Posted by Robert Dilley on March 25, 2002 at 16:27:51 from 216.211.68.96:
In Reply to: Re: Ships as posted by Robert Hill on March 24, 2002 at 19:29:43:
I don't know about the tradition of referring to boats in French Canada, but I suspect the article used would depend on the gender of the noun (eg "bateau" is masculine). A few years back I stayed at a posh hotel in Montreal called "LE Reine Elizabeth". When I queried the used of the masculine article for a female name, I was told it was because "hotel" in French is masculine. Be grateful English doesn't have to worry about these things.