Why We're WOMYN

I am often asked why I so acrimoniously reject the terms "woman" and "women" in reference to myself, and eagerly replace them with "womin" and "womyn". Several times I've had to explain my reason for doing so, and so as a solution, I will post this publicly to various resources available to me online and off.

• Etymology of the Term "Woman"At the age of 15, I visited my local library, and I happened to find a Feminist book focusing on womyn's history and the condition of womyn across the globe, which led me to something interesting. "Women" have never had any independent term to use which would describe their gender in adulthood. Wifmann (wife of a man), lady (wife of a lord), etc. All latin-based languages were inherently patriarchal, and defined womyn as nothing more than the servants, wives, and daughters of men.
  
  In reading this book, I learned that "wo" was a suffix meaning "from", and so "woman" meant "from man". At first, I was fairly skeptical, so I did some research, and found the information to be true. "Woman" emerged from the story told by Abrahamic (and some pagan religions) of the story most commonly known as "Adam & Eve", with Eve being made from the rib of Adam to serve under him, and to be his aid. 

• Deconstructing the Term & Myth
  Feminists, radical lesbians, and womynists developed a new word to describe adult girls, acknowledging birth as opposed to a religious myth that set the foundation for the teachings of which were meant to subjugate womyn. By replacing the "e", with the "y" from gYno, the term "womyn" acknowledges the truth of motherhood. This way, we do not face subjugation when we are addressed by our gender, and can truly reclaim it for ourselves, our mothers, our sisters and daughters.

More information: It is important to point out that this alternative spelling of the word “woman” is not about men.  It is about womyn.  It is about reclaiming a term, that has been used as a reason to discriminate and oppress us for centuries, and making it our own. These alternative spellings of the word “woman” is about the redefinition of ourselves, as we are spiritually, socially, and physically, on our own terms and not in relation to men. Throughout our lives as womyn, we have different and unique experiences that differ from the experiences of men in our society.  It is our way of telling the world that we DO exist separately from men in our society and that we should be acknowledged as such.