6.1093, Disc: Sex/Lang, Re: 1088

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-1093. Sun Aug 13 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  44
 
Subject: 6.1093, Disc: Sex/Lang, Re: 1088
 
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---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
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Date:  Sat, 12 Aug 1995 22:19:59 EDT
From:  amr at CS.Wayne.EDU (Alexis Manaster Ramer)
Subject:  Re:  6.1088, Disc: Sex/Lang, Re: 1079
 
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1)
Date:  Sat, 12 Aug 1995 22:19:59 EDT
From:  amr at CS.Wayne.EDU (Alexis Manaster Ramer)
Subject:  Re:  6.1088, Disc: Sex/Lang, Re: 1079
 
In response to Michael Newman (to whom I am very grateful for the
references), I think that there are two separate issues, aren't there:
one is the one he illuminates so well for modern English, namely, the
fact that the epicene HE biases perceptions in favor of male inter-
pretations; the other is that, even if that were not the case, there
would still be something very suspicious about the mere fact that
male/masc. pronouns and agreement are used so widely in languages of
the world for the epicene.  I am not even sure that we can show that
the two are related.  I would guess that in languages that truly
lack gender, one would still find some of the same perceptual
biases (although I am only guessing).
 
Alexis Manaster Ramer
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