Why Donald Duck not Donald Drake?

Question

When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? Before or after Donald Duck?

Youngsters do not learn the difference between a chicken, a hen, a rooster and a, let alone, ***, or duck and drake or goose and gander, doe and deer. Doe, by the way is also the female of various other mammals, such as the hare, goat, or kangaroo.
I have no idea if in Australia the female of the kangaroo is called "doe-" Does anyone know?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's a duck.

John W Hall (Email Removed)
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.
"Helping People Prosper in the Information Age"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I have no idea if in Australia the female of the kangaroo is called "doe-" Does anyone know?[/nq]
Yes, or a "flyer."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Youngsters do not learn the difference between a chicken, a hen, a rooster and a, let alone, ***, or duck and drake or goose and gander, doe and deer.[/nq]
1. Why do you suppose this is generally true?We can agree children are in a position to learn
(a) animal species, (b) animal sexes, but has
something changed in this learning? (Or has
nothing changed but you think the phenomenon
deplorable for some reason?)
2. These examples show most common animalsare named in one of two ways. Most are
"trinomial" in that three nouns identify the
species and the two sexes (e.g. fox, dog fox
and vixen, or deer, buck and doe.) A few seem
to be binomial e.g. goose and gander, duck
and drake.
But we still do not know the problem about
which RR invites comment.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? Before or after Donald Duck? Youngsters do not learn the ... deer. Doe, by the way is also the female of various other mammals, such as the hare, goat, or kangaroo.[/nq]
It's plausible that a child has better things to do than reiterating an animal's genital type every time the creature is mentioned. He or she might live in an environment where he or she is free of such archaic barnyard nuance.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? ... various other mammals, such as the hare, goat, or kangaroo.[/nq]
[nq:1]It's plausible that a child has better things to do than reiterating an animal's genital type every time the creature is mentioned. He or she might live in an environment where he or she is free of such archaic barnyard nuance.[/nq]
A lot of kids' fiction takes pains to draw attention to which characters are male and which are female, but I don't think many books aimed at young audiences make the distinctions you're talking about.

On the other hand, even quite young kids are aware of and think about at least some of the differences between boys and girls, (indeed, many go through a phase of thinking of cats as "girls" and dogs as "boys") so these questions are not entirely off their radar, especially if their families include pets.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? Before or after Donald Duck?[/nq]
The general term for the species is "duck". Even a farmer does not speak of raising hens and roosters, the generic term is "chickens" Thus a farmer raises "ducks" and one member may be termed a "duck".

Jan Sand

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? ... various other mammals, such as the hare, goat, or kangaroo.[/nq]
[nq:1]It's plausible that a child has better things to do than reiterating an animal's genital type every time the creature is mentioned. He or she might live in an environment where he or she is free of such archaic barnyard nuance.[/nq]
Re. gender: (I think this may be from the "Washington Post Style") Ziploc Bags: male, because they hold everything in, but you can always see right through them.
Swiss army knife: male, because even though it appears useful for a wide variety of work, it spends most of its time just opening bottles. Kidneys: female, because they always go to the bathroom in pairs. Shoe: male, because it is usually unpolished, with its tongue hanging out. Copier: female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm up. Because it an effective reproductive device when the right buttons are pushed. because it can wreak havoc when the wrong buttons are pushed. Tyre: male, because it goes bald and often over-inflated. Web page: female, because it is always getting hit on. Hour glass: female, because over time, the weight shifts to the bottom. Hammer: male, because it hasn't evolved much over the 5 000 years, but it's handy to have around.
Remote control: female, because it gives man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know the right buttons to push, he keeps trying.

Rob Bannister

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? Before or after Donald Duck?[/nq]
Re: Donald Duck, nee Drake ...
All I could discover that his middle name is Fauntleroy.

Dioeciously yours ...

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When did the trend to meld gender in animal start? Before or after Donald Duck?[/nq]
[nq:1]The general term for the species is "duck". Even a farmer does not speak of raising hens and roosters, the generic term is "chickens" Thus a farmer raises "ducks" and one member may be termed a "duck".[/nq]
Indeed and I note that the Peterson Guide refers to them as male and female ducks. That is likely a good thing as one blanches at the logical choice of a gender-specific name for a female American woodcock.

KHann

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The general term for the species is "duck". Even a ... raises "ducks" and one member may be termed a "duck".[/nq]
[nq:1]Indeed and I note that the Peterson Guide refers to them as male and female ducks. That is likely a good thing as one blanches at the logical choice of a gender-specific name for a female American woodcock.[/nq]
Woodhen? Has no emotional effect on me.
Jan Sand

Why Donald Duck not Donald Drake?

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