Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 22:24:46 -0500

From: Benjamin Barrett Gogaku[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]GNN.COM

Subject: Re: why are ships referred to as she (fwd)



One of our area libraries directed this question to us which we have not

been

very successful in answering. Apparently a class has been given the

assignment of finding out why ships and boats are referred to as SHE.

We have looked in all sorts of ship and sea lore books but all we can find

is, yes they are referred to as SHE. Any information and sources as to why

sailing vessels are spoken of in the female gender would be appreciated.



Nothing but a guess here. I always thought it was because sailors were male

and they always talked about being married to the sea, etc, etc. I guess it

could be the other way around, though it seems less likely.



I also have so no particular reason, perhaps, that mother country is the

reason we refer(red) to countries as she also.



yoroshiku

Benjamin Barrett