datanguay@watmath.waterloo.edu (David Adrien Tanguay) (10/26/90)
In article <1990Oct25.145511.13202@mks.com> linda@mks.com (Linda Carson) writes: >We could use the colloquial "they" exactly the same way we do in >our day-to-day spoken language: Ungenderising English does not seem to be too difficult of a task (in principle -- getting people to use the new language is another matter). What have people been suggesting for pervasively gendered languages, like, e.g., French? -- David Tanguay Software Development Group, University of Waterloo
nmouawad@water.waterloo.edu (Naji Mouawad) (10/27/90)
In article <1990Oct26.110113.4416@watmath.waterloo.edu> datanguay@watmath.waterloo.edu (David Adrien Tanguay) writes: >In article <1990Oct25.145511.13202@mks.com> linda@mks.com (Linda Carson) writes: >>We could use the colloquial "they" exactly the same way we do in >>our day-to-day spoken language: > >Ungenderising English does not seem to be too difficult of a task >(in principle -- getting people to use the new language is another matter). >What have people been suggesting for pervasively gendered languages, like, ~~~~~~~~~~~ >e.g., French? >-- >David Tanguay Software Development Group, University of Waterloo No need for such a qualifier. French is gendered and I happen to like it that way. As for ways of starting letters, you either inquiere and find out whether your letter will be read by a man or a woman, in which case you write 'Monsieur' or 'Madame' (and `Madame' says nothing about the marital status. It does not mean a maried woman. 'Mademoiselle' means an un-maried woman.) and if you don't know, you start it with an accepted formula: 'A qui de droit', meaning 'To whom it is of a rightful concern'. Other than that, this issue of 'he' versus 'she' is just not an issue. Removing the gender is like preparing a 'boeuf Bourgignon' without salt and wine; tastless. If a person doesn't feel insecure about her position and abilities, then calling her 'Dear Sir' or 'Dir Madame' will make her smile. Life is so full of people that will not talk to you unless there is a ladder of some sort they can stand on (sexual differences, colour of the skin, religion, left-handedness, etc) that no matter what kind of linguistic changes one feels desirable, these people will always find a way to adapt their ladders to new state of affairs. I prefer saying 'he' all the time and keep the use of 'she' for those special people that somehow did not invent war, did not invent the atomic bomb, did not invent torture, domination, and did not force me to leave my country for fear of being killed. To them, I say 'cheers' with my finest wine. --Naji. -- ---------------+------------------------------------------- | Naji Mouawad | nmouawad@water.waterloo.edu | | University |-------------------------------------------| | Of Waterloo | "Thanks God, we cannot prove He Exists." |