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Just a thought

Why the name of Eunuch instead of Castrated ?

To me Eunuchs were the castrated males in Harems or in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

This forum is for chatting about castration.
Castrated by choice or because of accidents or disease.

If I have to be castrated I'm not sure to recognize myself as eunuch, unlike I'm in a room full of pretty ladies. What it certainly never happens

Eunuch is just a term referring to a castrated human male. Whether you chose to identify with that term is ultimately up to you. That said I've been castrated and I like the term, it's a nice descriptive term and I enjoy the way it sounds.

Eunuch is a long-accepted word for describing a castrated male. Versions of Eunuch Archive have been around for 25 years. Eunuch has now been adopted by WPATH as an official gender identity so the term is here to stay.

That said, most castrated males do not see themselves as eunuchs. They present as normal men. No one will force you to identify as a eunuch if you don't want to. It's your choice.

Personally I like the term.

Gelding -> horses
Whether -> goats
Capon -> chickens
Steer -> Cows
Eunuch -> humans

All labels for the same thing: a castrated male. Most men don't like being called a eunuch, because of the historical baggage that goes with the label. I like to think this website and it's predecessors, are dispelling the baggage. We all know eunuchs are much more than harem guards and servants.

mounds_dont wrote: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:25 am Gelding -> horses
Whether -> goats
Capon -> chickens
Steer -> Cows
Eunuch -> humans

All labels for the same thing: a castrated male. Most men don't like being called a eunuch, because of the historical baggage that goes with the label. I like to think this website and it's predecessors, are dispelling the baggage. We all know eunuchs are much more than harem guards and servants.

I never knew castrated goats were Whether. More dissimilar than eunuch vs castrated are the medical terms orchiectomy vs common term of castration.

Castration can be done in a variety of ways, chemical, surgical, or physical damage to the testicles. Some also include removal of the penis, without removing the testicles in the definition. It ideally is done under proper medical care by a doctor, but can happen in any other way such as accident, cutters, etc...

Orchiectomy (or Orchidectomy) is specifically and only used to describe the medical procedure for surgical removal of the testicles. It is entirely possible that a person may have other procedures done, but those will have their own separate terms to describe them. (i.e. I had an orchiectomy AND a scrotectomy done as my castration surgery)

I would also add that Eunuch is a gender description, and can be used as a descriptive term under some circumstances (I suggest that it be in medical circles since it may effect things like test results and medical diagnoses) but there is no need to use it as a "presentation" (how does one present as a eunuch anyway ) or generally... I present as male, and answer male on most non-medical surveys and forms....


WheelyFixed

How one identifies self is up to each person in my observation.

I was originally a gay male, now a gay impotent eunuch (castrated) male.

Terminology today seems very fluid now days, each to their own I say.

photoglenn wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 11:01 am How one identifies self is up to each person in my observation.

I was originally a gay male, now a gay impotent eunuch (castrated) male.

Terminology today seems very fluid now days, each to their own I say.

I agree 100%, in terms of general dealings with other people, and what / how you identify yourself may be different to different folks, or in different contexts... Definitely a question of personal choice.

My only hesitation about this is in the circumstances of dealing with medical care providers about your own care since what sort of genitalia you have (or don't have anymore) can impact the care you are given...

I also think it is something that partners or those who might be potential partners need to know for rather obvious reasons...

WheelyFixed

The signs are inconstant, but the meaning and the significant remains more or less the same, as far as I understand. If you ever get to be castrated, than you would definitely be a castrated person.

Now, about eunuchs, it doesn't mean the same as "bed watchman" to I don't think it makes sense to revoke present meanings and recover the old ones.

A thing that bothers me is that we don't have words that refer specifically to a man with no penis but with testicles. We have:

Nullo -> no testicles, no penis;

Castrated -> no testicles, has penis;

Eunuch -> can be a nullo or a castrated man.

We could use penectomized, aphallic, peniless or dickless to refer to that man, but I don't like much of their sounding. I wish we had a better sign that remained with a radical to other languages, just like "Eunuch" is "Eunuco" in portuguese.

Surgical castration is the removal of the testicles. A person who has been castrated is called a eunuch. Therefore a person who has an orchiectomy is a eunuch and a person who has nullification surgery is also a eunuch. Nullified eunuchs can also be called "nullos."

I don't know of a word for a person with testicles but no penis. I don't think many people want that configuration.

By the way, most castrated men choose not to associate themselves with the term "eunuch." I personally like it.

We actually did have some members with the 'testicles present, penis removed' configuration on EAv2, some voluntary, and some due to medical / trauma causes, but I agree it doesn't seem like a common situation. I also don't know of a distinct term for that set of bits...

I do seem to recall that there was a historical precedent in the Roman Empire where supposedly some of the gladiator slaves in the Coliseum were penectomized but left with their testicles. Supposedly the idea was that they would be more fierce as fighters (due to frustration?) but not have the loss of muscle mass that would have gone with removing the testicles.... I believe they were still called eunuchs, despite still having balls....

Personally my approach to use of the term is that in person and related contexts I present as straight male, and don't discuss things beyond that - I let people believe what they think they see.... In medical contexts I DO identify as a eunuch since I think it can matter for my medical care. On surveys and similar forms, I usually attempt to identify as eunuch if the questions allow it, otherwise I will use "other", "trans" or "non-binary" depending on the available choices... The exception is if it is one where it would be very obvious to people that know me (because they are running the survey) who I am, in which case I will stick with 'male'....

I also keep the "M" identifier on my drivers license, passport and other ID documents.... My reason is that the biggest reason I'd be showing them is to keep some government official happy, and I'd rather not trigger any biases on the part of "Officer (not so) Friendly" that might make him inclined to make my life more difficult than it is.... I want the cop to decide that I'm not the droid he's looking for.... The fewer reasons he has to be inclined otherwise the better...

WheelyFixed

Friotler7 wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2025 11:19 pm The signs are inconstant, but the meaning and the significant remains more or less the same, as far as I understand. If you ever get to be castrated, than you would definitely be a castrated person.

Now, about eunuchs, it doesn't mean the same as "bed watchman" to I don't think it makes sense to revoke present meanings and recover the old ones.

A thing that bothers me is that we don't have words that refer specifically to a man with no penis but with testicles. We have:

Nullo -> no testicles, no penis;

Castrated -> no testicles, has penis;

Eunuch -> can be a nullo or a castrated man.

We could use penectomized, aphallic, peniless or dickless to refer to that man, but I don't like much of their sounding. I wish we had a better sign that remained with a radical to other languages, just like "Eunuch" is "Eunuco" in portuguese.

Eunuch translates to the same as in Portuguese (Eunuco) in Spanish actually!

Not that I'm fluent or anything, but in German it's "der Eunuch" or "der Kastrat."

NaturalEunuch: Shouldn't be "das Eunuch or das Kastrat."

1smoothguy wrote: Thu Apr 03, 2025 10:58 am NaturalEunuch: Shouldn't be "das Eunuch or das Kastrat."

You would think so! German articles often make no sense.

TheRagingEunuch wrote: Thu Apr 03, 2025 7:29 am "Eunuch" isn't exactly the fanciest word.

It would have been nice if we had a word without so much historical baggage.

"Eunuch is just a term referring to a castrated human male. Whether you chose to identify with that term is ultimately up to you. That said I've been castrated and I like the term, it's a nice descriptive term and I enjoy the way it sounds."

Our family Practitioner referred to me as a "Eunuch" as long as I can remember. When I was little, I thought it was cute and my parents said it was because I was "unique". They explained it further when I was around 12. I should not be called "Castrated", because I never could be. As a Eunuch/Male, I dislike being called "Mister", but I tolerate it.

As others have said, it's merely an identity to hang your hat on if you so choose. The important thing to remember is that your identity is for you to define, not others. Nothing says you can't be castrated and continue carrying on in the world as a man or identifying as something else, perhaps non-binary. This is but one of many of the man-made constructs the matrix tries to enslave us with, nothing more, nothing less.

"As others have said, it's merely an identity to hang your hat on if you so choose. The important thing to remember is that your identity is for you to define, not others. Nothing says you can't be castrated and continue carrying on in the world as a man or identifying as something else, perhaps non-binary. This is but one of many of the man-made constructs the matrix tries to enslave us with, nothing more, nothing less."

You are 100% correct. Thank you!

I’m not sure that it matters either way. I was castrated in 2015 but have never called myself a eunuch, even if that is what I am To the outside world am a man, even if not entirely so…

I prefer to call myself a castrated man

I saw the derivation of the word eunuch as bed guardian. (World Book dictionary).
Also if one looks up the prefix "eu-", it says "good, well, true"