[Lexicog] Gender: Crazy English and the awful German language

[fieldworks_support at SIL.ORG]

“Why is it that a woman can man a station but a man can’t


woman one, that a man can father a movement but a woman


can’t mother one, and that a king rules a kingdom but a queen


doesn’t rule a queendom? "


What do they teach them in those lexicography schools these days?


The reason is that the metaphors or extended meanings of the verbs discard
the gender-specific aspects of the verb they are extending.


What really would be the semantic difference between fathering a movement
and mothering a movement? What would be the semantic difference between a
kingdom and a queendom? Not much, really.


Although maybe this is another argument for more gender inclusive English,


so a man/woman would person a station,


a man/woman would engender a movement,


a king/queen would rule a monarchdom (monarchy?).








Steve White, Jaars language software support
704-843-6337, 1-800-215-7813


 
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