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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site fortune.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!fortune!polard
From: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: retronyms
Message-ID: <5192@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Apr-85 11:24:13 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.5192
Posted: Tue Apr 16 11:24:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 01:38:14 EST
References: <1613@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry polard)
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 17
Summary: 

In article <1613@decwrl.UUCP> chabot@miles.DEC (L S Chabot) writes:
>How about gender-designators, like "male secretary"?
>
>(-: No comments about how the first programmer was a Lady! :-)

I read somewhere that until about 100 years ago secretaries were
male, and that there was a great hue and cry when women entered
the field.  
It seems that when we expect something to have a certain quality 
that quality is not verbalized- it is "unmarked".  Qualities 
seem to be verbalized only when they are not expected, such as 
a female secretary 100 years ago and a male secretary today.
-- 
Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.)
{ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard
N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions
of me, my employer, or any AI project.