Comments on: Gender and Sex http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/gender-and-sex Language in a word Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:46:09 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: John Cowan http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/gender-and-sex/comment-page-1#comment-9100 John Cowan Wed, 27 May 2009 18:45:03 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/?p=341#comment-9100 You're right and Pat's wrong, no doubt about that. Nevertheless, even linguists are more likely to say <i>noun class</i> than <i>gender</i> where there is no connection to sex at all, as in the case of Bantu languages. Also, it's not the case that biological = chromosomal. There are XY people who have androgen insensitivity syndrome, which makes them present as female, think of themselves as female, be seen by others as female, and live mostly ordinary female lives, except for being infertile (no uterus develops). This is eminently distinguishable from any sort of men living female lives. You’re right and Pat’s wrong, no doubt about that. Nevertheless, even linguists are more likely to say noun class than gender where there is no connection to sex at all, as in the case of Bantu languages.

Also, it’s not the case that biological = chromosomal. There are XY people who have androgen insensitivity syndrome, which makes them present as female, think of themselves as female, be seen by others as female, and live mostly ordinary female lives, except for being infertile (no uterus develops). This is eminently distinguishable from any sort of men living female lives.

]]> By: iakon http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/gender-and-sex/comment-page-1#comment-9099 iakon Wed, 27 May 2009 17:28:22 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/?p=341#comment-9099 Another 'main driving force' is the rise and spread of American feminism throughout the Seventies. Prior to this the word 'gender' was not widely used, at least in my part of the world, B. C. And at a guess, those early feminists used the word 'gender' to avoid the word 'sex' with its carnal implications, now dominant. Another ‘main driving force’ is the rise and spread of American feminism throughout the Seventies. Prior to this the word ‘gender’ was not widely used, at least in my part of the world, B. C.
And at a guess, those early feminists used the word ‘gender’ to avoid the word ’sex’ with its carnal implications, now dominant.

]]> By: Faldone http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/gender-and-sex/comment-page-1#comment-9084 Faldone Tue, 26 May 2009 19:17:15 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/?p=341#comment-9084 I think one main driving force behind the change, besides the use of 'sex' to mean the reproductive act, is that grammatical gender has become essentially lost in English. The only remnants of the system are in the personal pronouns and a few moribund suffixes. Except for a few poetic uses these are universally a sign of the sex of the referent and not their grammatical gender. Therefore, there is no reason to use the word 'gender' to refer to a grammatical quality and every reason to use it in the place of the tinged word 'sex.' I think one main driving force behind the change, besides the use of ’sex’ to mean the reproductive act, is that grammatical gender has become essentially lost in English. The only remnants of the system are in the personal pronouns and a few moribund suffixes. Except for a few poetic uses these are universally a sign of the sex of the referent and not their grammatical gender. Therefore, there is no reason to use the word ‘gender’ to refer to a grammatical quality and every reason to use it in the place of the tinged word ’sex.’

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