The Off Topic Topic

[Malthus]

Escape from Newark?

Not possible.

[Liep]

How does countries with grammar genders assign gender to new nouns? I've recently seen "selfie" get the neutrum when it clearly sounds like it should be in common gender.

[Valmy]

How does countries with grammar genders assign gender to new nouns? I've recently seen "selfie" get the neutrum when it clearly sounds like it should be in common gender.

French has a committee to do that.  But they do tend to take English words and make them masculine, probably as a reflection of the amazing manliness and virility of the English speaking world.

[Syt]

I think in German it'd be neuter. Das Selfie sounds right. (Photo and Picture are also neuter in German.)

[CountDeMoney]

Germans have been neutered since 1945.

[Grey Fox]

How does countries with grammar genders assign gender to new nouns? I've recently seen "selfie" get the neutrum when it clearly sounds like it should be in common gender.

French has a committee to do that.  But they do tend to take English words and make them masculine, probably as a reflection of the amazing manliness and virility of the English speaking world.

Wow. Are you part of the academy, Valmy?

[Valmy]

Wow. Are you part of the academy, Valmy?

I wish

But actually I was only talking about France French here.  I am sure Haitians, Senegalese, Quebecois and company all do it in a more organic way.

[Grey Fox]

We head to the word of the Academy with scorn & loathing and then properly make up a real french word for it.

Example: Email/Courriel.

[Liep]

But surely words come into use before the Academy can get their claws on it.

[Valmy]

We head to the word of the Academy with scorn & loathing and then properly make up a real french word for it.

Example: Email/Courriel.

Saucy Quebec has nothing but scorn and loathing for anybody who pretends to have authority over them.  I like your style.

[Valmy]

But surely words come into use before the Academy can get their claws on it.

Generally yes.  The Academy is sort of like the OED only their words are backed by Nuclear Weapons...er....I mean the French government.

[mongers]

But surely words come into use before the Academy can get their claws on it.

Generally yes.  The Academy is sort of like the OED only their words are backed by Nuclear Weapons...er....I mean the French government.

You clearly do not understand the behind the scene powers the OED commands. 

[The Brain]

I think in German it'd be neuter. Das Selfie sounds right. (Photo and Picture are also neuter in German.)

German should STFU ever since it introduced "Handy". Worst word ever.

[garbon]

But surely words come into use before the Academy can get their claws on it.

Generally yes.  The Academy is sort of like the OED only their words are backed by Nuclear Weapons...er....I mean the French government.

You clearly do not understand the behind the scene powers the OED commands. 

Does the OED really control American English? Hard to believe they are in control of anyone if they let items like selfie and staycation become words.

[Malthus]

I think in German it'd be neuter. Das Selfie sounds right. (Photo and Picture are also neuter in German.)

German should STFU ever since it introduced "Handy". Worst word ever.

Handy, or Mr. Hands?