Why are ships considered female in English language? I was watching this movie finally without subs and they always call Titanic as "she".
I thought objects were gender neutral in English.
Why are ships considered female in English language? I was watching this movie finally without subs and they always call Titanic as "she".
I thought objects were gender neutral in English.
Some sort of maritime tradition. Not sure where it comes from, since I live in Flatlandia
It's she because ship has people inside it.
depending on the anglo, informal english does include gendered stuff ye
>"how's she goin bud"
>"she's a beautiful day out"
depending on the usage, it can be to relate to objects that an individual has sentiment for, like how some people call their vehicles "she"
Maritime tradition in general, Anglo tradition in particular
some sexist reason i imagine
Boats are attractive
yarr, for a man gets lonely on those long nights on the open sea
yarr, I fucked a boat
It's more of an informal tradition than an official rule.
Similar to a military tradition of referring to your rifle as a female, giving her a name, etc.
I think it comes from being "married" to your ship or gun while you're at sea/in the military
But somehow the ship one managed to expand from the maritime tradition and became an actual part of the English language while the military gun thing didn't
Might trace back to Romance languages. Or even some older tradition, we do the same despite Schiff and Boot both being neutral.
Still arbitrary.
In Japanese, they liked to give boats male names.
My fave is "get her done."
Traditionally, oceans, countries, and ships, even those named after men such as USS Barry, have been referred to using the feminine pronouns. This usage is currently in decline (though still more common for ships, particularly in nautical usage, than for countries); in American English it is advised against by The Chicago Manual of Style.[15]
From the Wikipedia article "gender in English"
Gendered objects went extinct in English
The reason it came back for ships is likely sailors being cheeky. They are entirely isolated from women so they call their ship a she
countries and ships aren't
Quality post.
>"how's she goin bud"
>"she's a beautiful day out"
Do people outside of the Maritimes talk like that?
It's not gay if you bugger your mate while you're already inside of a woman
They call cars, tanks and planes ''she'' too. i guess because they are machines and machines are efficient, multi-tasking, care-needing and can be warm but also cold, just like women.
It's English tradition to call something with a name (if an inanimate object) to "she"
I think we're the only ones. I've never heard it outside of Newfoundland and the Maritimes except on old nautical films.
I have heard it sometimes from farmland ontarians, but outside of that not at all
boats are sexy and filled with sea men
I've heard it in people from Ontario and Manitoba but not from points west.
Anglos are sheep fuckers. When they hear "ship", they imagine their sheep lovers so it because a 'she'.
>Why are ships considered female in English language?
Because seamen ride on it
Like a man who buys and takes car of an old 30s automobile your ship is the love of your life
Kek
>THAR SHE BLOWS
>THE SEA IS A CRUEL MISTRESS
Most things can be called she in English, cars are another notable example. It's just to humanise them, and maybe show a bit of affection, rather than have them as a mere object. You can ascribe human qualities to things. It may be remnants of Old/Middle English or other languages. Or just a resurgence, as ascribing human qualities is very useful and quaint.