Published 15:38 IST, February 16th 2021
German Dictionary scrapes 12,000 masculine nouns to make language neutral
The German dictionary, Duden which is similar to the Oxford English Dictionary, has scrapped the use of a masculine form of nouns to describe whole professions.
The German dictionary, Duden which is similar to the Oxford English Dictionary, has scrapped the use of a masculine form of nouns to describe the whole professions. The change, which has already been criticised by the Association for the German Language and termed it as an attempt to impose "politically correct expressions”, applies to nearly 12,000 words and has exasperated traditionalists and some linguists.
German is a gendered language, meaning, all nouns fall into either masculine category or feminine and neuter forms. Several nouns, such as jobs have both masculine and feminine forms. However, as per reports, the masculine form is used to describe the occupation in general terms. The Times even pointed out that the example of ‘doctor’. While the male doctor is ‘ein Arzt', a female doctor is 'eine Ärztin'. Still, in sentences such as ‘I am going to the doctors’, German-speakers use the masculine form of the noun.
For further instance, a group of three female doctors would be referred to by the feminine form but a group of two females and one male doctor would be described using the masculine form. Even if there is one male and one female doctor present, the masculine form would be used to describe them both collectively. This has been several reformists who say such languages reinforce sexism. But, the traditionalists have argued that alternatives have so far been unwieldy and have failed to reflect the way people actually speak.
Similar debate in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries
As per reports, following Duden limiting masculine nouns to make the language more ‘gender-neutral’, similar debates have been taking place in Spain and other Spanish-speaking nations. Some speakers of the language have replaced the masculine 'o' or feminine 'a' at the end of nouns with an 'x'. As per reports, Kathrin Kunkel-Razum, the Duden dictionary's chief editor, has noted that the masculine form will still be used to describe a group comprised of "multiple genders," though she acknowledged that it may lead to confusion regarding the exact composition of such groups.
However, the Association for German Language (GfdS) has criticised the move saying, “The society Kunkel-Razum thinks she is addressing doesn't follow these rules. These gender terms are not used in normal interactions in the supermarket or the garage...Over the past two years numerous surveys have shown that this gendering has no support in society.”
Updated 15:35 IST, February 16th 2021