On the subject of breastfeeding...

[conuly]

Why is it called "breastmilk"? We don't say that cats have "teatmilk" and cows have "uddermilk", do we? Why not call it human milk, since that's what it is, or just milk?

Edit: I don't like "baby formula" either. Sounds like you've got some baby in a can, and that's just not right. Ick.

Comments

[conuly]

Y'sure that's why?

[carakarena.livejournal.com]

I just think you're just overanalyzing it. But, since you have pulled me into your diabolical web of overanalysis, I will say that a "cow" is technically a female bovine, while a "bull" is male bovine. So perhaps, a more proper analogous term would be "woman's milk." However, since "woman's milk" could refer to cow's milk (or goat's milk) currently in the possession of a woman or a class of women, one says "breast milk" and it becomes immediately clear what kind of milk is being referred to

[conuly]

1. Deleted the extra post (I'm such a stickler about that. Sorry)
2. Cow is also the generic term for any domesticated bovine. So cow's milk works for the milk of the cow, while human milk works for the milk of the human.

Of course, we *could* say "calve's milk" and "baby's milk"...

But then how would we know if we meant "milk from a bovine" or "milk from a whale"?