| Abstract |
Dictionaries are ideological creations as they are but a reflection of society itself. A dictionary sets a standard for language; makes an authority, a cultural product, and builds a lexical encyclopaedia and a social reference. This analysis is built upon the idea of anundeniable overlap between ideology and dictionary and the role of the latter as a mechanism to transmit the limited sights of everything around us; talking is a world-defining act by individuals who forces themselves to adapt to a code which is seemingly open and closed at the same time; a code imposed by the society to which they belong and which will be enforced on future generations. Therefore, the present work will highlight the catalogue of definitions that challenge the descriptive neutrality of current lexicographical work, turned into dictionaries which should mirror an equal society, without discrimination.
This requires defining the concept from different scopes: linguistic, anthropological, sociolinguistic, philosophical or cognitive. We aim at showing how grammar, with its two (and even up to three) genera, provides us with the perfect field to focus on sexes, at both biological and social senses, on Nature and Culture, without favouring the existence of two different sexes nor any individual powers and decisions. The Academia notes that the Spanish language foresees the possibility to refer to mixed groups through the grammatical masculine gender, possibility in which there is no discriminatory intent, but the application of the linguistic law based in the expressive economy. Only when the opposition of the sexes is a relevant factor in the context, the Academy considers necessary the explicit presence of both genders |
| BibTex |
@InProceedings{ELX2014-077,
author={Ana Costa Pérez},
title={The Presence of Gender Issues in Spanish Dictionaries},
pages={1001-1006},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 16th EURALEX International Congress},
year={2014},
month={jul},
date={15-19},
address={Bolzano, Italy},
editor={Abel, Andrea and Vettori, Chiara and Ralli, Natascia},
publisher={EURAC research},
isbn={978-88-88906-97-3},
} |
