Master Bedroom is changing to Primary Bedroom
The real estate industry has many terms that can make the heads spin. When buyers and sellers first meet with their realtor they hear terms like mls, escrow, pending, comps and more.
One common term since 1926 when it was used in a Sears Catalogue has been master suite. Master bedroom, master bathroom and/or master suite are used in almost every description of a house. Master bedroom in real estate vernacular implies something racist and often sexist, according to many in the Real Estate industry. The terms imply dominance and ownership.
The Miriam-Webster Dictionary has several definitions of Master. Here are just three of them: one having authority over another : ruler, governor; the employer especially of a servant; a person who holds another person in slavery. In any event, the word brings to mind subjugation and submissiveness and implied male dominance.
The new term being used by many is primary. Miriam-Webster Dictionary gives this definition of primary: of first rank, importance, or value : principal.
Changing one word might not seem significant to some but to me it is certainly a noteworthy attempt at growing better in the attempt to reduce racism and patriarchy. It was a little bit of an aha moment for me.
“By words we learn thoughts, and by thoughts we learn life.”
—Jean Baptiste Girard
