Boy Computer or Girl Computer?

Mapologies gives us the answer (reprinted with permission):

And high up in the Andes Mountains, on the border of Chile and Argentina, is where baby computers come from ….

Comments

[Mr. Jwpvysig, Jr.]

Toms and queens.

[AmosArch]

Its funny how the same people who complain about western cultural imperialism are right at this moment trying their hardest to erase the concept of gender from languages such as spanish.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Actually, I don't believe they are -- instead, they are trying to impose Spanish upon us...

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Latinx is NOT Spanish.

[Milhouse]

Yes, they are. And they're making the same attempt in Hebrew, which is at least as futile if not more so.

By the way, in Hebrew computers are definitely masculine, and therefore all verbs and adjectives used for them must be masculine as well.

[ggould]

Literally so, in the case of the laptops: The lithium flats of southwestern Bolivia supply a lot of battery production.

[JohannesDinkle]

In all matters Latin American, just assume the Chilenos are correct - saves a lot of time.

[DaivdBehar]

Zero tolerance for cultural Commies. If the employer does not fire them on the spot, open a campaign of lawfare until they want to leave the state

[santamonica811]

Eugene, your funny post deserves at least one normal (ie, non-whiny) response.

Very funny! I think a lot of us closed our eyes and imagined the scene. (One assumes it involves putting his hardware into her software.)

[Dan Schiavetta]

This is a language where every noun must be gendered. So gender assignments for inanimate objects are arbitrary. Native speakers are perfectly aware of this and are amused that outsiders place any kind of significance on whether something is “el” or “la”.

[Alan Gunn]

Another language that hasn't settled on a gender for a type of computer is German: "Laptop" can be either masculine or neuter. Unlike some German words whose gender varies from country to country, the gender of "Laptop" varies even in Germany.

[JohannesDinkle]

Thank goodness Mädchen is still neuter.

[Dan Schiavetta]

The first Mädchen I chased in high school was definitely sexless. At first I thought it was just me, but no, it was her.

[John F. Carr]

I know it's a map borrowed from another site and not Prof. Volokh's, but surely the southwest USA and Miami deserve status as Spanish-speaking countries for a survey of language.

[Krayt]

There are societies highly repressive to women that are gender neutral, and societies liberal on gender equality that have gendered language.

The actual historical path of this development is:

"Hey, sufferage now!"

"Ok"

"Hey, equality for women before the law!"

"Ok"

"Hey, if equality, no more double standard for men, either!"

"Ok"

"No more noticing differences between men and women!"

"Ok"

"Gender in languages has got to go! This means you, other countries. Sorry for McDonald's cultural inperialism, because it is voluntary. Not sorry about this viscious cultural imperialism, because it is not voluntary! Freedom is tyranny and tyranny is freedom!"

Etc.

[techbro99]

Hey
Do you know?

Thanks