Jump to content

A(gender)vengers Assemble!


The Pofessional

Recommended Posts

Lambda Corvus

I've been away for a few days and the thread has exploded! Might as well add my two shillings:

With only a very basic knowledge of Chinese, I am comfortable calling the language "conversationally neutral", for reasons that Robin mentioned. Perhaps it's just the "outsider perspective", but I do not perceive a simultaneously male and neutral pronoun to be truly neutral in writing. It's just like the English convention of "he" being supposedly gender neutral.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Schreibfehler! D:
I kinda like and dislike german for how particular it is haha XD.

Interesting thing I've noticed: in DnD rule books, hypothetical characters are always referred to as "she" and "her" ^^

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I do have a pet peeve of people referring to objects with gendered pronouns. In English, or course, or German will suck :P

With only a very basic knowledge of Chinese, I am comfortable calling the language "conversationally neutral", for reasons that Robin mentioned. Perhaps it's just the "outsider perspective", but I do not perceive a simultaneously male and neutral pronoun to be truly neutral in writing. It's just like the English convention of "he" being supposedly gender neutral.

I would call that correct.
Link to post
Share on other sites

I do have a pet peeve of people referring to objects with gendered pronouns. In English, or course, or German will suck :P

I grew up with an extremely gendered language and still can't figure out the gender of objects for my life. Everything's an "it" in my mind. Only things that have some value to me can be male or female (or even neither), but that's because I tend to associate a character with them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

See? Even a native speaker doesn't like genders. So DITCH IT! :P

I love the structure of chinese. For 3rd person pronouns, if we ditch the female version, we have 他 (person), 牠 (animal), and 它 (it). We also have a version for gods 祂, but that's another matter.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Lambda Corvus

See? Even a native speaker doesn't like genders. So DITCH IT! :P

I love the structure of chinese. For 3rd person pronouns, if we ditch the female version, we have 他 (person), 牠 (animal), and 它 (it). We also have a version for gods 祂, but that's another matter.

The third person (person) is also 'conversationally neutral', yes? Both are pronounced as tā?

For the brief period where I did study Chinese, it was made very enjoyable because of the grammatical structure and the underlying character radicals. Many things seem logical(, for my subjective definition of logic).

Link to post
Share on other sites

See? Even a native speaker doesn't like genders. So DITCH IT! :P

I love the structure of chinese. For 3rd person pronouns, if we ditch the female version, we have 他 (person), 牠 (animal), and 它 (it). We also have a version for gods 祂, but that's another matter.

The third person (person) is also 'conversationally neutral', yes? Both are pronounced as tā?

For the brief period where I did study Chinese, it was made very enjoyable because of the grammatical structure and the underlying character radicals. Many things seem logical(, for my subjective definition of logic).

Yep, that is Chinese, and that's why I love it. The grammar makes sense, at least. Past, present, and future tense, no crazy present prefect or something. And no verb conjugation.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Robin and Al, you are REALLY making me want to learn Chinese now.

Also, I am in awe of the fact that most of you here are bilingual/multilingual and the fact that the non-native English speakers speak (or in this case type) English so eloquently. I'm quite serious when I say that I know very many for whom English is a first language who appear to have less control of its intricacies than you guys.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's easier to learn more languages after you already know a few of them, and it's even easier to consolidate one's knowledge of a particular language by using it often. I became good at English because I used it frequently, and have been doing so for ages now. So thanks. ^_^

Although my French and Spanish are both rusty. I make do because I'm natively Italian and they're somewhat similar to that language, otherwise I'd probably forget them. I'm not nearly as fluent in French and Spanish as I am in English, and mind you, my spoken English isn't perfect either :P

Well I only know English, a VERY limited amount of German and the only Spanish words/phrases I know are expletives so you still are far more lingually talented than I am :P

I really would love to learn another language... or two... or three :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Popping my head back in here after a long while~~

Well, english is my first language and I can understand certan dialects ( patois and some others ) as my parents aren't from Canada. It was mandatory in my schooling to learn French from grade 4 till grade 9 but I've since forgotten most of it. I also know Japanese, better at speaking and writing than reading. I've wanted to learn other languages but I don't know how I'd do it since i work better in classroom environments.

when it comes to learning other languages have any of you heard of a site called: http://www.memrise.com/ and there are tons of languages on there that you can try and start learning for free. I've noticed that its mostly just to help you learn vocabulary, but its still a cool tool :3

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lambda Corvus

I'm going to learn German for a possible future graduate school admission. Regardless of whether I am accepted or not, the experience is definitely worth it. Studying languages with great friends is a wonderful thing.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I want to learn Swedish, Finnish, German, and become fluent in Latin.
Mostly for culture reasons. Language is interesting.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I want to learn Swedish, Finnish, German, and become fluent in Latin.

:lol: Fluent Latin. That strikes me as incredibly useless. No offence intended, though, because me learning Icelandic isn't going to do any better, nor is Quenya, which I also want to learn someday :P

It's mostly for reading purposes. :lol: I want to read texts that were originally in Latin, preferably as fast as my English/Tagalog reading. That, and Latin is the mother language of other languages. :P

Link to post
Share on other sites

That, and Latin is the mother language of other languages. :P

And the spells in Harry Potter :)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

That, and Latin is the mother language of other languages. :P

And the spells in Harry Potter :)

And almost all of the scientific/medical words.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
Lambda Corvus

I had my last class of the semester today, and what a relief it was. Not strictly related to gender, but I feel like sharing some interesting occurrence with all of you nice people.

The instructor, a well-meaning but sometimes-inconsiderate person, decided to slap me on the back as he passed my desk. Instantly, I tensed up and sharply inhaled (I might have even groaned/growled). I think I have a bit of an aversion to touch, especially unwanted contact from relative strangers and strange relatives. The instructor takes notice of my physical discomfort and says "You're pretty quiet. You don't know how to deal with me, do you?" He says this with an amused smile. Of course, the only thing that I could do was a muffled "mrrrph", given my state of mild shock. Fortunately, an associate was seated nearby to answer for me. "[name] doesn't do people" was his response. Even though this associate is my polar opposite in introversion/extroversion, they understood my discomfort. It's nice to see someone who even just accepts you for who you are, even though they may not understand.

Have any of you ever encountered this sort of thing? Discomfort with unprovoked physical contact?

More happily, have you ever had a seemingly random person show a little bit of understanding, acceptance, or consideration for the unique features of you?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Discomfort with unprovoked physical contact...yes, more than enough...rarly I can "brace for impact", but most of the time I am catched off guard. My mothers significant other once just hugged me, but he seems blunt about signs of discomfort...or I am not blunt enough in my expression? Anyway, he just hugged me and all I could do was standing there cringing physically and verbally, yet still he wouldn't stop. It also doesn't help that my mother would also promote me needing hugs...my family is good at making me uncomfortable and expanding on it :/

From (more of less) complete strangers I wouldn't want more than a handshake...and even a handshake makes me uncomfortalbe sometimes (depending on the sympathy I feel or them), but I feel like a jerk for not even handshaking when offered...so I must do it anyways...

During my birthday I will often be hugged by relatives I never see usually...I've come to terms with this and I have enough time preparating.

And I am still not looking forward to those dreaded group projects that are mandatory at our university *cries* I don't really know anyone I would like to do the projects with...sure there is my friend but he cannot program...we are 4 persons per project then...and I hate it that we are getting told all the time how important it is to get as many friends at university as possible because studying would get so much easier...(I was having random flashes of thinking about just stopping university...I don't want that to happen...whose idea was that with stupid mandatory group projects that also will be graded? *all emotion enclosing grumble*)

For friends though, I think I would be open to more touch...hugs but only if another person initiates it...

I already observed in the train that when another person comes into prolonged contact with me (like if I have to sit on a train and like their leg touches mine or something) said area will feel like being in pain little time later...

randomly acceptance...hmmm...well there was this situation before I known asexuality...I was getting defended for not being interested in women (i.e. looking after them when they walk by)...yes, I am serious...I have been verbally attacked for not looking after women when they walked by :S

I don't know what exactly they said but it was somewhere along the line of "Let 'him' alone! if 'he' doesn't want to look 'he' doesn't want to look. Accept it!"

Link to post
Share on other sites

No that the forums seem to work again, I had a funny situation similar to yours, Al:

I was sitting there in the university's study room (or something? We call them pool-rooms) working on my laptop, while someone suddenly snuck up from behind to greet me, touching my back in the process. I was greatly startled by this. I found it great that they apologized for it afterwards :)

I feel like I am going through a singular they phase or something. I feel like I want to refer to everybody as they all the time...sad that it isn't possible in Germany^^

Link to post
Share on other sites

I feel like I am going through a singular they phase or something. I feel like I want to refer to everybody as they all the time...sad that it isn't possible in Germany^^

I always wondered if it's a Chinese or German thing or something. Because I feel more like I'm addressing a person when I use "they". He and she just doesn't feel all that natural. Or actually, I can think of people in he/she terms, but not at the same time as with "they".

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lambda Corvus

No that the forums seem to work again, I had a funny situation similar to yours, Al:

I was sitting there in the university's study room (or something? We call them pool-rooms) working on my laptop, while someone suddenly snuck up from behind to greet me, touching my back in the process. I was greatly startled by this. I found it great that they apologized for it afterwards :)

I feel like I am going through a singular they phase or something. I feel like I want to refer to everybody as they all the time...sad that it isn't possible in Germany^^

Regarding singular 'they', I do the very same thing. Now, it feels much more natural (and safe) to refer to someone who hasn't explicitly made their pronoun preferences known as 'they'. Of course, if they prefer to be called 'he', 'she', 'ze', etc., I will honour their preferences.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey, wanted you to know that I decided to send an email to my university's queer group asking them if they know if it is possible to change the honorific on the student ID. I am not sure if there might be legal problems that would prevent such a change, but I tried anyway. Currently awaiting for the (hopefully positive and conclusive) answer.

Also I am kinda excited about the mid-term exam that I will have tomorrow...I am pretty confident that I will pass (more than that even^^ it will probably not be 100% but as I said, *confidence*) ...I just realized...it is a "open book" exam..we can bring as much papers and books as we like...I haven't even thought about that...I might as well compile some little things, I don't really know what I would need...

(I heard from one last year who read a book after they were finished early, might attempt this as well :P )

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lambda Corvus

Hey, wanted you to know that I decided to send an email to my university's queer group asking them if they know if it is possible to change the honorific on the student ID. I am not sure if there might be legal problems that would prevent such a change, but I tried anyway. Currently awaiting for the (hopefully positive and conclusive) answer.

Also I am kinda excited about the mid-term exam that I will have tomorrow...I am pretty confident that I will pass (more than that even^^ it will probably not be 100% but as I said, *confidence*) ...I just realized...it is a "open book" exam..we can bring as much papers and books as we like...I haven't even thought about that...I might as well compile some little things, I don't really know what I would need...

(I heard from one last year who read a book after they were finished early, might attempt this as well :P )

I'm hoping or the best with the the student ID honorific. I wonder what sort of legal issues you were thinking of.

Open book exams are by far more congruent to what we will be doing in "the real world" than the traditional no books/notes variety. Seriously, how many workplaces do not have reference resources available for their employees? We have computers, the internet, and books on our desks ready to be consulted by us.

In general however, I advise to learn the principles well and avoid the need for a book. That way, if you know the underlying principles, you can easily derive the other results. Just deduction and inductive reasoning -- that's how I get by.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Have any of you ever encountered this sort of thing? Discomfort with unprovoked physical contact?

More happily, have you ever had a seemingly random person show a little bit of understanding, acceptance, or consideration for the unique features of you?

Trouble with physical contact - absolutely. What bothers me most is when people know that I dislike it, but try to make contact anyways as a joke or because they want it.

As for the understanding and acceptance...I can't say that I recall receiving that from a random person. For the most part, I rely on my family and best friend for that - he is getting better and better about respecting my identity and personal boundaries.

Link to post
Share on other sites

In general however, I advise to learn the principles well and avoid the need for a book. That way, if you know the underlying principles, you can easily derive the other results. Just deduction and inductive reasoning -- that's how I get by.

That is also what I always tell the others ;) That is probably why I don't know what I could take with me :/ I will probably take a Racket reference sheet with me, just in case I forget something...

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lambda Corvus

In general however, I advise to learn the principles well and avoid the need for a book. That way, if you know the underlying principles, you can easily derive the other results. Just deduction and inductive reasoning -- that's how I get by.

That is also what I always tell the others ;) That is probably why I don't know what I could take with me :/ I will probably take a Racket reference sheet with me, just in case I forget something...

The Networking exam yesterday allowed a single page (two-sided) note sheet. I didn't know what to put on it (I already had one side from the midterm) so I left the other side blank! I am confident that I did well on the exam (for you Silver), but we'll see for sure when the semester grades are released.

You could always bring in the language standard. Scheme's standard is around forty pages; I wonder how long Racket's is. *laughs a crazed computer scientist laugh*

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...