So why does Japanese have multiple words for the same number? It's partly to do with superstition - “shi” sounds like the Japanese word for death and “ku” can mean suffering; “shichi” can also mean “place of death”.
Based on this article, we can conclude that gender socialization can have a large impact on how one gender interacts with another one. The way in which we talk, communicate and think about the world is influenced by the way in which we are socialized. This affects the way we relate to one another.
An example of this is gossip. Most people consider gossip to be wrong, but they also consider it to be a female trait rather than a male trait. The book suggests that women tend to use language more often as a way to build rapport and common ground. This spirit of cooperation could be behind the concept of gossip, as it allows women to establish tighter bonds with their community. I believe this has been my experience, as women often talk about people as a way to show interest in their lives and demonstrate that they are part of the same community.
