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From: cq315@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Hank Walker)
Subject: Re: Non-Sexist Language Reform - Esperanto
Message-ID: <DG3Bxx.ACB@freenet.carleton.ca>
Sender: cq315@freenet3.carleton.ca (Hank Walker)
Reply-To: cq315@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Hank Walker)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
References: <kenmayer-2709951907590001@pilsudski.wag.utexas.edu> <44s9db$ntf@news.netvision.net.il> <453nna$eq0@news.gate.net>
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 18:13:08 GMT
Lines: 26

Frank Pfaff (ffff@gate.net@gate.net) writes:
> In my opinion the saddest failure in the language is its rigid
> insistance that every female word is formed by adding
> the infix -in before the ending of the masculine word.  
> viro = man;  virino = woman
> knabo = boy;  knabino = girl

Note that this only applies to a small number of words where only
two of a kind exist: a male and female kind.  There are no "masculine"
words in Esperanto.  Therefore, over 99% of all words (animate) are
inherently sexless:
	bovo	=	bull or cow
	bovino	=	cow
	virbovo	=	bull

The two words you cited were examples of the problematic kind.  Other
examples include frat(in)o (brother/sister), av(in)o (grandfather/grand-
mother) and the problem is there's only two of a kind.  In modern
Esperanto speech, there's been a tendency to apply the regular rules to
these words, too, for example:
	knabo	=	offspring/young person
	knabino	=	girl
	virknabo=	boy

This isn't yet widespread, but it's gaining.  This makes Esperanto a
lot less sexist than national languages.
