Definition
A girl or young woman whose job is to tend and herd geese, a common role in farming communities.
Etymology
Compound of 'goose' and 'girl,' a straightforward occupational term indicating a female goose herder, common in Germanic folk tales and medieval farming.
Kelly Says
The Brothers Grimm famously collected a fairy tale called 'The Goose Girl' where a princess disguises herself as a gooseherd—the tale reflects a real medieval role, though few people today remember what goosegirls actually did!
Translations
AMአማርኛ
እንቁላል ሴት
in-k-u-laal set
ARالعربية
فتاة النعام
fat-ah an-na-aam
BNবাংলা
মোরগের মেয়ে
mor-ger-er me-ye
CACatalà
noia d'ànec
no-ia deh a-nech
CSČeština
holubice děvče
ho-lu-bi-ce dev-che
DADansk
svanpige
svan-pee-ge
DEDeutsch
Gänsemädchen
gan-se-ma-dle-n
ELΕλληνικά
κοπέλα χήνας
ko-pe-la hee-nas
ESEspañol
chica de ganso
chee-ka deh gan-soh
FAفارسی
دختر غاز
dokh-ter ghaz
FISuomi
hanhen tyttö
han-hen tyt-to
FRFrançais
fille de oie
feel deh zwah
GUGU
કાળાચિકડા કન્યા
ka-la-chi-k-da kanya
HAHA
mace garkuwa
ma-ce gar-k-uwa
HEעברית
נערה ברבור
ne-a-rah ber-bur
HIहिन्दी
बत्तख की लड़की
bat-tek kee lir-kee
HUMagyar
gémkisasszony
gem-ki-sas-s-on-y
IDBahasa Indonesia
gadis angsa
ga-dis an-sa
IGIG
nwanyi nri
n-wa-nyi n-ri
ITItaliano
ragazza di oca
ra-ga-t-za dee oh-kah
JA日本語
ガチョウの少女
ga-cho-u no sho-jo
KKKK
Ansık қыз
an-sik qyz
KMKM
ស្ត្រី រាជ
s-trey ra-ch
KO한국어
거위 소녀
geo-wi so-nye-o
MRMR
मोरगाची मुलगी
mor-ga-chi mul-gee
MSBahasa Melayu
gadis angsa
ga-dis an-sa
MYမြန်မာ
ကျောက်မြောင်း မိသားစု
chaw-kye-myaung mi-tha-su
NLNederlands
gansermeisje
gan-ser-may-s-je
NONorsk
svanjente
svan-jen-te
PAPA
ਕਾਕਾ ਦੀ ਧੀ
ka-ka dee dhee
PLPolski
dziewczynka gęś
dzyev-chyn-ka gen-s
PTPortuguês
menina de ganso
men-in-na deh gan-soh
RORomână
fetița de gâscă
fe-ti-tsa deh gash-kah
RUРусский
девушка-гусь
dyevushka-gus
SVSvenska
svanflicka
svan-flik-ka
SWKiswahili
msichana wa nguruwe
mis-cha-na wa ng-u-ru-we
TAதமிழ்
வகையான பறவையின் பெண்
va-kai-yaan pa-rav-ai-yin pen
TEతెలుగు
నెమలి బాలిక
ne-ma-li ba-li-ka
THไทย
หญิงสาวห่าน
ying sao haan
TLTL
baba ng ganso
ba-ba ng gan-soh
TRTürkçe
gğs kızı
gğs ki-zi
UKУкраїнська
дівчинка-гуска
div-chinka-gus-ka
URاردو
بلیں کی لڑکی
bali-n kee lar-kee
VITiếng Việt
cô gái ngỗng
co gai ngong
ZUZU
umfazi wamabheshu
um-fa-zi wa-ma-be-shu
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Historical occupational term for female gooseherd. Appears in fairy tales (e.g., 'The Goose Girl') where the role is feminized and the character traditionally young/vulnerable, reflecting gendered labor divisions where women held lower-status animal-herding roles.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'gooseherd' for any person regardless of gender, or specify role neutrally: 'person who tends geese.'
Inclusive Alternatives
["gooseherd","person who tends geese"]
Empowerment Note
Historical texts often romanticized or diminished the labor of women who herded geese; their practical knowledge and independent work managing flocks deserves recognition equal to male counterparts.