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by fauigerzigerk
2810 days ago
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>I can guarantee you, that your sample of Austrian natives is not representative of the majority of native speakers. Not even remotely. Agreed. I find it hard to imagine how something can possibly sound old fashioned when there is no more modern alternative. My German may not be perfect, but I have never heard anyone fudge definite articles in a way that makes them indistinguishable from each other (or drop them altogether). |
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Exactly. Who'd be insulted by the moon being male in German and the sun being female? The sun, men or the moon?
Languages represent a form of continuous application of voluntary cooperation. Which is why almost no native speaker will think of his words he uses as an insult (either to a gender or that gendered word) but as a means to deliver information.
Using gender-neutral German in every day interactions will automatically make you come across affected. It is a linguistic Clinton-Thumb.