PC vs. euphemism

[Olga Meerson]

I find the expression 'his or her' unusable in Russian. Chitatel' ozhidal, chto... obviously includes female readers, while chitatel'nitsa ozhidala chto... equally obviously EXcludes male readers. This is the nature of Russian as a grammatically gendered language, period, end of discussion. Chitatel' ili chitatel'nica ozhidali, chto..., in fact, creates a differentiation between the two, that is somehow gender-based--as if it would be understood by default that male and female readers always expected DIFFERENT things. In gendered languages, an attempt to use this formally inclusive language may, in fact, add a sexist tint, or at least a note of a sentimentalist, deliberately Lawrence-Sternian or Karamzinian, gesture to the comment or implicit address. Am I wrong about the French, Alina? (I trust your authority in these matters). In Russian, at least, that is how I feel. Or perhaps even being a character in Molière's "Les Précieuses ridicules". But that is my feeling about man
y types of writing, in English, today. Russian allows a bit less of that. No? 

----- Original Message -----
From: Genevra Gerhart <ggerhart at COMCAST.NET>
Date: Saturday, March 29, 2008 9:43 pm
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] PC vs. euphemism

> Ladies and gentlemen: (If you will pardon the expression),
> 
> Alina said:  There are PC elements that some older generation 
> people find
> objectionable, such as "his or her" instead of "his" referring to some
> unknown person, and some similar substitutions where the reference 
> to ANY
> person was traditionally in masculine gender.
> 
> Quite right:  I am old, and I do find "his or her" offensive. Just 
> "his"used to be enough to indicate both sexes, and as we know, 
> brevity is better.
> But the reason should be made clear: these long "euphemisms" are 
> and have
> been used, _especially in the academic community_ especially among 
> deans and
> above, to demonstrate their PC-ness to either hide or to sugar-coat an
> intention not to hire or promote a female of the species.  (I have 
> actuallyheard of someone's using this device to avoid doing the 
> unthinkable.)
> My argument is that it is not the language that rules (as some 
> would make us
> think), but life itself. What we must change is the life part, and 
> languagewill change meaning with us. 
> 
> Genevra Gerhart
> 
> ggerhart at comcast.net
> 
> www.genevragerhart.com
> www.russiancommonknowledge.com
> 
> 
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG. 
> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1349 - Release Date: 
> 3/29/20085:02 PM
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your 
> subscription  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS 
> Web Interface at:
>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
> 
> 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------