Redefining "Right" and "Wrong" in Language. This blog is intended to be screen reader friendly.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Language and Gender

So I'm doing a research project with three other classmates on how language affects perceived gender. We've been thinking about linguistic features that come across as more masculine, more feminine, or neutral, etc.

We came up with features such as using the word "like" in many different ways, using the conditional tense, and pronouncing "ing" with a final velar nasal more often than with an alveolar nasal, apologetic vs. empathetic sorry.

So this would play out as something along these lines. The first would be marked as more feminine and the second one as more masculine.
Like
I was like (1), "I don't know, like (2), five bucks?"
(1) Quotative Like (used to introduce a quotation)
(2) Approximant Like (used to mean "approximately")
vs.
I said, "I don't know, maybe five bucks?"

Conditional Tense
Would you like something to eat?
vs.
Do you want something to eat?

"Ing"
We were dancing and singing all night long
vs.
We were dancin' and singin' all night long.


Empathetic vs. Apologetic Sorry
F1: I got into a car accident today so I don't have my car with me.
F2: I'm sorry.
F1: Yeah.
F2: Do you need a ride somewhere?
F1: That'd be great.

vs.

M: I got into a car accident today so I don't have my car with me.
F: I'm sorry.
M: Why are you sorry? It's not your fault.
F: I know I'm just saying.

Are there any other differences you've noticed as trends? Not necessarily what each sex uses but that is associated with masculinity/femininity? So a linguistic feature that when a man uses it sounds normal, when a woman uses it sounds masculine, or a feature that when a woman uses it sounds normal, but when a man uses it sounds feminine.

2 comments:

Breo said...

Well I do that, too I go, "Why are you sorry it's not your fault." even when I myself might reply. "I'm sorry." but I'm sorry is usually short form, I'm sorry that, that (had to) happen(ed).

Keep up with the Good Research Love, sounds like a Great study :).

Mona said...

When a guy says, "Oh really?" that sounds feminine.

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