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Gender neutral language in French: Difference between revisions
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*'''Epicene person descriptions:'''<ref name=":0" /> For example, « <u>Les élèves</u> apprennent leur leçon. »; « <u>L'enfant</u> regarde la télévision. »; « <u>Les juges</u> ont pris leur décision. ». Since singular articles mark gender ("la" and "le"), this functions best with plural forms. It works with singular forms if the noun starts with a vowel, because the article automatically turns into "l'...", which doesn't mark gender. A downside is that there aren't epicene occupational titles for all professions or functions. | *'''Epicene person descriptions:'''<ref name=":0" /> For example, « <u>Les élèves</u> apprennent leur leçon. »; « <u>L'enfant</u> regarde la télévision. »; « <u>Les juges</u> ont pris leur décision. ». Since singular articles mark gender ("la" and "le"), this functions best with plural forms. It works with singular forms if the noun starts with a vowel, because the article automatically turns into "l'...", which doesn't mark gender. A downside is that there aren't epicene occupational titles for all professions or functions. | ||
*'''Grammatically fixed gender nouns and impersonal formulations:'''<ref name=":11" /> The table below shows gendered language on the left and neutral — i.e. grammatical gender that has nothing to do with biological sex or | *'''Grammatically fixed gender nouns and impersonal formulations:'''<ref name=":11" /> The table below shows gendered language on the left and neutral — i.e. grammatical gender that has nothing to do with biological sex or gender identity — language on the right. | ||
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*'''Proximity agreement:'''<ref>EPFL (2023): ''L’accord de proximité''. Online at:https://www.epfl.ch/about/equality/fr/langage-inclusif/guide/principes/accord/ (12.12.2023).</ref> Up to the 18th century, in adjectives and past participles, the masculine gender didn't prevail over the feminine | *'''Proximity agreement:'''<ref>EPFL (2023): ''L’accord de proximité''. Online at:https://www.epfl.ch/about/equality/fr/langage-inclusif/guide/principes/accord/ (12.12.2023).</ref> Up to the 18th century, in adjectives and past participles, the masculine gender didn't prevail over the feminine in cases where the genders could theoretically be congruent: proximity agreement prevailed.<ref name=":2" /> This congruency allows for equality between grammatical genders instead of the masculine-over-feminine hierarchy that was decided in the 17th and 18th century by the French grammarians Malherbe, Vaugelas, Bouhours and Beauzée: | ||
**« Le genre masculin, étant le plus noble, doit prédominer toutes les fois que le masculin et le féminin se trouvent ensemble. » (Claude Favre de Vaugelas, ''Remarques sur la langue français''e, 1647).<ref name=":1" /> | **« Le genre masculin, étant le plus noble, doit prédominer toutes les fois que le masculin et le féminin se trouvent ensemble. » (Claude Favre de Vaugelas, ''Remarques sur la langue français''e, 1647).<ref name=":1" /> | ||
**« Lorsque les deux genres se rencontrent, il faut que le plus noble l’emporte. » (Bouhours 1675).<ref name=":3" /> | **« Lorsque les deux genres se rencontrent, il faut que le plus noble l’emporte. » (Bouhours 1675).<ref name=":3" /> | ||