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Vgv8 Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary

Why is ship referred to as woman though the latter brings misfortunes to it?

I use English for many-many years and it came to me as revelation that English words do not have genders.
I remeber that sailors internationally, including English-speaking one, refer as "she" and "her".
Am I correct about English "ship" ?

What is the origin of associating a ship with a woman while it is common superstition that a woman on a ship brings the trouble and misfortunes to a ship?
  

Top answer

You're correct about feminine pronouns being used to refer to a ship. It's a long standing tradition. It applies (optionally) to most inanimate forms of transportation.

— Avangi

  • You're correct about feminine pronouns being used to refer to a ship.
  • It's a long standing tradition.
  • It applies (optionally) to most inanimate forms of transportation.
  • I'm afraid my truck broke her axle.
  • Is the train on time?
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3 Answers
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You're correct about feminine pronouns being used to refer to a ship. It's a long standing tradition.

It applies (optionally) to most inanimate forms of transportation.

I'm afraid my truck broke her axle.

Is the train on time? (reply) She's running about six minutes late.

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Seems I split the question between 2 threads having also answers in

Can I say: "I rejected her" (abt job)?

I'm sorry
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No problem.

I've never heard a job referred to as "her," not even as a joke.

You might say, "This job is just like having a wife!" But where do we put the "her"?
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