Cowman (profession): Difference between revisions
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A '''cowman''' is a [[grazier]] or [[stockman]] who works specifically with [[dairy cattle]] or [[beef cattle]]. |
A '''cowman''' is a [[grazier]] or [[stockman]] who works specifically with [[dairy cattle]] or [[beef cattle]]. |
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Usage of the word "cowman" has significant geographic variation, though is sometimes used interchangeably with the word "stockman". |
Usage of the word "cowman" has significant geographic variation, though is sometimes used interchangeably with the word "stockman". |
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In the United States, a |
In the United States, the term for a person who owns and works with dairy cattle usually is [[dairy farmer]], while a person with beef cattle is a cattle rancher. Being [[farmer]]s and [[rancher]]s, American cattlemen are generally landowners, though on occasion the terms may include foremen or managers of particularly large operations. The employees of a ranch who work with the livestock may be called [[cowboy]]s, [[Wrangler (profession)|wranglers]], [[sheepherder]]s, or simply "ranch hands." |
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In England, where the word ''cowman'' originates, the social status of a cowman originally was a minor [[landowner]], a [[yeoman]], rather than a [[cowherd]] or [[herdsman]]. In medieval [[Gaelic Ireland]] a cowman was known as a [[bóaire]] and was landed.<ref name=Neville>{{cite book |
In England, where the word ''cowman'' originates, the social status of a cowman originally was a minor [[landowner]], a [[yeoman]], rather than a [[cowherd]] or [[herdsman]]. In medieval [[Gaelic Ireland]] a cowman was known as a [[bóaire]] and was landed.<ref name=Neville>{{cite book |
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==See also== |
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*[[Cowman (disambiguation)]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 23:07, 13 September 2010
A cowman is a grazier or stockman who works specifically with dairy cattle or beef cattle.
Usage
Usage of the word "cowman" has significant geographic variation, though is sometimes used interchangeably with the word "stockman".
In the United States, the term for a person who owns and works with dairy cattle usually is dairy farmer, while a person with beef cattle is a cattle rancher. Being farmers and ranchers, American cattlemen are generally landowners, though on occasion the terms may include foremen or managers of particularly large operations. The employees of a ranch who work with the livestock may be called cowboys, wranglers, sheepherders, or simply "ranch hands."
In England, where the word cowman originates, the social status of a cowman originally was a minor landowner, a yeoman, rather than a cowherd or herdsman. In medieval Gaelic Ireland a cowman was known as a bóaire and was landed.[1] Today, however, in Great Britain the cowman usually is an employee. Usage may be similar in Canada, at least historically. A highly skilled, superior cowman would be equivalent to an American farm or ranch manager, responsible for daily management of the herd. An ordinary cowman would be equivalent to a cowhand or cowboy in the United States, or a stockman in Australia.
A cowman with a dairy farm may also be known as a 'milkman; this usage remains in Great Britain,[2] while in the United States milkman has come to mean someone who delivers milk, but who does not generally work with the cows that provide the milk.
Etymology
In modern British English, the word cowman is a core term, not part of a dialect.[2] Cowman is not an entry in Dictionary of American Regional English.
This word is the origin of the occupational surname Cowman.
In popular culture
In the American West there were range wars, conflicts between ranchers and farmers over access to resources, especially water. This is reflected in much of the art, literature, and film in the Western genre. An example is the song "The Farmer and the Cowman" in the musical Oklahoma!
Notable American cowmen include:
References
- ^ Neville, Peter (2009). A traveller's history of Ireland (6 ed.). Interlink Books. pp. 18–19. ISBN 1566566371.
- ^ a b Upton, Clive; Parry, David; Widdowson, John David Allison (1994). Survey of English dialects: the dictionary and grammar. Psychology Press. pp. 5, 99. ISBN 0415020298.