What is mankind?

[enimmead]

Just heard a bishop on Radio 4 praying for mankind.

That's kind of him.

"die Menschheit" - (german for humankind) is feminine too, btw, so is Maennlichkeit (manhood)

Is there a theory that grammatical gender has anythign to do with natural gender? I wasn't aware of that, but then I didn't pay too much attention in the linguistics lectures.

It's just a term...

Basil - I've heard people talking about it before, mostly with indignation why "Maedchen" takes neuter, but I guess that discussion is more rife in the German speaking world.