Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: Gender classes, which to use?

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Thursday, November 26, 1998, 0:58
charles wrote:
> So if I had 20 or so categories what might they be, > how best to categorize all of creation?
Here's the current revision of W.'s genders. 1. Rational (e.g., sentient) Female 2. Rational Male 3. Rational Epicene 4. "Feminine" Animals 5. "Masculine" Animals 6. Pseudo-Animate (fire, water, weather, life and death, emotions, etc., plants are sometimes considered 6, sometimes 7) 7. Inanimate They are divided into two huge classes, animate (1-6) and inanimate (7), or into two other classes, rational (1-3), and irrational (4-7) Feminine and masculine animals have to do with cultural beliefs - everyone has a spirit-animal patron, certain animals are only associated with females (e.g., fish), and others are only associated with males (e.g., migratory birds) - none that are associated with both.