On 30 Oct 2000, 11:24, Vicki wrote:
> I'm working on a poem (still in my head, at the moment), and I was
> wondering whether mountains are referred to as "she", as boats are?
>From my reading of the derivation of the meaning of the word, I'd say
we could make a case for the feminine gender:
http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=mountain
moun�tain (mountn)
n.
Abbr. mt., Mt., mtn., Mtn. A natural elevation of the earth's surface
having considerable mass, generally steep sides, and a height greater
than that of a hill.
A large heap: a mountain of laundry.
A huge quantity: a mountain of trouble.
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[Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, muntaigne, from
Vulgar Latin *montnea, from feminine of *montneus, of a mountain, from
Latin montnus, from mns, mont- mountain; see men-2 in Indo-European
Roots.]
-------end-------
...it says there "from feminine of *montneus.."
> What about the weather, or climate?
That would depend on whether or not you were speaking of stable weather
or erratic weather. <g>
Alan
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
