There has been a minor hub-bub of late over the decision by the Scottish Maritime Museum to use gender-neutral references to ships after vandals have scratched out references to “she” several times on museum displays. Putting aside the question of whether vandals are the best choice for dictating museum policies, the museum is not alone in moving to gender-neutral labeling for ships. Lloyd’s List, the more than 280-year-old publication has been referring to ships as “it” rather than as “she” since 2002.
Not surprisingly, not everyone is happy with the change. The Telegraph reports that supporters of the museum expressed their dismay on social media. “This isn’t how it works. You don’t get to erase history, and like it or not ships have always been referred to as she,” said Jennifer Sorbara.
Well, maybe yes and maybe no. This may be true for English speakers but shipping is and has always been an international business. In other languages, ships can be he, she or it, sometimes both.
OK, so let’s get specific. Perhaps ironically, the question of gender arises specifically because English does not specify noun genders like so many languages.
In Dutch, the word for ship, schip, is a neuter noun so the pronoun is “it.” The same is true for German, Schiff, and Norwegian, skip. In Greek ships are also “it.”
In Dutch and German the words for boat are also neuter nouns. On the other hand, Bootsfahrt, a boat trip, is feminine. In Norwegian, while ships are “it,” the word for boat, båt, is masculine, so the pronoun is “he.”
In French, most words for ships or boats are masculine, including navire, bateau, and, vaisseau. The exception is the word for launch, chaloupe, which is feminine.
In Spanish, words for ships are both masculine and feminine so ships can be either “he” or “she” depending on the word you use. Barco and buque are both “he,” whereas nave and embarcación are “she.”
And so on. By now I am sure that you get the idea. Ships can be any gender or none at all depending on which language one is using.
If English speaking fleets dominated the world of shipping as Britain did during past centuries and as the United States did briefly in the 19th and 20th centuries, a case might be made that English speaking traditions should hold sway. That, however, is not the case today, so perhaps some flexibility is in order.
Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.
From Robert Lawrence ex Royal Navy:
Why is a ship a “she”? We always call a ship a “she” and not without a reason.
For she displays a well-shaped knee regardless of the season.
She scorns the man whose heart is faint and doesn’t show him pity.
And like a girl she needs the paint to keep her looking pretty.
For love she’ll brace the ocean vast, be she a gig or cruiser.
But if you fail to tie her fast you’re almost sure to lose her.
On ships and dames we pin our hopes, we fondle them and dandle them.
And every man must know his ropes or else he cannot handle them.
Be firm with her and she’ll behave when skies are dark above you.
And let her take a water wave – praise her, and she’ll love you.
That’s why a ship must have a mate; she needs a good provider.
A good strong arm to keep her straight, to comfort her and guide her.
For such she’ll brace the roughest gales and angry seas that crowd her.
And in a brand new suit of sails no dame looks any prouder.
The ship is like a dame in that she’s feminine and swanky;
You’ll find the one that’s broad and fat is never mean and cranky.
Yes ships are ladylike indeed, for take them altogether
the ones that show a lot of speed can’t stand the roughest weather.
From what I have observed it depends on the owner. If the owner is male, the boat / vehicle takes on a female persona and vise a versa.
As the locals to the museum stated, it was done in history and should not be changed for history. Yet I have met people whom have it in their noggin that no matter what is said, because it wasnt gender neutral, everyone is wrong. This day and age we can only try to do what we have been told is right. Yet as the song Garden Party by Rick Nelson so eloquently points out.
“But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can’t please everyone, so ya got to please yourself”
Still true after all these years
How could a powerful tugboat named THOR be anything but a masculine “HE” or a beautiful Clipper Ship named SEA WITCH be anything but a feminine “SHE” ? To call either “IT” is disheartening. Political correctness needs common sense limits.
As for ship gender?
That depends on how much trouble or problems you have during your voyage!
Some may say it was a “heck” of a trip and the ship was a real Bi___ to handle during the voyage
I have over the years kept away from this argument that is until now. A ship is she just as is my Vincent motorcycle or my cousins steam engines. Of course she is the right term have you ever heard the helm saying come on IT, of course not its – `come on old girl come round’ – in my world of sailing ships and sea shanties the references are always to SHE for she has a fine run abaft and a pointed bow, she has topsl`s and at the very least a fine turn of the bilge, you always sail in not on a ship just as man is born of womankind. There are words I could use to describe the somewhat ridiculous PC crowd but they are unprintable here.
Victor Hugo wrote s fine poem often used for our dear departed ladies one of the lines refers to a lady as a ship that passed.
`you see her topsails pass over the horizon do not mind her going for here she comes seen by new eyes as she goes on her way’
A “vessel,” containing and protecting souls on board. A mother and perhaps more than metaphorically.
Sure, “she” is old-fashioned and somewhat superstitious but anybody who has been protected by a boat in challenging conditions gets it. Scum who’d vandalize a museum for any reason likely cannot as an axiomatic condition.