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little surprise

Posted: 2007-07-04 02:53:53
by ninjagame
After downloading the demo and purchasing a license, I accidentially forgot to uncheck "German" in the "Get Info" panel. The "Enter License" window came up in German. And there was a surprise for me: I was addressed as "Lizenznehmerin", farther down as "Benutzerin". In both cases, the suffix "-in" specifically refers to the female form in German. Being male - what am I supposed to do?

Posted: 2007-07-04 04:34:55
by Agnostus
I noted that too; little to do here, except get in touch with our feminine side :D.

I guess Nisus could change it to the more awkawrd "Lizenznehmer(-in)" or something in that fashion.

Cheers,
Martin

Posted: 2007-07-04 04:43:36
by ninjagame
Agnostus wrote: I guess Nisus could change it to the more awkawrd "Lizenznehmer(-in)" or something in that fashion.
Right - that would be much appreciated.

Posted: 2007-07-04 07:39:44
by martinkerz
Where's the problem? Should women feel equaly when adressed as "Lizenznehmer"?

Posted: 2007-07-04 08:12:42
by Lanx
Yes, of course. "Lizenznehmer" gives you no information of the real gender of the mentioned person, since the grammatical gender has nothing to do with the biological one.

Posted: 2007-07-04 08:26:04
by martinkerz
Lanx wrote:Yes, of course. "Lizenznehmer" gives you no information of the real gender of the mentioned person, since the grammatical gender has nothing to do with the biological one.
I wouldn't say it has "nothing to do with" it. It is rather an expression of a patriarchical evolution of language. Therefor neutral forms should be preferred.

Posted: 2007-07-04 08:56:42
by Lanx
No it is not. The whole theory about "expression of a patriarchical evolution of language" is utterly wrong. If grammatical gender has something to do with biological gender, why do we not something against all the femine forms which are used for males in German? Fact is: there a as much femine forms used for males as male forms used for females.

But back to topic: "Lizennehmer/-in" would be an appropriate form for the dialogue.

Posted: 2007-07-04 11:37:37
by ninjagame
I'm inclined to second Lanx in almost every point. I feel rather sorry for martinkerz in his rambling about "patriarchical evolution of language". I think we're already past this stage in German discussion on "gender".
My point would be even more radical: If females shouldn't feel equally addressed by "Linzenznehmer", why should males feel equally addressed by "Lizenznehmerin"? "Equal rights" works both ways!
Indeed, grammatical gender and biological sex are quite seperated in German. We should leave it at that.

Posted: 2007-07-04 12:47:42
by scottwhitlock
ninjagame wrote:I feel rather sorry for martinkerz in his rambling about "patriarchical evolution of language". I think we're already past this stage in German discussion on "gender".
We try to be a bit nicer on these forums. We are a community here, and we try to act like it. A flame war does not better software make.

Posted: 2007-07-04 13:19:09
by thf
ninjagame wrote: My point would be even more radical: If females shouldn't feel equally addressed by "Linzenznehmer", why should males feel equally addressed by "Lizenznehmerin"? "Equal rights" works both ways!
Indeed, grammatical gender and biological sex are quite seperated in German. We should leave it at that.
If this has nothing to do with gender, this sentences don't make any sense. First of all the "we" is ungenderd. Really! It is! Or ... what is your opinon, boys?
Sorry, Scott, i couldn't resist. :oops:

Posted: 2007-07-04 14:05:58
by nicka
The OP asks:
what am I supposed to do?
Isn't it obvious?
Have a 'gender reassignment' operation. Now "Lizenznehmerin" applies to you, so you can click to accept the licence. That's it. Simple, although perhaps a bit painful.

I guess you can change back afterwards if you want.

Quatsch

Posted: 2007-07-05 09:10:15
by pantrax
Himmel Betsy! Finden Sie eine Philologie-Seite und stellen Sie einige Blut auf die Wände. Aber Fechten Sie es bitte hier nicht aus.

And that...is as far as my two years of German can take me.

(More or less: Heavens to Betsy! Find a philology site and put some blood on the walls. But do not fight it out here, please.)

I have no idea how to say 'gender-wars' in Deutsch...nor do I want to find out.
:D < blissful ignorance

Posted: 2007-07-06 01:04:41
by martinkerz
It's fixed now. Just reload NWP. :-)

Posted: 2007-07-06 01:53:27
by ninjagame
martinkerz, thank you very much for the information! :D That's exactly the way it ought to be.
And thank you Nisus people, too! :D
As far as I'm concerned, the subject is closed.

- ninjagame

Posted: 2007-07-06 02:16:04
by Anne Cuneo
I am surprised no one gave the reason to this. In Zurich, where I spend half my time, no one would ask this, since it has been in use for all of a quarter of a century.
In answer to the feminist movement of the time, the Philological Seminar of (I think) Berlin (West-Berlin at the time), came up with the following solution, which is nowadays accepted philologically by just about anyone: since the suffix “-in” marks the feminine, why not write, when one is addressing to both genders as, for instance: “BenützerIn”. The capital letter would allow each reader to pick up his or her part of the word.
Not quite everybody uses it, but it is really very widely used.
So, if one has something to say about this, it is to the Nisus German-speaking people, who forgot the capital I.
Right? :roll: :roll: :roll:
_________________
Anne