SPORTY or SPORTIVE?

Glikeria   Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:24 am GMT
If a girl is keen on baseball and tennis, can we say “ She is a sporty girl”?
I’ve got doubts because the definition I found is “stylish, loud or gay”; sportive = playful.
Guest   Tue Jun 20, 2006 9:43 am GMT
Why not just call her athletic?
Bonnie Zhang   Tue Jun 20, 2006 4:45 pm GMT
Yeah, I guess "athletic" is the proper word, but I've also heard "sporty" used.

As for "sportive", it's French, feminine form, I think.
Johnathan Mark   Tue Jun 20, 2006 9:48 pm GMT
No one I know would ever describe a person as being "sporty" or "sportive." Athletic is the right word (although I must admit no one I know would ever say someone is "keen" on something, so our speech patterns are definately different from the Brits)
Chris   Wed Jun 21, 2006 3:35 am GMT
I use the word "sporty" to mean trendy. I've never heard/seen/used "sportive" before.
Glikeria   Wed Jun 21, 2006 3:44 am GMT
Tnx, folks!
Jim   Wed Jun 21, 2006 4:51 pm GMT
We don't use different adjectives depending on gender in English. I'd use either "sporty" or "athletic" but I don't feel that they mean the same thing.