Gender-neutrality in Languages With Grammatical Gender/romance Languages

Famous quotes containing the words languages, grammatical, gender and/or romance:

    People in places many of us never heard of, whose names we can’t pronounce or even spell, are speaking up for themselves. They speak in languages we once classified as “exotic” but whose mastery is now essential for our diplomats and businessmen. But what they say is very much the same the world over. They want a decent standard of living. They want human dignity and a voice in their own futures. They want their children to grow up strong and healthy and free.
    Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)

    Speech and prose are not the same thing. They have different wave-lengths, for speech moves at the speed of light, where prose moves at the speed of the alphabet, and must be consecutive and grammatical and word-perfect. Prose cannot gesticulate. Speech can sometimes do nothing more.
    James Kenneth Stephens (1882–1950)

    ... lynching was ... a woman’s issue: it had as much to do with ideas of gender as it had with race.
    Paula Giddings (b. 1948)

    Bolkenstein, a Minister, was speaking on the Dutch programme from London, and he said that they ought to make a collection of diaries and letters after the war. Of course, they all made a rush at my diary immediately. Just imagine how interesting it would be if I were to publish a romance of the “Secret Annexe.” The title alone would be enough to make people think it was a detective story.
    Anne Frank (1929–1945)