[Lexicog] gendered language references

saghar sharifi saghar_sharifi at YAHOO.COM
Tue Nov 21 21:26:39 UTC 2006


The answer to your question would be that in some languages, as in German, the word " language " is feminine.
   
   Leman <wayne_leman at sil.org> wrote:
          I'm wondering about English terms for kinds of languages:

Why do we speak of a mother tongue but not a father tongue?

Why do we speak of sister languages but not brother languages?

Why are there daughter languages but not son languages?

Why can we refer to both a motherland and a fatherland?

Do other languages use kinship terms to refer to language relationships?

Wayne
-----
Wayne Leman
Cheyenne dictionary online:
http://www11.asphost4free.com/cheyennedictionary/default.htm


         

 
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