Posted on 11/01/2021 1:11:56 PM PDT by MAGA2017
HANOVER, Germany — How do you pronounce a word with an asterisk or a colon in the middle? And what's the German word for inclusivity? These are just two questions businesses and organizations in Europe's largest economy have been asking themselves as the country tries to advance gender equality.
In Germany, the debate about gender-neutral and inclusive language is complicated by grammar. Just as in many other languages, gender in German isn't denoted by personal pronouns alone. German nouns that refer to people have traditionally been masculine or feminine. So, a male citizen is a Bürger and a female citizen is a Bürgerin. But in the plural, the masculine is traditionally used by default — a point that's been contentious at least as far back as the second wave of feminism in the 1960s.
In 2018, a new federal law stipulated that all forms of ID — from birth certificates to passports — must include three options: male, female and diverse, all of which can even be left blank.
Since then, gender-neutral language has become more commonplace. German airline Lufthansa recently ditched the phrase "ladies and gentlemen," German scholars are preparing a gender-neutral edition of the Bible and in some cities — like Hanover — there's an official directive about using gender-neutral words.
Known for speaking Hochdeutsch — considered the most standard variant of German — Hanoverians have been encouraged by city hall to use gender-sensitive language for almost two decades, avoiding the generic masculine whenever possible.
In 2019, Hanover became the first state capital to mandate the use of gender-neutral language in all official communication, from emails to brochures and posters. It deployed what's known as the "gender star," an asterisk placed within a noun to indicate it refers to men, women and nonbinary people alike.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
Do like the Greeks and just put an “a” in front of the word which negates whatever comes after it.
I am so sick of catering to these trans nutjobs. Instead of expecting 99% of the population to have to to something different, the trans sickies should just deal with the gendered nouns and pronouns that already exist.
Sitzpinklers.
Is this the end of der, die, das?!
“How do you pronounce a word with an asterisk or a colon in the middle?”
Those are pronounced by saying the word while adding the smacking sound of kissing a lefties ass between syllables.
Sensible people will just use the language passed down to them.
I’m glad I wasn’t drinking something when I saw that headline.
Leftist vandals are reaching one of the real pillars of culture - language
There won’t be much left after that’s dismantled.
I kind of expect Germany to be willing to engage in any sort of ruthless ideology that comes along.
But I believe that in French, the word for child is male gendered. There are no little girls in France.
France has been very protective of its language — if they go woke in this sort of thing it will really be a big deal.
hahahaha!!!
“How do you pronounce a word with an asterisk or a colon in the middle?”
Like this?
(*)
or this?
(_|_)
Just change to Das. Honestly gendered languages are a pain in the butt to learn. Not only do you have to know the word but you gotta remember which version of “the” goes in front of it. And some of them conjugate differently. Ugh.
It would be even worse in Spanish countries.
Just add 15 or 16 letters to the word and use an even angrier intonation
They could use clicks like some African tribes do.
Herd’s a hint. Don’t. Leave it. If people don’t like it, eff em.
“That ‘person’ has nice ta-tas.
Just practicing.
German is such a highly structured language that I can see no way out of this for them.
Every noun has a gender, and there is no sense or system in the distribution; so the gender of each must be learned separately and by heart... I translate this from a conversation in one of the best of the German Sunday-school books:
Gretchen: Wilhelm, where is the turnip?
Wilhelm: She has gone to the kitchen.
Gretchen: Where is the accomplished and beautiful English maiden?
Wilhelm: It has gone to the opera.
To continue with the German genders ... a person's mouth, neck, bosom, elbows, fingers, nails, feet, and body are of the male sex, and his head is male ... a person's nose, lips, shoulders, breast, hands, and toes are of the female sex; and his hair, ears, eyes, chin, legs, knees, heart, and conscience haven't any sex at all...
Now, by the above dissection, the reader will see that in Germany a man may think he is a man, but when he comes to look into the matter closely, he is bound to have his doubts...
The Tale of the fishwife and its sad fate. I capitalize the nouns, in the German (and ancient English) fashion.
It is a bleak Day. Hear the Rain, how he pours, and the Hail, how he rattles; and see the Snow, how he drifts along, and of the Mud, how deep he is!
Ah the poor Fishwife, it is stuck fast in the Mire; it has dropped its Basket of Fishes; and its Hands have been cut by the Scales as it seized some of the falling Creatures; and one Scale has even got into its Eye, and it cannot get her out. It opens its Mouth to cry for Help; but if any Sound comes out of him, alas he is drowned by the raging of the Storm.
And now a Tomcat has got one of the Fishes and she will surely escape with him. No, she bites off a Fin, she holds her in her Mouth -- will she swallow her? No, the Fishwife's brave Mother-dog deserts his Puppies and rescues the Fin -- which he eats, himself, as his Reward.
O, horror, the Lightning has struck the Fish-basket; he sets him on Fire; see the Flame, how she licks the doomed Utensil with her red and angry Tongue; now she attacks the helpless Fishwife's Foot -- she burns him up, all but the big Toe, and even she is partly consumed; and still she spreads, still she waves her fiery Tongues; she attacks the Fishwife's Leg and destroys it; she attacks its Hand and destroys her also; she attacks the Fishwife's Leg and destroys her also; she attacks its Body and consumes him; she wreathes herself about its Heart and it is consumed; next about its Breast, and in a Moment she is a Cinder; now she reaches its Neck -- he goes; now its Chin -- it goes; now its Nose -- she goes. In another Moment, except Help come, the Fishwife will be no more.
Time presses -- is there none to succor and save? Yes! Joy, joy, with flying Feet the she-Englishwoman comes! But alas, the generous she-Female is too late: where now is the fated Fishwife? It has ceased from its Sufferings, it has gone to a better Land; all that is left of it for its loved Ones to lament over, is this poor smoldering Ash-heap. Ah, woeful, woeful Ash-heap! Let us take him up tenderly, reverently, upon the lowly Shovel, and bear him to his long Rest, with the Prayer that when he rises again it will be a Realm where he will have one good square responsible Sex, and have it all to himself, instead of having a mangy lot of assorted Sexes scattered all over him in Spots.
There, now, the reader can see for himself that this pronoun business is a very awkward thing for the unaccustomed tongue.
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