FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 3 days agoThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingmessage-squaremessage-square49fedilinkarrow-up1254arrow-down19
arrow-up1245arrow-down1message-squareThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingFreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 3 days agomessage-square49fedilink
minus-squareFerretyFever0@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up11arrow-down1·3 days agoBetter than some languages like German, where even inanimate objects have gender. That would be nicer though.
minus-squareSlashme@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·24 hours agoDas Mädchen seht am See und es sieht ihn. The girl stands at the lake and it sees him. In German, a lake is masculine and all diminutives are neuter, and that includes Mädchen (girl), which is a diminutive of the obsolete word “Magd” (a cognate of “maid”).
minus-squareKristell@herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lollinkfedilinkarrow-up5·2 days agoI remember when I was trying to learn German, one sentence the app gave got burned into my brain forever: Der Tisch hat kein Geschlecht. I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with the point of the table not having a gender; you just called him a man.
minus-squareI_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up14arrow-down1·3 days agoIt’s cute when someone with a first language like that carries it over to English. “The coffee maker… he is broken 😞” I’m so sad for him!
minus-squareFerretyFever0@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up7arrow-down1·3 days agoNever thought of that, but personalizing objects is kind of cute, I agree.
Better than some languages like German, where even inanimate objects have gender. That would be nicer though.
Das Mädchen seht am See und es sieht ihn.
The girl stands at the lake and it sees him.
In German, a lake is masculine and all diminutives are neuter, and that includes Mädchen (girl), which is a diminutive of the obsolete word “Magd” (a cognate of “maid”).
I remember when I was trying to learn German, one sentence the app gave got burned into my brain forever:
Der Tisch hat kein Geschlecht.
I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with the point of the table not having a gender; you just called him a man.
It’s cute when someone with a first language like that carries it over to English. “The coffee maker… he is broken 😞” I’m so sad for him!
Never thought of that, but personalizing objects is kind of cute, I agree.