6.959, Disc: He/She

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-959. Tue Jul 11 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  111
 
Subject: 6.959, Disc: He/She
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Assoc. Editor: Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
Asst. Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
               Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
               Annemarie Valdez <avaldez at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Editor for this issue: dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu (Ann Dizdar)
 
---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
1)
Date:  Mon, 10 Jul 1995 00:04:27 EDT
From:  Jefweb at aol.com
Subject:  Disc He/She
 
---------------------------------Messages------------------------------------
1)
Date:  Mon, 10 Jul 1995 00:04:27 EDT
From:  Jefweb at aol.com
Subject:  Disc He/She
 
Dear Linguist List Subscribers,
For the continuing discussion of the pronouns, I have some lines of data from
the 17 manuscripts of the A-Version of Piers Plowman. They can generally be
said to be representative of 15th century usage. Is it not strongly suggested
in the lines that "proverbial he", and perhaps the "original" morphology of
the so called "generic-he", was feminine, not masculine? What a strange thing
to say! Can this be accurate?
 
Looking at the Middle English pronouns, using the modern paradigm to evaluate
them, is misleading and inconclusive. When the development of Middle English
"his" or "him" is evaluated without taking into consideration their
development from Old English morphology, much of the story is lost -- that
these two "masculine" forms were also neuter, and in this later sense ("not
one or the other"), served well for the indefinite singular -- by way of
development from the OE masculine/neuter obliques; and the feminine forms
were morphologically related to the plural. In the following lines, the
h-stem subject is the feminine(/plural), NOT the masculine. Am I wrong?
 
(Playing for a moment the devil's advocate) don't these lines below fly in
the face of feminist theory as it sees the "he" "stealing cognitive space",
whereas in fact, they are feminine forms?
 
I would like to have some feminist theory input about these lines of
evidence. If so-goes-the-language, so-goes-the-culture (a la Whorf), what can
we make of the "hers" =3D "theirs" identity found widespread in Middle English
morpholgy, and what can we say about the "proverbial he" in the following
being feminine?
 
Is there anybody strong in feminist theory, particulary a feminist
him-/herself, who can discuss this in the general forum?  Is my understanding
correct that feminist history sees the h-stem feminine as having dropped from
living English by 1300? Please help.
 
 
Do not hesitate to contact me personally about any aspects of this, pro,con,
or indifferent.
 
LINES FROM PIERS
( * =3D unavailable character)
Passus III Line 229
 
A              =
 
Ch  And he =FEat  gripeth               gifts,       so [?] god helpe,
D   And ho so    gripeth      here   gifts,       so me god helpe,
E   =DEai =FEat        grypi=FE        such  gifts,       sa me god helpe,
H   But he =FEat   gripeth       siche 3eftis,     so me god helpe,
H2  And he =FEat  grypes      here   gifts,       so  me god helpe,
H3 =
 
J    And he =FEat    gripi=FE       mede,              so me god helpe,
K   And thay =FEat grepyn     her     gifts,       so me god helpe,
L    And ho =FEat   gripeth     heore  3eftes,    so me god helpe,
M   And 3e =FEat   grypit       here   3iftis,      so me god helpe,
N   And he =FEat   gripeth      3e      gift,        so me god helpe,
R   And he =FEat   grypyt       3oure gifts,      so me god helpe,
T   And he =FEat   gripi=FE        here   gifts,      so me god helpe,
U   And he =FEat   gripeth     here    gold,       so me god helpe,
V   And heo =FEat  3iftus       heore  gifts,      so me god helpe,
W   He       =FEat   gripeth     here   3eftes,    so me god helpe
 
 
Passus III Line 230
 
A   Schul ab*e it full bitterly   or ellis  =FEe bok lyeth
Ch Shal   ab*e        bitterly   or         =FEe bok lie*th
D   Shal  ab*e it      bitterly   or         =FEe bok lyeth
E   Sall ab*e it full   bytter     as        =FEe buke tellis
H   He schal abigge it bitterly or ellis  =FEe bok li*e=FE
H2 Shal ab*e it        biterly    or         =FEe bok lyeth
H3 Shal ab*e it        bitterly   or         =FEe bok li*e=FE
J   Schulun aBugge wel bitterly or      =FEe bok lyeth
K  Schallen abigge hit wel bitterly or  =FEe bok lyeth
L   Shal ab*e hit wel bytter     or ellis  =FEe bok lyeth
M  Scholyn abiggyn wol bytter or       =FEe bok liet
N  Shal ab*e hit wel bitterly   ar          =FEe bok lyeth
R  Shal ab*e ful       bitterly   or          =FEe bok lyes
T  Shal ab*ie it        bitterly   or           =FEe bok li*e=FE
U  Shal ab*e ful       bitere     or          =FEe bok lyes
V  =DEei schullen aBugge bitterly or       =FEe bok li*e=FE
W  Shal ab*e it        bitterly  or           =FEe bok ly
 
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