tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post1390016595058023378..comments2024-02-28T05:22:16.853-05:00Comments on I Won't Fear Love: Residuals or a brief excursion into comparative linguisticsJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09745262857388007041noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-1077441402722792522007-12-24T08:06:00.000-05:002007-12-24T08:06:00.000-05:00that is too much that JD wouldn't even say that wo...that is too much that JD wouldn't even say that word, although nonoe of needed anymore evidence. <BR/><BR/>grammer and i aren't ever the bestest of friends. ha, ha. ok, i'm not THAT bad, but still. it's shameful. i just remind myself that Einstein's grammer sucked too.christina(apronstrings)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11806155985753148490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-42241815329251240092007-12-23T11:14:00.000-05:002007-12-23T11:14:00.000-05:00Men are assholes. They just are.Men are assholes. They just are.thricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09528308384855206125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-71250233244995549442007-12-23T02:18:00.000-05:002007-12-23T02:18:00.000-05:00Maybe "asshole" feels like a masculine word becaus...Maybe "asshole" feels like a masculine word because of the scatalogical connection? Since women are generally expected to be the more delicate, refined sex (at least we've been since the 19th century) it might seem odd to associate such a crude part of the body with a female. (Even though, like opinions, we all have them and they all stink!)<BR/><BR/>Just a thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-89362742273872725562007-12-22T15:47:00.000-05:002007-12-22T15:47:00.000-05:00This was a fascinating post. Made me think of how...This was a fascinating post. Made me think of how the Germans just paste their lovely pre- and suffixes on English terms, like "Abgefucked." Also made me realize I call *everyone* asshole. They would've kicked me out of your practice a long, long, long time ago. I wish you a speedy resolution in this mess, and hope you can continue to soar above, like you did here.Tashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07376651134993450207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-71389834540830580222007-12-21T12:44:00.000-05:002007-12-21T12:44:00.000-05:00Amelie, yes, I feel better. It might be from being...Amelie, yes, I feel better. It might be from being too busy to stop for a second, but I'll take it any way it comes. <BR/><BR/>Marpie and Lori, thanks! But you know, I have been in this country for over half my life now. I figure I should have my written language up to par by now, right? I thoroughly enjoyed crafting this post using a lot of big words but without actually using swear words except when absolutely necessary. I suppose I could've used descriptions where I used the words too. Oh, well.. <BR/><BR/>Bon, hahaha :)<BR/><BR/>Niobe, I don't think we gender all the nouns, but we certainly gender the that are meant to apply to people. It is, for example, still hard for me to not use gendered pronouns in a sentence that talks about people by descriptors rather than names. I actually can't tell you what it is about that particular word that makes it so male (both individual words that make up the English insult in the OC language are female, so that's not it), but it just is, instinctively, but very definitely, male. Maybe an actual linguist can explain this. I suspect it is something about the sound of the word, especially the ending part that makes it so. <BR/><BR/>Anon1, I know... My rabbi also thinks I should write a letter, and I am considering doing that. Especially since they have yet to give me the names of the three options they promised for transferring our care.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09745262857388007041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-56717297805650300152007-12-21T12:31:00.000-05:002007-12-21T12:31:00.000-05:00Julia, I understand your reasoning perfectly. I wa...Julia, I understand your reasoning perfectly. I was once called an a**hole during a parking altercation, and it was especially shocking because I'd always considered a**hole to be an insult exclusively reserved for males. (I was also surprised to discover that I felt like this, English being ungendered and all.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-65655163340774824032007-12-21T10:07:00.000-05:002007-12-21T10:07:00.000-05:00My original thought was that there was obviously s...My original thought was that there was obviously some sort of misunderstanding but that it was noble in a way that the doctor drew the line at racism and sided with his employee over a paying customer. But then she accused your husband too, which made it much harder to imagine what sort of misunderstanding there might have been that would encompass the both of you and two different interactions, and now, after this post, I am left feeling something more along the lines of that doctor needs to know that he has a crazy person working for him! I don't think you should pursue anything that's not worth your time or in your best interest, but damn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-2289979049289652242007-12-21T08:10:00.000-05:002007-12-21T08:10:00.000-05:00Two responses in one:Ah, Julia, we felt the same w...Two responses in one:<BR/><BR/>Ah, Julia, we felt the same way about meeting you. I am sorry the bad feelings reemerged after you left. Totally understandable. We were a little bubble in our hospital room.<BR/><BR/>For some reason I agree with Lori as well. It seems like a male word to me. I also think your reasoning about the OC language is spot on. You know, I thought this right away and dismissed it, but now I really wonder if you've actually been the target of bigotry rather than the secretary. Sometimes people have completely inappropriate conceptions about immigrants from the OC (well the other OC with which yours is often confused). And yeah, you're totally right about Dr. Young Gun's immaturity. I think I said that to you before. And his comment that he's as upset as you is all the evidence I need.Beruriahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07171541078529309991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-46048903656870676912007-12-20T23:19:00.000-05:002007-12-20T23:19:00.000-05:00I get it. I know several people who are native fre...I get it. I know several people who are native french speakers from Quebec, who simply don't relate to non-gendered words when they learn english later.<BR/><BR/>They are not able to understand at first that most words do not have gender and it takes time until they can incorporate it. Even then colloquialisms like swear words are the last to be properly implemented.<BR/><BR/>As for which words have gender? The non-english speaking people I know always make the assumption that those words are male, unless they are specifically female genitalia-related.Aureliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13691032415028867902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-22034260369296598572007-12-20T18:46:00.000-05:002007-12-20T18:46:00.000-05:00I have to disagree, Niobe. I do think there is so...I have to disagree, Niobe. I do think there is something masculine about the swear word in question. I don't swear (Ever. I'm not kidding), but if I did I don't think I would ever call a female an a**hole. It does seem like a male insult to me. I don't know why though?<BR/><BR/>This was fascinating, Julia. Your intelligence and ability to articulate your thoughts (in your second language to boot!) amazes me.Lorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05528541804521203406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-35780908746713194752007-12-20T15:37:00.000-05:002007-12-20T15:37:00.000-05:00Okay, I certainly don't believe that JD said any s...Okay, I certainly don't believe that JD said any such thing. <BR/><BR/>But I'm not following your reasoning on this. You had me up until you said that any speaker of the Old Country language would consider azzhole a masculine word. Why would that be? <BR/><BR/>Is it masculine (though not obscene) in the Old Country language? Do OC native speakers automatically "gender" all English words? 'Cause to me, who pretty much speaks only English, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly masculine about the word. <BR/><BR/>And, of course, the same rule -- even about body parts that *are* gendered -- doesn't apply in English. For example, I've heard people say that a woman is a pr*ck. Though not all that often.<BR/><BR/>Bonus fact: In Latin the obscene insult equivalent to pr*ck was mentula, which is feminine, and guys called each other that all the time.niobehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10685766216611639434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-6255716266390343822007-12-20T15:34:00.000-05:002007-12-20T15:34:00.000-05:00makes perfect sense, now that you say it. i never...makes perfect sense, now that you say it. i never could get the hang of swearing when i lived in Slovakia OR Korea, because of the gender differentiations. <BR/><BR/>but that lying little, erm, assholette?Bonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14403701620708365171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-852892518721774462007-12-20T13:57:00.000-05:002007-12-20T13:57:00.000-05:00I love this post. Your command of the English lan...I love this post. Your command of the English language slays my, especially in your explication of the Old Country language.Magpiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239311951910405878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214358853640360621.post-91660447560587430832007-12-20T13:18:00.000-05:002007-12-20T13:18:00.000-05:00I love this! It's the same in Spanish and, though ...I love this! It's the same in Spanish and, though less strict, German.<BR/>It sounds like you're doing better, and I hope that is true.Ameliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10483756694695666215noreply@blogger.com