Gender
Abstract
Gender is a fascinating category, central and pervasive in some languages and totally absent in others. In this new, comprehensive account of gender systems, over 200 languages are discussed, from English and Russian to Archi and Chichewa. Detailed analysis of individual languages provides clear illustrations of specific types of system. Gender distinction is often based on sex; sometimes this is only one criterion and the gender of nouns depends on other factors (thus 'house' is masculine in Russian, feminine in French and neuter in Tamil). Some languages have comparable distinctions such as human/non-human, animate/inanimate, where sex is irrelevant. No other textbook surveys gender across this range of languages. Gender will be invaluable both for class use and as a reference resource for students and researchers in linguistics.
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In natural gender languages and genderless languages, the generic masculine is less prominent than in grammatical gender languages, allowing for easier implementation of gender-inclusive language.
“In natural gender languages (and obviously in genderless languages) the generic masculine is less prominent than in grammatical gender languages, allowing for an easier implementation of gender-inclusive language.”
From What affects people’s use of and attitudes toward gender-inclusive language? A literature review (2025) · cites this paper as Corbett, 1991
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Cao, Y. T., & Daumé, H. (2021) · Computational Linguistics · doi:10.1162/coli_a_00413 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
What affects people’s use of and attitudes toward gender-inclusive language? A literature review
Lange, E., & von Stockhausen, L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1657753 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
- Authors
- Corbett, G. G.
- Corresponding author
- Corbett, Greville G.
- ORCID
- Corbett, Greville G.
- Venue
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Published
- 1991-04-26
- OpenAlex
- W4231966648
- Cited by
- 1,385
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 68 · 2025: 95 · 2024: 68 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 119 · 2020: 89 · 2019: 106 · 2018: 97 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 55 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 62
- FWCI
- 28.38
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Studies in Language
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
- Keywords
- grammatical gender, gender system, animacy, human/non-human distinction, comparative grammar
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