3.1331 Computer Gender (41)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 30 Apr 90 16:56:38 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 1331. Monday, 30 Apr 1990.
(1) Date: Fri, 27 Apr 90 15:31:26 PDT (16 lines)
From: cbf@faulhaber.Berkeley.Edu (Charles Faulhaber)
Subject: Names for computers
(2) Date: Sat, 28 Apr 90 06:29:44 CDT (15 lines)
From: "Eric Johnson DSU, Madison, SD 57042" <ERIC@SDNET>
Subject: Gender of Computers
(3) Date: Sun, 29 Apr 90 02:50:39 BST (10 lines)
From: Tom Thomson <tom@nw.stl.stc.co.uk>
Subject: computer gender
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 90 15:31:26 PDT
From: cbf@faulhaber.Berkeley.Edu (Charles Faulhaber)
Subject: Names for computers
I'll do the easy ones.
Peninsular Spanish prefers ordenador (m.) < Fr. ordinateur
SP.-Am. Spanish prefers computadora (f.) < Eng. computer
I cannot tell you off-hand why one is masculine and
the other feminine. One would need to look at patterns
of derivational affixation involving -dor and -dora.
Charles Faulhaber
UC Berkeley
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------21----
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 90 06:29:44 CDT
From: "Eric Johnson DSU, Madison, SD 57042" <ERIC@SDNET>
Subject: Gender of Computers
Most people speak of a computer as "it," but I have noticed that
several systems programmers refer to a computer as "he." I do not
believe I have ever heard a computer called "she." What have others
heard?
It is also interesting to notice which article is used. When we
mean any computer, most of us say "a" computer, but some say "the"
computer.
Eric Johnson
ERIC@SDNET.BITNET
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------24----
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 90 02:50:39 BST
From: Tom Thomson <tom@nw.stl.stc.co.uk>
Subject: computer gender
Both masculine and feminine happen.
Scots Gaelic: beart-riomhaireachd feminine (beart=machine is f.)
French: ordinateur masculine
Tom Thomson [tom@nw.stl.stc.co.uk