[Barb_D]

Shows what you know!

You don't know what happened as Prince William's bachelor party??

;-)

 

[SoothingDave]

Must be difficult to tip the strippers when all of the banknotes have your grandma's picture on them!

 

[Barb_D]

And having wandered this far off-topic, I think we better end this discussion of the plural of milkmaids.