A Ship; She, He or It?

warspite1 · Post by **warspite1** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:55 pm

I have to say I'm with the admiral on this.

I've been reading The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War (Stille) recently and he routinely refers to ships as 'it'. It really, really grates [:@].

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... s-her.html

Blond_Knight · Post by **Blond_Knight** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:58 pm

Well ofcourse Britain and therefore the US refers to ships as 'she', but I believe the Russian tradition is 'he'.

Lobster · Post by **Lobster** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:03 pm

Traveller.com.au: Since 2002, Lloyd's List, which began reporting shipping news since 1734, has referred to all vessels as "it", and many news sources have adopted this new convention. Happily, most sailors have not.

Nobody really knows why they are referred to as she. There are only theories. As long as the other guy's she/it sinks first I don't care. [;)]

Oh look, I made a pun without intending to. [:D]

warspite1 · Post by **warspite1** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:04 pm

ORIGINAL: Blond_Knight

Well ofcourse Britain and therefore the US refers to ships as 'she', but I believe the Russian tradition is 'he'.

warspite1

But the way things are going - and the obsession with being gender-neutral - means that the Russians will change their approach too no doubt. 'It' just doesn't sound right.... and when applied to certain vessels it's doubly wrong imo. But then I'm old.....

Lecivius · Post by **Lecivius** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:19 pm

ORIGINAL: warspite1
But then I'm old.....

Welcome to the club [:D][8D][;)]

warspite1 · Post by **warspite1** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:21 pm

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: warspite1
But then I'm old.....

Welcome to the club [:D][8D][;)]

warspite1

Is there a club? Ohhh I think I joined a club once... but if I did, I've forgotten the name of it....

Lobster · Post by **Lobster** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:01 pm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: warspite1
But then I'm old.....

Welcome to the club [:D][8D][;)]
warspite1

Is there a club? Ohhh I think I joined a club once... but if I did, I've forgotten the name of it....

That's ok. No one remembers where or when it met. [&:]

Zorch · Post by **Zorch** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:23 pm

ORIGINAL: Lobster

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

Welcome to the club [:D][8D][;)]
warspite1

Is there a club? Ohhh I think I joined a club once... but if I did, I've forgotten the name of it....

That's ok. No one remembers where or when it met. [&:]

As usual, no one invited me. But then, I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member.

GaryChildress · Post by **GaryChildress** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 6:41 pm

I remember a Saturday Night Live skit long ago where a couple actors dressed in Navy uniforms are standing by a railing commenting on ships. "She was a fine ship." and all that stuff, they would say to each other. Then, at the end, one turns to the other and asks how his new born baby is doing and the guy replies something like, "it's doing fine but starting to teethe."

Cataphract88 · Post by **Cataphract88** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:31 pm

Zorch, you beat me to that punchline.

MrsWargamer · Post by **MrsWargamer** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:57 am

I prefer ships to be 'she'.

So I guess that gives you the woman's vote here

RoryAndersonCDT · Post by **RoryAndersonCDT** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:28 am

US Navy History & Heritage Command's FAQ has this to say:

In languages that use gender for common nouns, boats, ships, and other vehicles almost invariably use a feminine form. Likewise, early seafarers spoke of their ships in the feminine gender for the close dependence they had on their ships for life and sustenance.

wodin · Post by **wodin** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:43 am

She I'd say.

RFalvo69 · Post by **RFalvo69** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:22 am

In Italian it is basically arbitrary. Aircraft carriers, Battleships and Frigates are a “she”. Submarines, Cruisers and destroyers are a “He”. Don’t ask me why: I don’t know.

Lobster · Post by **Lobster** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:45 am

Just because. [8D]

Piteas · Post by **Piteas** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:02 am

In Spanish, all the warships are "He" less the frigates and patrols... they´re "she".
Don´t ask me why [&:]

Crossroads · Post by **Crossroads** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:52 am

In Finnish there’s only two third-person pronouns, one gender-neutral for humans, another for everything else. So my vote for ’it’. [:)]

76mm · Post by **76mm** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:13 pm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

...the obsession with being gender-neutral - means that the Russians will change their approach too no doubt.

"Not bloody likely..."

Kuokkanen · Post by **Kuokkanen** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:36 pm

In Finnish language, it has been it. Also our language don't have he/she, only 1 word for both genders without divider.

Coincidentally, words city & town are also grouped under 1 word, kaupunki, and in change of millennia was an outrage when news said that EU has declared Finland only having 7 kaupunki. News didn't say in what language it was said, and if it was in English, whether the word used was city or town.

warspite1 · Post by **warspite1** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:10 pm

ORIGINAL: Kuokkanen

In Finnish language, it has been it. Also our language don't have he/she, only 1 word for both genders without divider.

Coincidentally, words city & town are also grouped under 1 word, kaupunki, and in change of millennia was an outrage when news said that EU has declared Finland only having 7 kaupunki. News didn't say in what language it was said, and if it was in English, whether the word used was city or town.

warspite1

So in Finnish, if you say "he went to the shops", you say "it went to the shops??

A Ship; She, He or It?

A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?

RE: A Ship; She, He or It?