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The suffix -ess is fast disappearing from the language, with the trend toward avoiding any unnecessary reference to gender. The suffixes -er and -or are not gender-specific in modern English: an author or manager, like a doctor or writer, may be male or female, so the words authoress and manageress are redundant. Some -ess words remain in use, for example, heiress and actress, although actor is increasingly used of both men and women. See also gender-neutral.
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