Danish language embraces gender-neutral terms in landmark dictionary update

Danish langu is undergoing a significant transformation as Danish Langu Council, kwn as Dansk Sprognævn, embarks on its first review in 12 years. focus of this edition is to promote equality and eliminate stereos by introducing -neutral terms and dressing linguistic disparities.

One table change is introduction of -neutral terms and creation of female equivalents for tritionally male-ed uns. terms "karrieremand" (career man) and "finanskvinde" (female financier) will w officially join Denmark's spelling dictionary, Retskrivningsordbogen. ditionally, several or -neutral terms will be introduced as part of this langu evolution.

dressing linguistic disparities

In this comprehensive review, Danish Langu Council analysed keywords ending in -mand (man), -kvinde (woman), and -person (person). aim was to identify instances where neutrality could be introduced and stereos eliminated. tably, review also scrutinised us of -specific prouns like he, she, his, and hers within dictionary's example phrases.

upcoming edition of dictionary introduces several -neutral terms and female equivalents for tritionally male-oriented words. For instance, "afholdsmand," existing term for someone who abstains from alcohol, will w have a female version: "afholdskvinde." Similarly, "financier" or "finansmand" will w have a female counterpart as "finanskvinde," and "handelsmand" (trer) will be joined by "handelskvinde" (female trer).

As part of this linguistic transformation, ed example phrases that perpetuated stereos will be removed from new edition. For instance, phrases like "pigerne fjantede rundt" ( girls fooled around) and "han er anklt for uagtsomt manddrab" (he is accused of negligent manslaughter) will be omitted.

Challenges and perspectives

While se changes are aimed at promoting equality and eliminating stereos, y are t without controversy. Some individuals argue that se linguistic alterations may be too extensive, while ors question necessity of certain -neutral terms. However, Danish Langu Council is determined to vance neutrality in langu, aligning with UN's global goals of achieving equality by 2030.

Margre Heidemann Andersen, a senior researcher at langu council, told Danish public brocaster DR that se linguistic shifts were carefully considered, taking into account frequency of word us and relevance in everyday langu. She ackwledged that langu is deeply ingrained in individuals' identities and may elicit strong emotional reactions.

While Denmark's efforts reflect a commitment to equality, y are t as progressive as those in neighboring Sweden. In 2015, Sweden introduced -neutral proun "hen" to its official dictionary, signifying a significant step toward linguistic inclusivity.