British Newspaper Lloyd's List sinks 'she' for ships

LONDON (AP) - A shipping-industry newspaper said yesterday it
will no longer refer to ships with the feminine pronoun "she," ending
centuries of seafaring tradition.

Lloyd's List, founded in 1734 and one of the world's oldest daily
publications, said in the future it will refer to all vessels as "it."

In an editorial, the newspaper said it was time to "bring the paper into
line with most other reputable international business titles."

"I decided that it was time to catch up with the rest of the world, and
most other news organizations refer to ships as neuter," said editor Julian
Bray.

But, he added, "I don't think there is anything wrong with calling ships
'she' in conversation. It's a respectable maritime tradition."

Mr. Bray, 38, said he is expecting a "full and vibrant array of letters"
from the newspaper's 10,000 readers worldwide.

Pieter van der Merwe, general editor at the Greenwich Maritime
Museum at Greenwich, in London, opposed the decision.

"It is a chip out of the wall of a particular cultural sector," he said. "You
can say it's a small thing, but small things mount up.

"You actually lose the color of specialist areas if you destroy the
language of them. We will continue to refer to ships as 'she' here."

Mr. van der Merwe said the tradition of calling ships "she" grew out of
sailors' affection for their vessels, which kept them alive at sea.

Lloyd's List will change its style in April. Columnists still will be free
to use the female pronoun.

March 21, 2002

News Articles
Home

3/20/02