Why do some languages use gendered nouns? It seems to just add more complexity for no benefit.
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Quick Question (to OP and beyond) - the English language has wording for the gender of a person who acts - actor/actress.
Yet, these days, most people in the movie or theatre industry call themselves “actors”. They’ve dropped the word “actress”.
Do we know why?
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part of a wider trend eg “waitstaff” or “server” instead of “waiter”/“waitress”
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due to traditional heirarchies, most job descriptions ending in -ess (or worse, starlet instead of star) are a devalued or less respected title
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easier to just have one plural
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