Free translations of genderless reference forms

[Christian Lehmann]

Am 08.03.2011 14:07, schrieb Paul Hopper:
> There are several solutions used by writers and various journals,
> including the one Mike refers to, but the Tom's particular problem is how
> to gloss example sentences without making a point of the gender. 'She/he',
> 'him/her' seem to be unavoidable in this genre. Choosing examples with
> plural pronouns (they/them) obviates the problem, but isn't always
> possible. How do German linguists deal with this, when many nouns are also
> marked for gender?
>
The problem is not really in interlinear glosses; there we have DEM 
(demonstrative), ANA (anaphoric pronoun), 3.Ps. ...
The problem is in translations. Again, it disappears to the extent that 
data adduced are drawn from corpora (as they should), because then there 
is a referent for the pronoun which [!] determines the gender.

Greetings, Christian Lehmann

-- 
Prof. Dr. Christian Lehmann
Seminar für Sprachwissenschaft
Universität Erfurt
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