One of my favorite jokes about the "herstory" business was actually in Legally Blonde. It's a little background moment where the radical feminist is talking about biased language. "Look at the term 'semester,'" she says. "Even that is subliminally showing the superiority of semen! That's why I'm petitioning to have the next academic term referred to as an 'ovester.'" I laughed a lot harder at that than you'd expect.
I'm with you--it's a blanket declaration that all language is sexist. There's definitely some stuff that could bear changing in English, but it's a very small amount, and it's been happening as social change happens anyway.
I'll just give you their replacement for marry: eba - spouse ("Bíi eril X i Y meheba wa." [X and Y got married. (More literally, "X and Y spoused.") The verb gets the plural prefix and an epenthetic H.] Láadan wouldn't allow "X married Y" or "Y married X," which presuppose that marrying is something one person can do to another. It has to be a joint action, done together.) Apparently they DON'T acknowledge the proper usage ...
I'm guessing the o's in wooban are long, but still.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-05-09 06:42 pm (UTC)I'm with you--it's a blanket declaration that all language is sexist. There's definitely some stuff that could bear changing in English, but it's a very small amount, and it's been happening as social change happens anyway.
I'll just give you their replacement for marry: eba - spouse ("Bíi eril X i Y meheba wa." [X and Y got married. (More literally, "X and Y spoused.") The verb gets the plural prefix and an epenthetic H.] Láadan wouldn't allow "X married Y" or "Y married X," which presuppose that marrying is something one person can do to another. It has to be a joint action, done together.) Apparently they DON'T acknowledge the proper usage ...
I'm guessing the o's in wooban are long, but still.