Inanimate objects.

[Jaylyn]

I just read all the post on gender fluid and a thought popped into my mind ( I know dangerous for me but here goes)
Why do we name most inanimate objects usually female names.
I've got a boat name Betsy, my hunting jeep I call it a she. ( just the other day I told a friend yep she's been a good one)
There are some things I just call a Its. Like the light bulb burned out I say "it's broken" but if I caught me saying telling someone been painting the house and I said giving her a new coat of paint on the warm days this winter.
We give non living things a gender title and most of the time it's a female one. Why is this that way. Are we thinking subconisiousvly in female role?

[Micki_Finn]

I think it probably has its roots in the patriarchy. We most often refer to cars and boats this right? And neither, as men believed in the past, could ever make it very far without a man in control. Just my theory.

[NancySue]

My guess is Historical traditions. The Hispanic language is almost totally divided into masculine (if word ends in an “o”) and feminine if the word ends in “a”. Boats, cars, airplanes, tools, and many more.

[Monique65]

I see it as expressing terms of endearment.

[jacques]

...Why do we name most inanimate objects usually female names.

hello,
In some languages (e.g. French) inanimate objects have a gender; perhaps that continues unconsciously into English?
Although cars a feminine in french, most of my cars have been masculine (to me).
But to pick up on your point - do you think crossdressers seek out feminine cars or do we tend to give them feminine names more than vanilla men?
luv J

[Pat]

Why do we name most inanimate objects usually female names.

I challenge the "we." I don't personify inanimate objects. I remember when I was in my late teens and taking a battery of tests prior to entering the Army one of the questions was, "Do you name your car?" and up until that moment it never occurred to me that someone would do that. I mean, I had read stories and seen movies where people called their cars/rifles/whatever "Old Bessy" or whatever, but it never occurred to me that actual, rational human beings would do that -- I just thought it was a literary conceit.

So, I'd guess that if you're the sort who names cars or whatever, you've been taught rules for how the name should be formulated and you're just applying them. If the names are female, someone taught you that those names should be female.

[LilSissyStevie]

My mother used to give things (cars, house plants, etc) human names (always female) and even ascribed human personality traits to them. It was just a cutsie affectation that annoyed me to no end. Yet, I often find myself giving animals human motivations. Anthropomorphism seems to be universal. Another question: Why do I think of dogs as masculine and cats as feminine?

[Teresa]

Jacques,
French is confusing , I do wonder if they've always historically had a problem with gender issues , a dog is masculine whether it's a dog or a bitch and a cat is feminine again irrespective of gender .

When somethings plays you up it becomes a , " Right bitch !" No I can't explain it myself !

[Stephanie47]

The don't think we are thinking subconsciously in female role. My father named his cars with a female name. I have not. Perhaps a car, boat, something with an engine needs to perform in a certain manner. Therefore, we perhaps are thinking we need to coax the car (boat, etc) along. Sort of trying to get a close female relative to do what we want? I do not recall my female friends, acquaintances, relatives naming their vehicles.

As to languages ascribing gender to nouns throw in German for an indefinite article; die, der and das or ein and eine

[docrobbysherry]

I agree with Pat. I've never considered naming a car, boat, house, etc. (Larger boats often have names on their stern and registration papers). Nor can I recall knowing anyone personally who did. Male or female. However, I'm guessing it's more of a female characteristic than male?

So, maybe trans would enjoy doing this?

[char GG]

I'm with ...sherry. I have only known one person in - my whole life - who named their car. Very few people in our marina have boats with female names. Also, I have never heard of calling a house "she". Maybe it's a regional thing that people name their "stuff".

[Asew]

My wife and some of her friends have named all their cars and most are feminine and none are masculine. My youngest and myself had our own nickname for our van based on a park we go to (he has Mendon boots and takes the Mendon van to go to Mendon Ponds). I can't even remember what my wife named our current van since she doesn't refer to it by name (she did for her first car though).

[Sallee]

Never saw a boat named Jack, John or Bill can't think of any boat I have ever seen with a mans name My boat is Saorise a female Irish name (go ahead try and pronounce it).
Maybe my next boat will have a mans name. I think you're right it is a Patriarchy thing. My next boat will be a man's name May its because we, males, have control over it and we all know, subconsciously anyway, its the females who control us.

[Tracii G]

No I have never seen the need to cast a gender on an inanimate object.
I know people do it and have for years thats why I choose not to.

[Evie82]

The only inanimate objects I give names to are my musical instruments, particularly my guitars. I think for musical instruments it’s down to forming an emotional bond with a beautiful object that one handles with care and tenderness to produce beautiful music. The ones I have names for have earned their names and do have female names except for one of them - Doozie, my 12 string. The others are still waiting so we’ll see how their personalities come through, but there’s no certainty that the names will be specifically female.
As it happens, my partner’s guitars are called Gabriel and Bob...

[DIANEF]

My boys used to give our cars names when they were young and the habit kind of stuck around. Some were female names, some were not, it just depended on the cars actual name (Flossy the Fiesta for instance)

[docrobbysherry]

On second thot, I guess I gave my boobs names. But, r "Left", and, "Rite", girl or boy names!?

[Angie G]

Because we never know what they are going to do.
Angie

[ToniG]

Over in the corner of my room sit "Blondie" , Blackie" , and "Red". Three curvaceous beauties- waiting for me to pick them up and make their strings vibrate. Have had as many as 8 instruments at one time with diff names, but not all females. Never have had vehicles with female names. Do have one Styrofoam display head w/jewelry on that I call "Mildred". And the Girls that I have on right now are just "The Girls". Toni G..

[Beverley Sims]

I named my 12 ft yacht, "After You".

That lasted about six months and all the girls I knew and sailed with at the time loved it. :-)

Got the idea from a TV show.

[Dana44]

I agree that fem names are used for trucks and cars. Even boats. It has always been this way.

[Joni T]

The only thing I name is my truck on those rare occasions when something doesn't operate correctly and then I can't tell you here what I name it.
Jon

[Julia1984]

All our cars have had names. Always. They're almost always boy names, too. Even my old 911 (probably the most girlie car of all of them) had a boy name. Exceptions were an ancient VW Polo (Polly not v imaginative) and a Volvo SUV named rather unkindly after Miranda Hart because of the overall dimensions.

[Nikkilovesdresses]

Try living in a country like France with masc/fem words, it's a nightmare. Be thankful you can choose to call a boat she- in France all boats are masculine, so are all cars. Try saying la bateau and you'll be met with raised eyebrows or a wince.

[Lana Mae]

The lady in the commercial said her car was named Brad! My wife had a caterpillar with wobbly eyes(pom poms stitched together with eyes and antennae)named Buggeta! Never named my vehicles or guitars! Maybe why I could never get any pretty music out of them! LOL Hugs Lana Mae