He, She, or It?

[Guest roey]

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Let's suspend the idle speculation and rumor mongering for a second and talk about matters of more importance.

 

With English being my second language, I often wonder about the little details that are not mentioned in grammar books. In my first language every noun has a gender that determines -- among other things -- its article and pronoun. For me this is purely a matter of grammar -- i.e. I don't project female properties on a bath tub just because I use the feminine pronoun to refer to it in German. In English, however, I noticed that for example sailors tend to use the pronoun "she" when they refer to their ship. I suppose they do that because they (consciously or not) consider their relationship to the ship to be more akin to a love affair.

 

So, my questions to the native English speakers among you are: What pronoun do you use when you refer to your M8? And what does that say about you? Does your camera have a pet name? What is it?

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[stunsworth]

It. No pet names, it's just a camera.

 

I also have to say that I always refer to things such as ships (and cars) as 'it'. 'She' always sounds like an affectation - to these ears at least.

[andybarton]

I don't have an M8

 

My M7 is an "it"

 

My M2 is an "it"

 

My R8 is an "it"

 

My R4 is an "it"

 

These facts say nothing about me, but may say something about the English language. To refer to an inanimate object as either masculine or feminine is, to be frank, and IMHO, ridiculous.

 

None of my cameras, or cars, TVs or toasters, shoes or socks, paint brushes or carpets have "pet names". My pet has a name.

[carlmuck]

My camera's are "its" however, by tradition, I do use female pronouns "she/her" when talking about boats and ships. And after my daughter named my car, it is "he" (Ferry), but just that one.

 

c.

[Shootist]

It

[sdai]

When you talk about the camera body alone, it's a "she", if you mount a lens on it, then it becomes a "he".

[yanidel]

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In French, it is a "she" mounted on a "he" that give birth to a "she" or a "he"

(in order of appearance : lens, camera, picture1 "photo", picture 2 "cliché")

[leicajh]

M8-m8

m7-m7

m6-m6

mp-mp

r8-r8

[doubice]

This topic will be probably lost on native English speakers. In the English language everything is a ‘the’ or an ‘a’. The camera, the lens, the film etc.

 

In German there is masculine ‘der’, feminine ‘die’ (die Kamera) and neutral ‘das’ (das Objektiv), in French they have ‘le’ or ‘un’ (le filtre) and ‘la’ or ‘une’ (la camera) and I could go on and on. So naturally, a German or a French speaker may call his camera a ‘she’ but this has nothing to do with his/her sentimental attachment to the object, simply with grammar.……

 

My mother tongue is Czech and the Czech language also has masculine, feminine and neutral genders. So, when I refer to my just acquired full frame M9 in Czech, it is a ‘she’ however, when the conversation is in English, it is an ‘it’.

 

Simply a matter of grammar.

 

Best,

 

Jan

[stunsworth]

Some native English speakers have at least a slight knowledge of other languages, and realise that nouns have genders in many of them. That wasn't the question that was being asked.

[ceflynn]

Even in English, boats and ships are referred to as “she.”

 

Re: Ships as "she"

[NZDavid]

In French I thought ships were masculine: "le bateau", "Le France" for the ship, "La France" for the country. Das Schiff in German, neuter. "Es gab ein Schiff, ein weisses Schiff.."

 

Weird how in English former feminine and masculine words, say actress, hostess, etc, are now often considered non-PC or sexist, so they are referred in the masculine form only, actor, host, etc.

 

Funny language, English! Cameras: that classic Leica, she's a real beauty. Or as the Aussies would say, "what a li'l bewdy!"

 

Here is an old explanation from sailing ship days for why a ship is called a she:

 

A ship is called a ‘she’ because there is always a great deal of bustle around her;

There is usually a gang of men about,

She has a waist and stays;

It takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking;

It is not the initial expense that breaks you, it is the upkeep;

She can be all decked out;

It takes an experienced man to handle her correctly;

And without a man at the helm, she is absolutely uncontrollable.

She shows her topsides, hides her bottom and, when coming into port, always heads for the buoys.

[Finnkare]

I use 'it'. If I really want to be a comedian, I can add some personificated qualities to my Leicas by for example referring them with personal pronouns. I'm not sure, which one though.

 

In Finnish I use the non-human pronoun "se". (well, in fact, in infromal speech that pronoun is used to refer also to humans, instead of the formal-sounding non-gendered (we don't generally code gender at all) human pronoun "hän")

[BerndReini]

Mine is a she. Otherwise I would feel uncomfortable focusing my 75lux and cron or the Noctilux.

[doubice]

Some native English speakers have at least a slight knowledge of other languages, and realise that nouns have genders in many of them. That wasn't the question that was being asked.

 

Steve,

 

Sorry - I was not trying to belittle the native English speaker’s proficiency in the intricacies of foreign grammar. If the opening sentence of my post sounded that way, I apologize.

 

I just wanted to explain why some of us, whose mother tongue is other than English, may find it normal to refer to a Leica as a ‘she’. The issue of giving one’s camera a pet name is of course an entirely different matter and I will abstain from uttering any comments….

 

Best,

 

Jan

[pgk]

In English, however, I noticed that for example sailors tend to use the pronoun "she" when they refer to their ship.

 

I believe that in the past British sailors were both a superstitious and traditional lot. Where the original reference came from I do not know, but once applied tradition has certainly retained it.

 

Cameras are all its as far as I and every photographer I've ever met seem to think.

[farnz]

... So, when I refer to my just acquired full frame M9 in Czech, it is a ‘she’ ...

Hmm ... "is" or "will be"?

 

My M8 firmly believes itself to be an it.

 

Pete.

[abrewer]

LOL at the posts in this thread

 

 

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[wizard]

So, when I refer to my just acquired full frame M9 ...

 

Ha! We want proof, we want proof ... A simple photo would suffice .

 

Andy

[microview]

It. No pet names, it's just a camera.

 

I also have to say that I always refer to things such as ships (and cars) as 'it'. 'She' always sounds like an affectation - to these ears at least.

 

How about the phrase "she's going down" then? More wishful thinking than The Cruel Sea