Re: Sally back, and conlang survey part 1 and 2

Pavel Iosad wrote:
>Hello,
>
> > > > * Steve Mirsky recently suggested that the ethnonym "Turkmens" be
> > >replaced
> > > > by "Turkpersons" on gender equality grounds. I see no reason we
> > >shouldn't
> > > > grant the same courtesy to the French people. In prusuit
> > of the same
> > >noble
> > > > goal, China's official language will henceforth be refered to as
> > > > "Persondarin". (And yes, Mirsky was joking.)
> > > >
> > >That's so sexist - it's perDAUGHTER!
> >
> > Surely "daughter" is just as sexist as "son"? I guess we've got
> > "Peroffspringdarin" then.
>
>Speaking of which - is there the reverse-anitsexist trend in Swedish? I
>mean, we're told that a 'manniska' is to anaphorically referred to as a
>'hon' (a she, for those who don't know) - isn't it sexist (provided it
>is so, anyway)?! Are there any suggestions on air to rectify it? Use
>'den'?
Using "den" would, to me, seem more like poor style than an actual error,
but yes, "hon" is the expected form.

The reason is historical; back when Swedish had a masculine-feminine-neuter
gender system (much like German's)), "människa" belonged to the feminine
camp, and the fact that masculine and feminine has largely merged didn't
stop people from using refering to it with "hon".

Why this don't anger feminists is beyond me - I'd think it be rather more
important from a linguofeministic POV than the supposed discrimination
inherent in refering to _Gud_ "God", since most of these feminists don't
believe in God (or the Christian God, at any rate). Last time this was
discussed on Conlang (a year ago? more?) Christophe suggested that it was
because the feminists in question aren't pro equality but against men.

                                                   Andreas

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