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From: rose@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (Dan Rose)
Newsgroups: net.books,sci.lang
Subject: Re: Gender distinctions
Message-ID: <2181@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU>
Date: Mon, 27-Oct-86 01:58:42 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.2181
Posted: Mon Oct 27 01:58:42 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 27-Oct-86 20:42:19 EST
References: <16227@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <2177@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> <8224@watrose.UUCP>
Reply-To: rose@sdcsvax.UUCP (Dan Rose)
Organization: U.C. San Diego
Lines: 36
Keywords: English has them too
Xref: mnetor net.books:2761 sci.lang:63

In article <8224@watrose.UUCP> cctimar@watrose.UUCP (Cary Timar) writes:
>In article <2177@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> rose@sdcsvax.UUCP (Dan Rose) writes:
>>in such things as translations between languages which have no
>>distinction between gender and those which do, etc.
>
>How do we count English?  According to anglophones, English does not
>distinguish genders, unlike French, German, Spanish, Latin, and all
>those other languages they teach in school.  On the other hand, immigrants
>whose native languages do not distinguish "he" from "she" (e.g. Hungarian)
>would probably say that English does have gender distinctions (this is why
>some say "I met John.  She is ...") It is likely that some language has
>weaker gender distinctions than Hungarian (which distinguishes "he/she"
>from "it").  Possibly, there are also languages with more complex gender
>rules (not the same as more genders) than Latin or German.

There are lots of issues; I meant to include them all.  For example,
in French there is no separate word for "siblings" -- you just use the
same word as "brothers"; similarly in Spanish for "parents", you use
"fathers".  [Of course, in context a Spanish speaker wouldn't translate
it that way.]

Native German speakers I've known insist on calling my female dogs
"he," since the word "Hund" (sp?) is masculine.

I think Hofstadter mentions some language where there is no distinction
between the pronouns "he" and "she" (as if we used "it" in every case),
and speculates on whether this would lead to less sexism in writing.

I am reminded of a friend who took a Psychology class in which the authors
of their text wrote "The subject did such-and-such.  Her response was
as follows."  One student actually complained that the authors were
changing gender in mid-sentence -- obviously "the subject" refers to
a male. :-)
-- 
			Dan (not Broadway Danny) Rose
			rose@UCSD