Unsavory language question

[rogin]

I'm still struggling with the subtleties of the English language, so I have a question for the native english speakers on my flist. I was reading slash lately (big surprise) and I was wondering about some words, the terms "slut" and "whore" in particular. In German (like in French or Italian) most nouns have a gender. The translations of both this terms would be female in German, so they sound a bit awkward to me, when I'm reading them in slashfiction.
So I'm wondering, do they have a gender implication in English too, or would you say you perceive them as gender neutral? I dimly remember Brian being called a man-whore once, so I suspect that at least whore has a female implication,somehow.

Comments

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the explanation, this really had me wondering.
So it's not just German, that's automatically associating the negative aspects to the female and the positive to male. *sighs, kicks annoying sexist world*

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Right there with you kicking.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Of course, they aren't feminine in the

language

they the way they would be in German, but are considered feminine attributes - which plays a lot into the power dynamics that seem so important in slash (I'm by no means an expert in those though).

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's clear. In German both words have feminine endings, so it would sound maybe like calling a man a stewardess, or something like that. I suppose it comes a little easier in English to switch away from the usual gender implication.