May I say "die Kotlin" (programming language)?

Question

Talking of a programming language, which definite article is one supposed to use? As far as I understand, Programmiersprache is feminine, does that actually mean that I should say "die Kotlin" or "die Scala" on that rare occasion when I need to use definite article at all.

Such as in

"It's the Java language, the Java specifications, and the Java runtime."

Answer 1

In my experience, if the name of a programming language is declared with an article, it is likely neuter; This would only apply to instances, for instance: "das C, das er schreibt".

This applies to language names in general, "Ich verstehe das texanische Englisch kaum". This may well be compared to e.g. "texanisches Englisch". The rules around articles are, uhm, difficult; It depends if the noun is countable, plural, individual, and whether it is used attributively.

Programming language names are proper names and as such virtually never used with an article.

Ich schreibe ein Programm in Lisp für Steve. Es wird ein [male] Lisp-Interpreter. Ich schreibe ein [neuter] Lisp in Lisp.

The usage is pretty much parallel to English. Except that German marks gender.

After all, a generic, even indefinite es is very productive, so it seems to be the default. Phono-semantically, -in could become perceived as a female marker, but I find that improbable.

"Die Kotlin-Sprache" strikes me as unidiomatic, and unwieldy on top of that, anyhow.

EDIT

habe völlig die Frage verfehlt. Ob du das "darfst" ist eher subjektiv. Soweit "dürfen" von "darben" kommt, hängt die Antwort also davon ab, ob und wie sehr du darbest. Eine körperliche oder emotionale Notlage, die ein Zugeständnis meinerseits erfordern würde sehe ich nicht. Dagegen gibt es aber auch kaum einen Grund es zu verbieten, außer zur Bewahrung eines Zusammengehörigkeit. In diesem Sinne würde die ger.SE Gemeinschaft vermutlich stärkere Argumente wünschen. Du darfst nicht denken "der/die/das Joghurt [-Becher/Schale/Glas]" bedürfte einer Entscheidung.

Answer 2

First, let me split your question into two ones:

1. Talking of a programming language, which definite article [is] one supposed to use?
2. [...] Programmiersprache is feminine, does that actually mean that I should say "die Kotlin" or "die Scala" on that rare occasion when I need to use definite article at all[?]

In German, languages are typically neuter. This also applies for programming languages. For example, when a definite article is supposed to be used, it is

• das Deutsch
• das Englisch
• das C++
• das Visual Basic
• das Kotlin
• ...

This implies that the answer to your second question, regarding your assumption on the origin of the programming language's gender, is "no, it doesn't". The gender is already determined to be neuter; it does not depend on anything else, such as the gender of Programmiersprache.

---

Now, let me turn to your example sentences. Notice that they are of two different kinds.

It's the Java language, the Java specifications, and the Java runtime.
⇆
Es ist die Programmiersprache Java, die Java-Spezifikationen und die Java-Laufzeitbibliothek.

Here, the definite articles die belong to the feminine nouns Programmiersprache, Spezifikationen, and Laufzeitbibliothek, respectively, rather than to Java. (By the way this is like in English. The articles the belong to the nouns language, specification, and runtime, respectively.)

You need only one language, and it's the java.
⇆
Man braucht nur eine Sprache, und das ist (das) Java.

Here, the definite article das indeed belongs to Java. In German, it is typically omitted, which is why I put it into brackets. When to retain and when to omit it, is not within the scope of this answer.

---

I want to conclude with examples, where the programming language is in different grammatical cases:

• Er ist mit dem Visual Basic nicht so vertraut.
• Das C++ ist ganz schön schwer zu erlernen.
• Die Vorzüge des Lisps sind unverkennbar.
• Sprecht ihr über das neue HTML 5.2?

Answer 3

While the actual question is already answered (language names in German are neuter), your approach for decision-making, visible in

Programmiersprache is feminine, does that actually mean [...]

shows a misunderstanding that even native German speakers suffer from, namely that gender would follow the gender of some category name.

The grammatical gender of the collective name (or category name) gives no indication of the gender of the noun for the things it generalizes. But the category itself may rule the gender. See for example:

Der Baum: m

• die Fichte
• die Kiefer
• most trees are feminine (this is such a gender rule)
• aber
  • der Mammutbaum (compound noun, last word Baum dictates gender)
  • der Ahorn (one of the exceptions – thanks to bakunin for the the comment!)
  • der Ginkgo (exotic tree whose name dates back to a transliteration or spelling mistake around 1690)

Die Krankheit: f

• der Husten
• der Scharlach
• der Schnupfen
• das Asthma
• die Gicht

Das Gefäß: n

• der Eimer
• die Tonne
• das Fass

For further information, see

• Grammatical gender in German - Wikipedia
  • especially the rules in section #Noun meanings

Answer 4

You don't use a definite article (der, die, das) at all, you only use the (proper) name of the programming language:

Wrong:

Die Kotlin ist leicht zu verstehen.

Manche betrachten die Kotlin als den Nachfolger von die Java.

Correct:

Kotlin ist leicht zu verstehen.

Manche betrachten Kotlin als den Nachfolger von Java.

This applies to all programming languages.