LINGUIST List 14.3254

Tue Nov 25 2003

Disc: Grammatical Gender

Editor for this issue: Sarah Murray <sarahlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Karen Stanley, Re: 14.3199: Disc: Grammatical Gender

Message 1: Re: 14.3199: Disc: Grammatical Gender

The comment by Rajendran C (Linguist 14.3199), 
"isn't it fascinating that in a language like Sanskrit, 
the same concept is referred to in three different genders?" 
made me wonder where the concept of nouns as having
*gender* (versus simply being in different categories,
or being different classes of noun) originated.

It wouldn't be so strange (at least to me) to think of 
having nouns from three different *categories* refer to 
a similar/the same object; it seems it is only when we 
think of them as having different *genders* that it strikes 
us as odd or unusual.


Karen Stanley
karen.stanley  cpcc.edu
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA