Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!ihnp4!fortune!grw From: grw@fortune.UUCP (Glenn Wichman) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Sexism in language Message-ID: <2574@fortune.UUCP> Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 20:22:37 EST Article-I.D.: fortune.2574 Posted: Fri Feb 17 20:22:37 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 05:21:49 EST References: <5437@decwrl.UUCP>, <562@pyuxa.UUCP>, <722@dartvax.UUCP> Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 14 A person suggested getting rid of the masculine & feminine pronouns, leaving only genderless pronouns, to make the language non-sexist. I don't believe this to be the case. Sexism is not merely the recognition of two sexes; it is the subjugation of one sex by another. As long as both sexes were treated as equal in the language, the language is not sexist. Most of the racism inherent in proper English was gotten rid of during this century (e.g. using 'Mr.' only in reference to white people, which was formerly the grammatically correct usage), but the language still has words like 'black' and 'white' to refer to people, and they are very useful to have. -Glenn