Re: French Grammar

[picarda7@cti.ecp.fr (Arnaud PICARD)]

MCQUARRF@ucfv.bc.ca wrote:

>In a previous post (which I lost :( ) someone stated that "le professeur" was
>correct French grammar for both female and male teachers.

>If this is the case, please explain to me why I just finished a mailing for a
>bilingual organization that went to "Cher Professeur" (Dear [Male] Professor)
>and "Chere Professeuse" {Dear [Female] Professor).

>Technically, the single gender term is correct. But in actual usage, there are
>more and more job-descriptive nouns that are recognizing that both men and
>women do those jobs. It's that feminism thing, you know :)

>Cheers, Fiona
>une professeuse

Let's say that French is a 'macho' language. Such words as Professeur
and Avocat and Médecin (medecin) are considered to belong to the male
gender (in the grammar, I mean). Though when you ask a teacher who is
a woman, you'd call her 'chère professeur' (or chere professeur). But
I admit you're own way, though it sounds weird to a French ear, would
be more 'politically correct' and, let's face it, just(i hate that
word and what it sometimes stands for).

Arnaud