What reflexive pronoun should I use when referring to a city, itself or herself?
Lisbon is a city that does not show herself/itself.
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3Historically, cities, ships, the ocean, etc, were treated as feminine for the purposes of pronouns. That practice has fallen into disuse, however, and the neuter itself would be strongly favored today (except perhaps in language which specifically aims to imitate the florid usage of the past, possibly for rhetorical purposes).– Dan BronCommented Jun 30, 2015 at 11:11
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1(Incidentally, this is why in classical art, Liberty, Brittania, and other such abstract notions were rendered as women in sculpture, painting and even coins and bills.)– Dan BronCommented Jun 30, 2015 at 11:50
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@DanBron Good point but,lest there be any doubt about liberty's femininity, it really calls for Eugène Delacroix's *La Liberté guidant le peuple– WS2Commented Jun 30, 2015 at 12:04
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1It depends on the style you're going for. If you use herself to refer to a city in casual everyday speech, it will sound archaic and affected.– NicoleCommented Jun 30, 2015 at 14:08
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1 Answer
In ordinary speech, always itself. But there is a long poetic tradition of referring to cities as she, so in elegant writing, herself will be fine.
answered Jun 30, 2015 at 13:33
