The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy are some objects – ships, countries, the moon – referred to as 'she'? I’d be fascinated to know why do we sometimes refer to ships, countries, the church, the Earth, the moon and cars among other things as “she”? Is it the same in other languages? Keith WilliamsPost your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published on Sunday.

Source: The Guardian March 23, 2021 12:00 UTC