Re: Noun genders (was: Re: Is English a creole? (was: Indo-European Studies))

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smryan@netcom.com (@#$%!?!) wrote:
>Some abstract nouns are feminine possibly because they were originally
>goddesses. Although, in some ways that passes the buck, because why
>should they have been goddesses rather gods?

I think the answer to this is rather obvious, gods and and goddesses had
to be of divergent sexes to give reality to their 'powers'. For example
the womb, which has been conferred as the bringer of human life is
comparable with great rivers (water being essential to crop developement)
and soil and crops (which are the growing crops) and these become
goddesses. Whereas masculine attributes (aggresive behavior) can be
compared with the ferocious forces of nature or ferocoius animals, thus
these become gods.

Philip

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