Language and Female targets

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
1

it seems like when people say the following, it is taken as perfectly fine to say like this:

makhee aa gaee hey kemrey mey, iss ko maro.
chalo murgee paka lein
metchlee paka lein
billee huj ko chelee.
& shaire and bakree ikhteye howeey

last but not the least ,
all those insulting slurs and curses that target females

why is it?
is it definitely the culture.. & it is also the people , who make up the society in which such a culture is pervasive, who let this happen.

why not masculine form of nouns be used?

do you practice and believe in gender neutrality in spoken language?

2

Re: Language and Female targets

Dush,

What do you propose be used instead.

In English the word "Fly" is used in the same context as in Urdu or in Punjabi. There is no specific word to designate a Male or Female fly (Mukhee), there is no separate word for a male or female cat, both are called "cat". Similarly, for fish there are no separate words for male or female fish, both are called "Fish"....

Here are the plausible explainations for it

1) There is no way a male and female can be distinguished externally as to their body make in case of a fish or fly and here the reason of usage of this word is not based on gender but on size. In Arabic language "Zabar" is used to describe something big and "Zair" for small. So Mukhee and Machlee is termed based on their small size and not on the gender.

2) In terms of Murghee, what is more important? Murgha or Murghee? Why do people keep Murghee in their homes? Because it lays eggs and a Murgha does not. Right? So here, the term Murghee is used based on the "Dominant" gender, the one preferred and not as a mean to demean the female gender.

3) In terms of Billi, again, there is no word describing separately for male cat and also the smaller size comes into play because cat is considered in the same family of Lion/tiger but is smaller than those animals....

4) However, in case of "Macchar(Mosquito)" there is no female word and the word Macchar is a male word. Right? Should it be taken as a target word against the males? :D

**5) **Same goes for "Patanga(moth)" "Keera(insect)" "Geedar(Jackal)" and I can tell you so many words to lengthen the list..... :D

Other objection raised is about the Name calling and directing these absurd word at females, is reasonable and I agree with you there.

However, there are equall words and names directed at the males too.

3

Re: Language and Female targets

I read somewhere that the worst thing that a Victorian male could be called was that he was effeminate (like a female) and from that ideology stems these common used slurs and insults that are now commonly used.

Urdu, is a gendered language, hence the examples you found...Aaah but leave it to pyari urdu to get it right...have ya heard this one "ullo ka **ptha!

4

Re: Language and Female targets

dear lahore,

the idea is not to call anybody anything,
but to be mindful that displacing one’s inflated ego on belittling someone else is not the way to be.
in evolutionary bio, it is taught that bites are always of female mosquitoes. perhaps, the masculine term in used for the mosquitoes, & this is why they are not spoken of as she-mosquitoes, because then it means, they are to be afraid of as females, as they possess the biting power. & people cannot handle that fact, can they?

you did not address the fish, so i am not convinced. :naraz:

D u s h i

5

Re: Language and Female targets

I disagree to your reply however, your main point is still valid. Just that you are presenting the main point with the help of inappropriate examples. I have tried to explain the rationale for their use with multiple other example proving to the contrary..

I said, when we (or bettter to say layman) use the term Mukhee and machli, we cannot know based on our eyesight whether the fly or fish is a female or male.

It is onlt these scientific advances that tell us and so, scientifically we can distinguish the genders. Language is not always scientific in these terms… :smiley:

6

Re: Language and Female targets

points well taken. donkies and owls in english always imply masculine.
so, that will do. thanks for ur detailed & illustrative, input.

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Re: Language and Female targets

Thanks for understanding. I only disagree to the "examples" you have given. Otherwise, I agree to your main idea completely.
Now you have yourself given these examples of owl and donkie where the male word are used to insult others.....

8

Re: Language and Female targets

Dush, you are weird. :) :) :)

9

Re: Language and Female targets

*LOL * :omg:

10

Re: Language and Female targets

She isn't wierd.
She simply asked a question and wrote her thoughts on it.
However, her main idea is absolutely correct......

11

Re: Language and Female targets

^Yaar I was just lightening up the mood little bit. :-)

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Re: Language and Female targets

Be the first one and start saying

makha aa gaee hey kemrey mey, iss ko maro.
chalo murga paka lein
metchla paka lein
billa hajj ko challa.
& shair and bakra ikhteye howeey :D

13

Re: Language and Female targets

i only pointed out the wrong thing,

& i do not recall, having indicated a wish to adapt it.
hopefully, you can understand now.