I have a question. If you look at any of the romance languages, one thing that immediately springs out is the fact that objects have gender. So my question is this - Why does English lack the gender associated with objects the same way many romance languages do? From what I understand, German also uses the gender pronouns for what would otherwise be gender-less objects.
The Horologicon is a book of the strangest and most beautiful words in the English language arranged by the hour of the day when you will really need them. Words for breakfast, for commuting, for working, for dining, for drinking and for getting lost on the way home. It runs from uhtceare (sadness before dawn) to curtain lecture (a telling off given by your spouse in bed). It's out on November the first, but you can already order it from these lovely people:
I have a question. If you look at any of the romance languages, one thing that immediately springs out is the fact that objects have gender. So my question is this - Why does English lack the gender associated with objects the same way many romance languages do? From what I understand, German also uses the gender pronouns for what would otherwise be gender-less objects.
ReplyDeleteIt must be because we are superior and therefore do not need, nor desire, such a false division of pronoun...
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