A survey in Washington, D.C. has found that area homebuilders are avoiding "master suite" when describing their homes, because some are uncomfortable with its racist and gender-biased connotations, reports The Baltimore Business Journal.
Replacements for the word include "owner's suite" or "owner's bedroom", or in one case, "mastre bedroom." These homebuilders don't seem to mind that "owner" is basically synonymous with "master," and "mastre" is just awful.
But perhaps it will be only a matter of time before "master suite" is totally phased out, and we will find ourselves browsing "owner's suites" or any other new word we can think of.
Dictionary.com, however, pinpoints 1925 as an origin date for the word, a date long after slavery was abolished, so maybe it's not as politically incorrect as some are led to believe.
U.S. & World
Until then, let's say it together, "owner's suite." Do you think there's a need to change real estate terminology?
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