Gets earlier every year?

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Courtenay
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Courtenay »

Well, no, I wouldn't do that either. It's just one of the problems with language, I guess. :wink:
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by KEVP »

In the film "Constantine" the angel Gabriel was played by actress Tilda Swinton. As is often the case with Swinton, she played the role rather androgynously.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Katharine »

This is one of the most moving things I have ever seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naBh7JDiGW4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Daisy »

That is so sad... makes one count one's blessings and hope we are wide awake enough to another's plight, that we can do something about it.
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.

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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Courtenay »

Yes, that was so moving, Katharine. Working mainly with older people as I do, I certainly see something of how much harder it can be for those who don't have family and/or close friends within easy reach. I've just seen this "World Hacks" video from the BBC, which put me in mind of the video you shared: Small island's postal service takes on a global problem

It just made me think, although of course it's not the complete solution, a "Call & Check" service like that could be one way of helping those who are lonely and isolated to connect with people and charities that can give them support. But there's so much individuals can do as well, of course, if only they're aware. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wished, while watching "Just Another Day", that those children living next door (and their parents) could notice John and even just smile and say hello to him, if not invite him to share Christmas dinner or just a cup of tea sometime. :(
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Darrell71 »

Courtenay wrote: I'm sure I'm not the only one who wished, while watching "Just Another Day", that those children living next door (and their parents) could notice John and even just smile and say hello to him, if not invite him to share Christmas dinner or just a cup of tea sometime. :(
No, you're not the only one. :)
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Moonraker »

I have always considered the angel, Gabriel, to be masculine. The Old and New Testament Bible, Koran, and Dead Sea Scrolls describe Gabriel with male pronouns. Having said that, he is often portrayed as a woman in paintings. Maybe Courtenay has a point, and angels are beyond gender.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Courtenay »

Moonraker wrote:Maybe Courtenay has a point, and angels are beyond gender.
Well, I can't say I know from personally meeting any, mind you... :wink:

Back on the topic of "Gets earlier every year?", I found this article this morning which would seem to confirm what we've all been suspecting: Christmas comes earlier in the UK, data shows :shock:
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by KEVP »

I am not sure that the "gender" of pronouns works the same in Hebrew (original language of Old Testament) and Arabic (original language of Koran) as it does in English.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Courtenay »

Well, I know enough Hebrew to know that it has only two genders — masculine and feminine, no neuter (rather like French and Spanish and some other languages) — and the word for angel is masculine. Hence an angel is always "he" whether or not the being in question is literally male! I don't know if there is any feminine version of the word at all.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by KEVP »

A language like French that has "masculine" and "feminine" genders isn't necessarily saying that the things actually are male and female.
I once had a French teacher who after telling us that "La Porte", the door, is feminine (in grammatical gender), went and kicked the door, explaining "But I wouldn't ever do that to a girl".
In German words that end in -chen are neuter in grammatical gender, including "Madchen", girl.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Courtenay »

That's exactly what I said — that just because "angel" is a masculine noun in many languages that have grammatical genders, doesn't mean that an angel (or any other masculine noun) is actually male.
KEVP wrote: In German words that end in -chen are neuter in grammatical gender, including "Madchen", girl.
Or in the immortal words of Mark Twain:
In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has. Think what overwrought reverence that shows for the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the girl. See how it looks in print -- I translate this from a conversation in one of the best of the German Sunday-school books:

Gretchen.
Wilhelm, where is the turnip?
Wilhelm.
She has gone to the kitchen.
Gretchen.
Where is the accomplished and beautiful English maiden?
Wilhelm.
It has gone to the opera.
:mrgreen:
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by IceMaiden »

Courtenay wrote:Here's a bit of festive fun I just discovered — a quiz for "Which nativity play character are you?"

(According to the result, I'm the Angel Gabriel... not sure how accurate it is, mind you. :mrgreen: :wink: )
I got Mary, which is strange as I actually did play Mary in our school nativity when I was only 4! I had to stand up and sing on my own in front of everyone which was petrifying!
Machupicchu14 wrote:They shouldn't have gender I say, but unfortunately they are always portrayed as male....
I have never thought of an angel as male ever. It's always been an angel for a female and a cherub for a male.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I've never thought of an angel as male either funnily enough. I guess maybe they 'should be' according to the bible (which after all was rewritten in very patriarchal times!) - but in our school nativity play when I was a small child, the angels were ALWAYS played by girls. There were about ten of them in our nativity, and they always stood around the front and sides of the stage with their arms folded across their chests!

Our nativity was great, I think I've said before - brilliant costumes which were used every year, and the three 'kings' were colour-coded - the blue and silver king, the red and silver king, and the gold and silver king. Each king had two male attendants in short red tunics with a sequin motif on the front (I was one of them) and also four 'harem girls' who danced behind, wearing crop tops with long baggy sleeves made of net and pantaloons, as well as a face veil. :D :D

The star-bearer was also always a girl. She carried a long golden pole with a big star fixed to the top. :D
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by pete9012S »

Could that be where you developed a liking for the stage, theatre and acting Rob?
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