Grammatical Sexism in Spanish
Author: Teg Prataap Sandhu
Throughout human evolution, language has had an omnipresent existence, as it is the tool used by individuals to communicate with each other. Given the centrality it holds in human development, it is imperative to understand the impact of language through a gendered perspective.
One of the socio-cultural manifestations of language is grammatical sexism, which refers to the use of language as a tool to exclude certain gender identities or propagate the dominance of one gender group over others (Stanley, 1978). To understand the deep rooted nuances of sexism and discrimination cultivated through language, Spanish would be the ideal case study for this research.
Given its massive linguistic outreach in contemporary times, Spanish would be analysed through a gender lens to understand its impact on Spanish speaking communities.
Spanish language is considered sexist in nature as it propagates the use of grammatical gender (Hampares, 1976). In a global context, there are various other languages that utilize the concept of grammatical gender, however the application of gender morphemes display extreme discriminatory characteristics.
Masculine in Spanish is referred to as ‘o’, whereas as feminine is referred as ‘a’. Sexist undertones are a key feature in Spanish as one of the most prominent rules of Spanish grammar is that “masculine takes precedence over feminine” (Hampares, 1976) to refer to a group containing multiple gender identities.
Therefore, in essence, the language promulgates male superiority over other gender identities irrespective of numerical proportion. For example, if there is a group of 1000 scientists which has only 1 male representative, it would be represented as Los cientificos which is masculine in nature.
It is evident from Spanish syntax that it is ‘inappropriate’ to refer to males with a female noun ending, however it is appropriate if applied vice-versa. So in essence, it is derogatory to refer to a male as feminine however it is a sign of prestige to refer to a female as masculine because of the socially constructed stereotypes about men. (Tkachyova, Sharapova. & Abdusamiyevna, 2021)
Another peculiar characteristic about Spanish lexicography is that it contains more positive words to describe men as compared to women. However, when it comes to negative words or insults for women, the contrast in the words present is remarkable as the number of insults for women is considerably high. (Martin, 2011)
Similarly, Spanish language contains a word to address the feeling of hatred towards women (i.e. misoginoa) which has a feminine noun ending, but does not contain a word to refer to hatred of men. (Parvizi, 2021) .
Language – An instrument of patriarchy?
Given the prejudicial nature of the language and blatant male preference/dominance it promotes, it is imperative to understand who the creators and regulators of the language were and how language was used as a tool to create a patriarchal society.
Eisenberg, Calero Fernandez and Jimenez Rodrigo argue how language and discourse can be used as tools to sustain patriarchy (Jimenez, 2011). Historically speaking, women have not had equal opportunity to participate in language shaping as orators, linguists and writers, which were all male dominated professions.
Research on the creation of Spanish language has highlighted how “norm-makers, language regulators, and language planners” (Dever, 2012) have been predominantly cis-gender men. These men in position of power in a linguistic context, have influenced and promoted a male dominated lexicography, and normative grammar through linguistic institutions and academies.
The modus operandi behind the creation of a male-dominated language is to create an institution that would help sustain a power imbalance and prevent the creation of an egalitarian society. Consequently, in various Spanish speaking countries, women are encouraged to become norm-enforcers as teachers and educators.
This vicious cycle leads to highlighting gender equality in language enforcement however overshadows equal gender representation during language creation/reform processes.
Application of linguistic relativity in a hispanic context
Having established the discriminatory/exclusive nature of Spanish language and the rationale behind its creation leads us to the impact caused by such social construction.
To elaborate the deep-rooted impact Spanish language has on socio-cultural norms and practices, the theory of linguistic relativity would be applied in a Spanish context.
The theory of linguistic relativity argues how the “particular language one speaks influences the way one thinks about reality” (Lucy,1997). The theory tries to establish how language does not merely communicate thoughts but also shapes them through semiotics and discourse.
It argues how the language used in different cultural context influence thought patterns, public perception and cognition of native speakers. This theory is critical to bridge the gap between how Spanish Language and discourse propagate structural violence against different gender groups.
As mentioned in detail above, the institute of language plays a crucial role in propagating male dominance at a subconscious level. Spanish being a gendered language personifies objects and occupational positions that are constantly reiterated. (Dever, 2012)
This phenomenon leads to creation of gender roles that are promoted to sustain the status quo. For example, in Spanish language, sun is given a masculine pronoun and is described as extremely powerful, whereas the moon has a feminine pronoun and is regarded to be soft. Therefore, this leads to a cycle of socially constructed gender stereotypes being constantly reinforced. (Nissen, 2002)
Another stereotype that has been recycled is male superiority in fields such as philosophy and poetry. Instances of women participating in the above paradigms were rebuked by the traditionalist society. Gaslighting was a key feature to limit the professional access for women.
Rosalia De Castro was an extremely renowned Spanish poet during the eighteenth century. However, her profession was described as ‘unwomanly’ and influential men within the Spanish empire started challenging her credibility by claiming that it was her husband who was the ‘hidden’ author. (Dever, 2012)
Another sexist feature about the language is how Spanish lexicography presents certain positions of power and occupations as solely masculine in nature. This form of lexicography for influential positions with male pronouns could be attributed as one of the factors perpetuating lower social positions for women in Spanish. (Fernandez, 2022)
Further, the language also depicts gender as a binary phenomenon, with masculine and feminine being the only correct form to represent an individual, group or object. The language leaves no space for the inclusion of gender groups that identify outside these socially constructed stereotypes. The absence of gender neutral they/them pronouns has resulted in a massive stir within the Hispanic community, as various individuals identify themselves outside of these gender binaries.
Challenging linguistic sexism
There have been various proposals for reforming Spanish as a language and to promote gender equality and inclusivity. Some of the proposed alterations in the language could include:
- Complete Feminization of terms/occupations that refer to women by using the pronoun ‘La’ and verb ending ‘a’.
- Introduction of gender neutral terms such as “Elles” (that translates to they in English) to break the limitations of gender binaries.
- De-genderification of objects to prevent propagating prejudicial connotations based on gender.
Letras Femininas, is a prominent driver for reforming Spanish language to make it more inclusive and less discriminatory. They argue how ‘masculine taking precedence over feminine’ and gender binary in Spanish is denying the establishment of a society based on equality.
Other bodies that have proposed reform in Spanish language are groups such as “Terminology Committee appointed by the Committee for the Equality of Men and Women of the Council of Europe, the Equality Department of the autonomous regions of Valencia (Departamento de la Dona), the Basque Country (Emakunde Instituto Vasco de la Mujer), the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia , Instituto de la Mujer, and UNESCO (Lomotey, 2015).
Further, there is a new trend within certain sections of the Hispanic community, to identify themselves as ‘Latinx’, instead of the traditional Latinas or Latinos to promote inclusivity for all genders. Therefore, bringing about linguistic change in Spanish is an achievable goal however, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) that acts as the de-facto regulator of Spanish lexicography terms the claims for making Spanish gender neutral as incorrect and unnecessary.
They argue that the Spanish language is not inherently sexist, but it is the way a speaker communicates that makes it seem sexist. It is interesting to note how their conservative arguments are a by-product of the same linguistic structure they regulate. Therefore, they portray complete denial about how the language propagates violence certain sections of society. (Garcia, 2015).
This leads to questioning how a colonial institution (i.e RAE) established for missionary objectives continues to hold the power for reform even in contemporary times. And, also takes us back to how language and discourse are used as an institution to legitimise discrimination based on gender identity.
Conclusion
Based on the findings above, it is apparent that there needs to be a consensual movement and perception towards liberating Spanish language. This would mark an extremely crucial step towards the emancipation of marginalized gender groups. The feminist objective for change is not revisionism of what was, rather it focuses on an objective representation of what is.
This includes using language as a tool to acknowledge the presence and impact of marginalized gender groups in society and breaking socially constructed prejudices. Despite the constant efforts of conservative institutions like RAE, there are alternatives of bringing about change in society as highlighted by the Latinx movement.
Teachers, authors, journalists, professors at various levels could also play a crucial role in educating about the androcentric nature of the Spanish language. Another simple mechanism for bringing change could be the use of gender inclusive terms in vocative positions.
Therefore, the nature of Spanish language gives us a subconscious insight into the deep rooted patriarchy that exists in Spanish societies, and how bringing about simple linguistic changes in contemporary times are faced with such resistance.
List of references
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Dever, Aileen. “Sexism in Teaching Spanish: Linguistic Discrimination is Sometimes Unconscious”. Kentucky Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning, vol. 9(1), (2012), pp.6
Fernández, Luis. “Perpetuation of sexism through proverbs: The case of Martínez Kleiser’s Refranero General Ideológico Español”. Language & Communication 83 (2022): 77-96.
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