Re: Writing Systems and Biscriptal Children

Am 11/30 17:08  nicole perrin yscrifef:

> So, obligatory conlang reference:  those of you who do have gender in
> your language, is it masc/fem? and are masculine nouns more powerful?
Brithenig is masc/fem.  A quick skim down the first 120 nouns of my
working lexicon revealed that gender allocation to nouns is equally
balanced.  Abstract endings and verbal nouns tend to favour feminine but
these are a very small minority.  I guess that where natural gender is
concerned masculine forms predominate (chauvainism!), but gramatical
gender is equally divided with some important words being feminine.  The
impersonal pronouns commonly default on the feminine, (sa, 'she', and a,
'that.f').  The exception is yno, 'one' which is derived from yn of, 'a
man'.

I find gramatical gender a pleasing part of Brithenig and I would
probably incorporate it in future language projects.

- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus                       hobbit@earthlight.co.nz

                      "Piskie, Piskie, say Amen
                   Doon on your knees and up agen."

                    "Presbie, Presbie, dinna bend;
                   Sit ye doon on mon's chief end."
                               - Attributions unknown.