Countries can be male or female or neuter

Rumpel said:

As I wrote elsewhere:

In German, even whole countries can be male or female or neuter or nothing.

Examples:

Irak and Iran are male: der Irak and der Iran

Turkey and Ukraine are female: die Türkei and die Ukraine

Alsace is neuter: das Elsass

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Most countries do not have any article, so the gender is invisible:

France and Germany are just Frankreich and Deutschland

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Grand Mal said:

Why hasn't English?

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Rumpel said:

Once upon a time English also had those.

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Torus34 said:

Yup! Old English used noun genders. We still see vestiges in, say, actor and actress. The -ess ending shows up in other nouns, too.

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Rumpel said:

Old English I have always found fascinating!
So near to old German!

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

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Torus34 said:

Our present-day American version of the English language is developing a third 'dialect'. We've had two: the precise, written version and the, er, well, like, you know . . . spoken version. Now we can watch a third variation emerge, complete with its own vocabulary and syntax: texted English.

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1066 In this year the monastery at Westminster was hallowed on Childermas day (28 December). And king Eadward died on Twelfth-mass eve (5 January) and he was buried on Twelfth-mass day, in the newly hallowed church at Westminster. And earl Harold succeeded to the Kingdom of England, as the king had granted it to him and men had also chosen him thereto and he was blessed as king on Twelfth-mass day. And in the same year that he was king he went out with a naval force against William ... And the while count William landed at Hastings, on St. Michael's mass-day and Harold came from the north and fought against him before his army had all come and there he fell and his two brothers Gyrth and Leofwine and William subdued this land, and came to Westminster and archbishop Ealdred hallowed him king and men paid him tribute and gave him hostages and afterwards bought their land

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An. M.LXVI. On þyssum geare man halgode þet mynster æt Westmynstre on Cyldamæsse dæg 7 se cyng Eadward forðferde on Twelfts mæsse æfen 7 hine mann bebyrgede on Twelftan mæssedæg innan þære niwa halgodre circean on Westmyntre 7 Harold eorl feng to Englalandes cynerice swa swa se cyng hit him geuðe 7 eac men hine þærto gecuron 7 wæs gebletsod to cynge on Twelftan mæssedæg 7 þa ylcan geare þe he cyng wæs he for ut mid sciphere togeanes Willelme ... 7 þa hwile com Willelm eorl upp æt Hestingan on Sce Michaeles mæssedæg 7 Harold com norðan 7 him wið gefeaht ear þan þe his here com eall 7 þær he feoll 7 his twægen gebroðra Gyrð 7 Leofwine and Willelm þis land geeode 7 com to Westmynstre 7 Ealdred arceb hine to cynge gehalgode 7 menn guldon him gyld 7 gislas sealdon 7 syððan heora land bohtan

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