A Conversation for The Dark Roots of Blond(e) in The English Language
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nonsense
spook Started conversation Jul 30, 2003
complete and utter nonsense. the word 'blond' applies to both males and femalse in the british language. 'blonde' is totally french. however, even though it is adopted by people as applying to the female gender, especially in such things as 'blonde jokes', the word itself is non-existent in the english language.
spook
nonsense
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Jul 30, 2003
My dictionary (Merriam-Webster) lists both blond and blonde as proper English words, but doesn't say when you should use them.
nonsense
spook Posted Jul 30, 2003
Main Entry: blond
Variant(s): or blonde
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French blond, masculine, blonde, feminine
Date: 15th century
this is the Marriam Websters internet version. basically, 'blond' is the actual prper word, but a used vaiant is 'blonde', and the two different spellings are derived from french in the 15th cntury.
so, basically, blond i the actual word, blonde is a used variant, but only in french do the two words actually symbolise a difference in gender.
spook
not nonsense
Ashley Posted Jul 30, 2003
The etymology of the usage of Blond/e is the following:
It came into the English language from the French feminine adjective 'blonde'.
It arrived in popular British usage in the 1600s in the masculine form 'blond'
It reverted back to its original spelling through the repeated association of the word with the fairer sex.
However, the beauty of the English Language is that you can use both variants (as the OED should stipulate). For most people 'The Blonde Man' and 'The Blond Man' are correct.
However, linguists (like myself) will usually opt for the gender specific so the adjective becomes a noun - ie, the Blond married the Blonde.
not nonsense
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Jul 30, 2003
If that's what people do, then that's proper English! (I belong to the Descriptive rather than Prescriptive school of thought).
not nonsense
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Jul 30, 2003
I'll have to credit Anhaga with pointing out the naif / naive thing when this entry was in peer review.
not nonsense
anhaga Posted Jul 30, 2003
thank you Gnomon, you saved me making a post claiming priority.
not nonsense
Vestboy II not playing the Telegram Game at U726319 Posted Jul 30, 2003
Strange innit when throwing e's around that Jo should generally be seen as the feminine while Joe is the masculine.
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a Man from Mars Posted Jul 30, 2003
Although isn't it nice to have a choice. We all have our predelictions but chicken every night can be boring.
not nonsense
Vestboy II not playing the Telegram Game at U726319 Posted Jul 30, 2003
And it's definitely feminine even if you remove the e. Chick'n. See for yourself.
not nonsense
the third man(temporary armistice)n strike) Posted Jul 30, 2003
Why are lower nicotine cigarettes in France referred to as 'blondes' as in 'Gitanes Blondes?'. In the Uk they are known as 'lights'.
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Doogyman Posted Jul 30, 2003
How did the concept of gender, as applied to nouns, get started in the first place? It seems like a really stupid idea to me. Why are primitive languages very complex, while modern languages are much simpler? It seems like it should be the other way around -- the more civilization advances, the more complicated it gets. 
not nonsense
emlar Posted Jul 30, 2003
taken from my oxford dictionary... blond = fair-haired (man). blonde = fair-haired (woman)
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- 1: spook (Jul 30, 2003)
- 2: Gnomon - time to move on (Jul 30, 2003)
- 3: spook (Jul 30, 2003)
- 4: spook (Jul 30, 2003)
- 5: Ashley (Jul 30, 2003)
- 6: Gnomon - time to move on (Jul 30, 2003)
- 7: Gnomon - time to move on (Jul 30, 2003)
- 8: Ashley (Jul 30, 2003)
- 9: Ashley (Jul 30, 2003)
- 10: Gnomon - time to move on (Jul 30, 2003)
- 11: anhaga (Jul 30, 2003)
- 12: Vestboy II not playing the Telegram Game at U726319 (Jul 30, 2003)
- 13: a Man from Mars (Jul 30, 2003)
- 14: a Man from Mars (Jul 30, 2003)
- 15: Vestboy II not playing the Telegram Game at U726319 (Jul 30, 2003)
- 16: Ashley (Jul 30, 2003)
- 17: the third man(temporary armistice)n strike) (Jul 30, 2003)
- 18: Doogyman (Jul 30, 2003)
- 19: spook (Jul 30, 2003)
- 20: emlar (Jul 30, 2003)
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