Розберемося в значенні слів «fireman» і «firefighter»:
Both words mean the same thing – profession (job).
Firefighter is used for men and women.
Fireman is used for men only.
Заглянувши в словник “Cambridge Dictionary” з’ясувалося, що:
Fireman is a man whose job is to stop unwanted fires from burning.
Firefighter is a person whose job is to stop fires from burning.
“Oxford learners dictionary”подає таке тлумачення слів:
Fireman is a person, usually a man, whose job is to put out fires.
Firefighter is a person whose job is to put out fires.
Однак, на форумі по цьому питанню прочитала ще такі факти:
Founded in 1918, the International Association of Fire Fighters is the Union for firefighters, worldwide:
A FIRE FIGHTER is a person committed to extinguishing fires, preventing fires, educating the public about fire prevention, and pursuing legislation to reduce dangers from fire (property damage and loss, loss of life). Fire fighters also perform extrication and rescue operations in a variety of settings.
A “fireman” tends a fire (keeps it burning) or is charged with shoveling coal into the fire box of steam engine.
Тож у ширшому значенні використовуємо : «Firefighter»
