[extropy-chat] Language Again

[Mike Dougherty]

On 12/28/06, Jef Allbright <jef at jefallbright.net> wrote:
>
> As discussed earlier on this list, he will have even more practical
> problems when we begin dealing with gender neutral entities such as AIs,
> and I would much prefer moving on to something like ve and ver, but look
> how little success Americans have had switching to something as
> obviously and globally effective as the metric system.
>

why have a choice of ve or ver?  aren't these species-independant yet still
gender-suggestive pronouns?

Clearly the problem with American adoption of the metric system was that it
is "obviously and globally effective."  Compare to the less obvious or
effective adoption of "hot" to mean what used to be called "cool"  or the
adoption of the word "bling."
Likely it is not the use of language that shapes how we think, but the way
we think that shapes the evolution of language.
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