Sex vs Gender

R

Rainbowlight

Senior Member
Spanish
Hello everyone,

I would like to know whether the translation of English words for sex (as in sexuality; as the consideration of males and females collectively and, of course, as sexual intercourse) and gender (the assignment and learning of certain set of traits and the way we perform these traits socially - this includes, of course, the words man and woman) into your native language makes use, as it happens in the English language, of two clearly different words.

I myself am Spanish. The word "sex" was used until very recently both for sexual intercourse and also for marking gender ("el sexo femenino y el sexo masculino".)

I cannot wait to read your answers.

Thanks for your time and help.
 
    • In Mandarin, both sex and gender are translated as 性别 (xingbie), which has led to some criticism these days. Therefore, to make a distinction, some people translate gender by adding the word 社会 (shehui, socially) in front of it, i.e. 社会性别 (shehuixingbie). Sexual intercourse is a different word，性交 (xingjiao).
     
    In Greek gender is «φύλο» [ˈfilo̞] (neut.) < Classical Greek «φῦλον» /ˈpʰŷːlon/ (neut.), a deverbative from the Classical verb «φύω» /ˈpʰyɔː/ --> to grow, arise. Note that its feminine form «φυλή» [fiˈli] (MoGr) < Classical Gr «φυλή» /pʰyːˈlɛː/ means race.
    «Σεξ» [se̞k͡s̠] (neut. indeclinable) < Fr. sexe, is sexual intercourse in the vernacular.
     
    Russian:
    секс ['sɛks] - a sexual intercourse, sexual activity
    пол ['pɔɫ] - biological sex; collective description of certain sex (from "half")
    род ['ɾɔt] - grammatical gender (literally, "kin", "extended family", "genus")
    гендер ['ɡʲendər] - gender as a scientific, sociocultural concept
     
    Shirleen said:
    In Mandarin, both sex and gender are translated as 性别 (xingbie), which has led to some criticism these days. Therefore, to make a distinction, some people translate gender by adding the word 社会 (shehui, socially) in front of it, i.e. 社会性别 (shehuixingbie). Sexual intercourse is a different word，性交 (xingjiao).
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much.
     
    apmoy70 said:
    In Greek gender is «φύλο» [ˈfilo̞] (neut.) < Classical Greek «φῦλον» /ˈpʰŷːlon/ (neut.), a deverbative from the Classical verb «φύω» /ˈpʰyɔː/ --> to grow, arise. Note that its feminine form «φυλή» [fiˈli] (MoGr) < Classical Gr «φυλή» /pʰyːˈlɛː/ means race.
    «Σεξ» [se̞k͡s̠] (neut. indeclinable) < Fr. sexe, is sexual intercourse in the vernacular.
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much. May I ask if the word «φύλο» is related to the prefix "φίλος", as in "φιλολογία"?
     
    Awwal12 said:
    Russian:
    секс ['sɛks] - a sexual intercourse, sexual activity
    пол ['pɔɫ] - biological sex; collective description of certain sex (from "half")
    род ['ɾɔt] - grammatical gender (literally, "kin", "extended family", "genus")
    гендер ['ɡʲendər] - gender as a scientific, sociocultural concept
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much.
     
    Rainbowlight said:
    Thank you very much. May I ask if the word «φύλο» is related to the prefix "φίλος", as in "φιλολογία"?
    Click to expand...
    I'm afraid the two are unrelated (don't be misled by the MoGr convergence in pronunciation of Υυ & Ιι as /i/ that's less than a 1000 yo shift) φίλος has an interesting, complex & unclear etymology:
    -For one school of thought it's an ancient Anatolian loan = Lydian bhilis, his, her > Gr. «φίλος» with earliest meaning one's own, my man (see Manfred Landfester's "Spudagmata" p. 40).
    -For other linguists, the word is an l-derivative of the Classical reflexive «σφεῖς» /ˈspʰeî̯s/, Aeol./Ion./Hom. «σφί(ν)» /ˈspʰi(n)/, Dor. «φίν» /ˈpʰin/ --> they, themselves < σ-zero grade of PIE *se- reflexive pronoun "οneself" (see Paul Kretschmer's "Glotta: zeitschrift für griechische und lateinische sprache" p. 22).
    Φύλον, φυλή on the other hand is from the verb φύω (see my previous post).
     
    Slovak:

    sex = sex, (gramatický) rod = (grammatical) gender

    pohlavie = gender, but - pohlavný = sexual, pohlavne = sexually, pohlavnosť = sexuality (all from po = after, hlava = head and the corresponding endings)
     
    Cymraeg/Welsh

    rhyw     (n.m.f.) 'sex', 'sexual intercourse' (We 'receive' sexual intercourse, not 'have' or 'give' it ...)
    rhyw (n.m.f.) 'biological sex'
    cenedl (n.f.) 'grammatical gender' (Literally, 'nation')

    To those in South Wales, the words in this sentence is all homophones: Rhyw rhiw rhyw ('Some hill sex').
     
    In French : Sexe and Genre.
    Note that this use of "genre" is quite new. For instance in the TLFi, a very respected French Dictionary that was not updated after 1994, genre has nothing to do with the assignment and learning of certain set of traits and the way we perform these traits socially.
     
    Awwal12 said:
    Russian:
    секс ['sɛks] - a sexual intercourse, sexual activity
    пол ['pɔɫ] - biological sex; collective description of certain sex (from "half")
    род ['ɾɔt] - grammatical gender (literally, "kin", "extended family", "genus")
    гендер ['ɡʲendər] - gender as a scientific, sociocultural concept
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much!

    does this mean that only секс cab be used when referring to sexual intercourse? Could it be possible to also use the Russian word пол to describe a sex act?

    Thanks again for your help. : )
     
    apmoy70 said:
    I'm afraid the two are unrelated (don't be misled by the MoGr convergence in pronunciation of Υυ & Ιι as /i/ that's less than a 1000 yo shift) φίλος has an interesting, complex & unclear etymology:
    -For one school of thought it's an ancient Anatolian loan = Lydian bhilis, his, her > Gr. «φίλος» with earliest meaning one's own, my man (see Manfred Landfester's "Spudagmata" p. 40).
    -For other linguists, the word is an l-derivative of the Classical reflexive «σφεῖς» /ˈspʰeî̯s/, Aeol./Ion./Hom. «σφί(ν)» /ˈspʰi(n)/, Dor. «φίν» /ˈpʰin/ --> they, themselves < σ-zero grade of PIE *se- reflexive pronoun "οneself" (see Paul Kretschmer's "Glotta: zeitschrift für griechische und lateinische sprache" p. 22).
    Φύλον, φυλή on the other hand is from the verb φύω (see my previous post).
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much.
     
    vianie said:
    Slovak:

    sex = sex, (gramatický) rod = (grammatical) gender

    pohlavie = gender, but - pohlavný = sexual, pohlavne = sexually, pohlavnosť = sexuality (all from po = after, hlava = head and the corresponding endings)
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much for your help. However, I am at loss when reading about the etymology of the word. What does sexual intercourse has to do whit the word "head"? Could you please elaborate on that?

    Thanks again for your help.
     
    Welsh_Sion said:
    Cymraeg/Welsh

    rhyw     (n.m.f.) 'sex', 'sexual intercourse' (We 'receive' sexual intercourse, not 'have' or 'give' it ...)
    rhyw (n.m.f.) 'biological sex'
    cenedl (n.f.) 'grammatical gender' (Literally, 'nation')

    To those in South Wales, the words in this sentence is all homophones: Rhyw rhiw rhyw ('Some hill sex').
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much for your help.
     
    Michelvar said:
    In French : Sexe and Genre.
    Note that this use of "genre" is quite new. For instance in the TLFi, a very respected French Dictionary that was not updated after 1994, genre has nothing to do with the assignment and learning of certain set of traits and the way we perform these traits socially.
    Click to expand...
    Merci beaucoup pour votre aide. : )
     
    Rainbowlight said:
    I am at loss when reading about the etymology of the word. What does sexual intercourse has to do whit the word "head"? Could you please elaborate on that?
    Click to expand...
    Thanks for the question; I know I've made it a bit messy, although I hoped it can be smoothly understood. :)

    Nonetheless, gimme some time so that I can read up on the issues (not only) for you in more detail...
     
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