Question

Is a housekeeper a housewife or a housemaid? Do you use homekeeper instead of housekeeper? Why not homewife? What about homemaid or homewife?

Answer 1

A housekeeper is someone who is hired to take care of someone else's house. The word could mean the same as housemaid, but a housekeeper usually has more tasks (shopping, laundry, etc.) while a housemaid is usually thought of as someone who cleans the house. These are not absolute, but close.

A housewife or a homemaker are two words for a wife who does not have a job outside the home; she stays home and takes care of all the shopping, laundry, cleaning, etc., herself.

I don't know why homemaid or homewife never became words, but ... they didn't!

www.answers.com/housekeeper
www.answers.com/housemaid
www.answers.com/housewife
www.answers.com/homemaker

Good questions.

=)

Answer 2

There is another use for 'Housekeeper' which is job in a Hotel and which is typically a supervisor of the (hotel) maids.