LINGUIST List 8.1683

Mon Nov 24 1997

Qs: Person Gender,Learning Disability,Arabic,Sexist

Editor for this issue: Anita Huang <anitalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. veken, First Person and Gender
2. OSBURNEA, Foreign Language Learning Disability and Linguistics
3. J Kingston Cowart, Arabic Derivation of Spanish "chingar"?
4. Mike FOX-ecki, Sexist Language

Many languages have 3rd person gender morphology. Some also have 2nd 
person gender opposition (e.g.Semitic). Could anyone please let me know 
if they know of languages where gender is also marked on first person 
markers ?

Recently we have discovered that some of the students in our introductory 
linguistics course are taking it because they have been exempted from the 
university language requirement as a result of a diagnosis of _foreign language
learning disability_. The Dean has placed them in our course as a substitute
for the requirement. Anything that gets students into linguistics courses is,
naturally, delightful, but we are wondering about this practice. Does anyone
have any information about it? Is it a standard procedure at other 
institutions?

Andrea Osburne
osburneaccsua.ctstateu.edu

 I have heard that the Spanish vulgarism "chingar" -- 
which I am told has overtones of psychological as well as 
physical violation, domination, and humiliation (as well as 
stabbing penetration by knife or other means) -- 
derives from an Arabic root.

 1) Are these connotations accurate? 

 2) If so, are they found primarily in New World Spanish
(especially Frontera speech along the U.S. - Mexico border) 
or are they equally active elsewhere?

 2) Is there any support for the assertion of an Arabic 
derivation of the word itself?

Thanks,

J. Kingston Cowart
San Diego, California
<jkcowartio-online.com>

I'm posting this query on behalf of my friend who is writing an MA thesis
under the subject of Sexist Language. Following are some problems she would
like to talk about:
- How do words for women differ from words for men?
- collocations (beautiful woman, woman in the street, etc.)
What's the chance of finding different kinds of collocations with words such
as 'woman', 'girl' in different texts, mainly in the press.
Please, when replying to this query include her name: Margita Walasek as in
the subject field.
tafn mike
======================================================
Mike FOX-ecki <mliseckipriv2.onet.pl> 
irc [lisu] <mliseckikki.net.edu> 
ICQ [4324037] http://www.polbox.com/m/mlisecki