= Сообщение: 5310 из 12556 ====================================== ENET.SYSOP = От : Robert Bashe 2:2448/44 28 Aug 17 19:00:02 Кому : Gerrit Kuehn 28 Aug 17 19:00:02 Тема : Swedish meatballs ... FGHI : area://ENET.SYSOP?msgid=2:2448/44+59a44dcd На : area://ENET.SYSOP?msgid=2:240/12+5946cd2e = Кодировка сообщения определена как: CP866 ================================== Ответ: area://ENET.SYSOP?msgid=2:240/12+5946cd33 ============================================================================== Gerrit Kuehn wrote to Robert Bashe on Sunday August 27 2017 at 18:40:
DR>>>> Not strictly true about English. A ship is always feminine.
GK>>> I guess this wasn't what Bob was referring to.
RB>> No, because calling a ship or boat "she" is simply a tradition and RB>> has nothing to do with the language. You would still be understood if RB>> you said "it".
GK> Well, it requires the language to have different genus. So what did GK> you actually mean by stating that English knew only one?
I assume you're familiar with German, maybe with French. But English is a different kettle of fish. Both German and French have specific genders assigned to specific nouns. English does not.
RB>> The same applies to motorcycles: "die Bandit" (feminine) of Suzuki, RB>> for example, although the German name for "Bandit" would be "der RB>> Raeuber" (masculine). Apparently also a tradition.
GK> "Bandit" is perfectly understood as a German word, no need for GK> translating it.
I wanted to emphasize the German gender. People here talk about "Die Bandit" and mean the motorcycle.
GK> I think the reason for female ships in German is that most "type" GK> names are female (die Yacht, die Fregatte, die Schaluppe, die GK> Korvette, die Brigg, die Bark, die Barkasse...).
If it were only that simple. I had to learn German in school, and here in Germany. Not every word that ends with an "e" is feminine. There are quite a few neuter nouns ending with an "e". Unfortunately, there are no really set rules. That caused me a great deal of trouble in my first years here in Germany.
GK> Plus, already Greeks and Romans saw their ships as female. Airships GK> and motorcycles are probably seen as "die Maschine". BTW: it looks GK> like in Austria they used to stick with the "natural" genus given by GK> the name of the ship for quite a long time.
Probably. That may be an explanation.
GK> Strange enough, cars are usually masculine in German (probably GK> following "der Wagen").
Strange indeed. But all languages are strange when you first get to know them.
