What is the Plural of Empress Dowager?
Posted by jeff on 21 Dec 2009 at 09:17 am | Tagged as: Translation
I wonder, is it “empress dowagers” or “empresses dowager”? I tend to think it is the latter, based on the similar usage in “governors general.” Or, maybe I could just use “dowager empresses” and avoid any controversy.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen the plural form, but it should be “empresses dowager,” on the same principle as “attorneys general” etc.
Thanks Brendan, that’s what I thought. I might not end up using “empress dowager” anyway, as it is for the word 太后, which I think can also refer to mothers of royalty who are not necessarily the emperor.