Language and Gender A01 Terms Flashcards
What is mean by the term “androcentric language”?
A language focused on or in favour of men.
What is meant by the term “order of precedence”?
When the male term is placed before the female, such as “his and hers” to assume that the male is of higher status.
What is meant by the term “marked term?”
The way words are changed to be given additional meaning (terms for females are often ‘marked’ by the addition of a suffix e.g. actress)
What is meant by the term “unmarked term?”
The normal meaning or version of the word (male terms are ‘unmarked’ e.g. actor)
What is meant by the term “lexical asymmetry”?
When words used to refer to men and women have the same meanings but do not share semantic equality e.g. master / mistress, slag / player.
What is the “generic use of man”?
‘Man’ is used to refer to as the generic term for humans e.g. ‘mankind’ for ‘human race’
What is “false generic?”
The use of a single gender to represent both genders e.g. ‘firemen’.
What is “derogatory language”?
Language used with intention to insult or belittle e.g. ‘whore’.
What is politically “correct language”?
Language deemed the least derogatory and offensive e.g. “Housewife” “domestic engineer”
What is “epicene”?
Nouns that do not indicate a particular gender e.g. ‘they’.
What is meant by the term “trivialising suffixes”?
The use of “-ess” “-ine” to show it is the female term which implies inferiority of women.
What is meant by the term “pejoration”?
The negative shift in meaning of a word over time e.g. silly meaning happy to meaning unsophisticated.
What is the ‘deficit approach’?
Male language is seen as the norm, whilst female language is viewed as deficient to men’s.
What is meant by the term ‘deficient’?
Not having enough of a specific quality.
Who are some theorists in the deficit approach?
Robin Lakoff and Otto Jesperson
What is the ‘dominance approach’?
Women’s language is inferior to men due to the fact that in society men are ranked above women in political and social power.
What is meant by the term ‘dominance’?
Power and influence over others.
Who are some theorists in the dominance approach?
Pamela Fishman, Don Zimmerman, Candace West and Dale Spender.
What is the “difference approach?”
Men and women have innate differences in the style and function of their speech and seek different things from conversations.
Who are the difference theorists?
Deborah Tannen, Deborah Jones
and John Gray
What are “diminutives”?
A ‘cuter’ version of a word e.g. ‘doggy’ for ‘dog’.
What is “reclaiming language”?
Reappropreting a word after being previously being used to dehumanise e.g. “queer”
What is “negative semantic space”?
Unnecessary words used to indicate gender e.g. “female doctor” “male nurse”.
