Newsgroups: sci.lang
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From: iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Ivan A Derzhanski)
Subject: Re: Gender in the world's languages
Message-ID: <D105wq.7t2@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK
References: <787603010.AA02984@clone.his.com> <3csh8p$fs6@panix3.panix.com> <3csnrs$3kv@pheidippides.axion.bt.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 10:46:00 GMT
Lines: 16

In article <3csnrs$3kv@pheidippides.axion.bt.co.uk> donald@srd.bt.co.uk (Donald Fisk) writes:
>What about the -ess ending to mark female roles?

*What* about it?

>Chinese has in fact about 30 genders (you might call them something
>different because they're nothing to do with sex): [...]

But _gender_ has nothing to do with sex either.  (Hint:  What is the
original -- non-grammatical -- meaning of the Latin word _genus_?)

-- 
`Release Jesus wi this mob hangin aroon?  Nae chance!'  (The Glasgow Gospel)
Ivan A Derzhanski (iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, iad@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu)
* Centre for Cognitive Science,  2 Buccleuch Place,   Edinburgh EH8 9LW,  UK
* Cowan House E113, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Pk Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5BD, UK
