Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Gender agreement in Italian compounds with capo-

Lami, Irene LU orcid ; van de Weijer, Joost LU orcid ; Radimský, Jan and Micheli, Maria Silvia (2024) In Folia Linguistica
Abstract
Gender inflection for animated nouns in Italian presents challenges influenced by societal pressures and linguistic structure, especially in morphologically complex words like compounds. The study investigates gender inflection distribution in compounds with capo- compared to other nouns (i.e., occupations traditionally performed by women, by men, and the word capo in isolation), exploring the interplay of social, etymological and morphological factors. 192 native Italian speakers inflected masculine nouns to feminine forms after hearing the stimulus. Results reveal that respondents’ attitudes towards gender-fair language significantly determine the use of feminine, indicating a complex interplay between linguistic structures and social... (More)
Gender inflection for animated nouns in Italian presents challenges influenced by societal pressures and linguistic structure, especially in morphologically complex words like compounds. The study investigates gender inflection distribution in compounds with capo- compared to other nouns (i.e., occupations traditionally performed by women, by men, and the word capo in isolation), exploring the interplay of social, etymological and morphological factors. 192 native Italian speakers inflected masculine nouns to feminine forms after hearing the stimulus. Results reveal that respondents’ attitudes towards gender-fair language significantly determine the use of feminine, indicating a complex interplay between linguistic structures and social perceptions. Despite historical resistance, the word capa in isolation shows increasing acceptance, challenging entrenched norms. In compounds, capo- element’s gender inflection appears more resistant due to morphological complexity, with an interaction with number. This study advances our understanding of gender inflection, with implications for broader conversations about gender representation and language inclusivity.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
gender inflection, grammatical gender, Italian compounds, compounds
in
Folia Linguistica
publisher
Mouton de Gruyter
external identifiers
  • scopus:85196533434
ISSN
1614-7308
DOI
10.1515/flin-2024-2027
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3ae4eb5d-4ba4-4e51-b958-1d3c8ab6bf23
date added to LUP
2024-06-26 09:27:04
date last changed
2024-06-27 04:01:39
@article{3ae4eb5d-4ba4-4e51-b958-1d3c8ab6bf23,
  abstract     = {{Gender inflection for animated nouns in Italian presents challenges influenced by societal pressures and linguistic structure, especially in morphologically complex words like compounds. The study investigates gender inflection distribution in compounds with capo- compared to other nouns (i.e., occupations traditionally performed by women, by men, and the word capo in isolation), exploring the interplay of social, etymological and morphological factors. 192 native Italian speakers inflected masculine nouns to feminine forms after hearing the stimulus. Results reveal that respondents’ attitudes towards gender-fair language significantly determine the use of feminine, indicating a complex interplay between linguistic structures and social perceptions. Despite historical resistance, the word capa in isolation shows increasing acceptance, challenging entrenched norms. In compounds, capo- element’s gender inflection appears more resistant due to morphological complexity, with an interaction with number. This study advances our understanding of gender inflection, with implications for broader conversations about gender representation and language inclusivity.<br/><br/>}},
  author       = {{Lami, Irene and van de Weijer, Joost and Radimský, Jan and Micheli, Maria Silvia}},
  issn         = {{1614-7308}},
  keywords     = {{gender inflection; grammatical gender; Italian compounds; compounds}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  publisher    = {{Mouton de Gruyter}},
  series       = {{Folia Linguistica}},
  title        = {{Gender agreement in Italian compounds with capo-}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/flin-2024-2027}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/flin-2024-2027}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}