TIS and gender

Sunuiprachu at cs.com Sunuiprachu at cs.com
Tue Jun 20 19:44:38 EDT 2000


TIS is a case that reminds me of the theory that the original alignment of 
nouns was not by gender but by animacy; that animate nouns were later 
interpreted as masculine and inanimate as neuter; that feminine nouns were 
tossed in later.  Therefore, TIS may be regarded as being masculine as a 
default setting for animate (in the same way that we use "cows" as a default 
for cows and bulls, "chickens" for chickens and roosters etc." and "horses" 
for horses and mares:  try telling someone you passed a field of bulls!) but 
not masculine vis-a-vis feminine.  Comments on the theory I have just 
mentioned will raise the ante on the original question.
Dan Monroe
Latin/Greek teacher
Marshfield High School
Coos Bay, OR



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