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Old May 20, 2009, 07:56 AM
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Ambarina Ambarina is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: 43º 12' 0 N 4º 49' 0 W
Posts: 837
Native Language: Español
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There is some debate about PC language here where genders are concerned but it's not an easy subject. It makes language cumbersome to have to keep talking about "los niños y las niñas", "los señores y las señoras", "los padres y las madres", "los hombres y las mujeres", etc.
Not too long ago a member of parliament talked about "los miembros y las miembras" trying to get the two genders in, when the word "miembras" does not exist and the press had a field day.
In terms of professions, a lot of words in the language were male oriented as the posts were traditionally held by men. Now that there are more women, the language has changed to talk about "la jueza, la ministra". In professions where it was traditional for both sexes to work there are separate words: profesor/a. But some words for professions have female (a) endings even if it was traditionally a male profession, i.e. policía, tenista, futbolista, guardia. A man or a woman tennis player = tenista. The ending does not change only the article: la tenista or el tenista. Why couldn't the same be done for other professions: la juez or el juez, el/la abogado. I think it would save a lot of hassle.
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