this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2024
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Why do some languages use gendered nouns? It seems to just add more complexity for no benefit.

(page 2) 37 comments
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[–] reddig33 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Robwords has an interesting video on this subject.

https://youtu.be/bKaVI-IStNE

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Languages don't care about complexity. Look at Polish. It's like it makes things complex on purpose. Language evolution is not only about simplifying thing. It's also about conveying meaning and will adapt to the culture that uses it.

[–] damnthefilibuster 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Quick Question (to OP and beyond) - the English language has wording for the gender of a person who acts - actor/actress.

Yet, these days, most people in the movie or theatre industry call themselves “actors”. They’ve dropped the word “actress”.

Do we know why?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

if i'm not mistaken, the explanation fpr portuguese is that latin didn't had gendered nouns, you had it, she, he, basically, but in the evolution it and he got merged, so we have she and he, i can be totally wrong tho

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Complexity is a benefit when it comes to language, as it allows greater or more robust transfer of information. There's a good comment downthread about how gender makes a language more robust: you know which object a pronoun refers to.

I'll point out that English is not free of gendered nouns, either: Ships, cities, and most nations are feminine, for example.

[–] raef 3 points 9 months ago

Those are just esoteric or poetic uses. It's perfectly fine to just say "it" in all those cases, but there is still a distinction for people. It's worth considering the possibilities of that disappearing as well. In any case, we don't conjugate differently for genders

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Él, ella, elle Yes now there's 3 of them

[–] Kaput 0 points 9 months ago
  • Wregarrd Hun moosh.
  • Non, non. On dit UNE mouche
  • wow you got quite good eyes.
[–] small44 0 points 9 months ago

It makes the language richer and more beautiful in my opinion

[–] [email protected] -1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Ever read 1984? They make a great case for simpler language!

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