Gender neutrality in languages

Languages like Spanish, French, Italian, German, etc… are inherently gendered, meaning that most nouns are assigned a gender, either masculine or feminine, and for some languages even neutral. This grammatical feature often poses challenges for foreign language learners and when it comes to using inclusive gender-neutral words.

The Challenge

• Grammatical Agreement: In these languages, adjectives, articles, and verbs must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This can lead to awkward or exclusive language, especially when referring to groups of people of mixed gender or when the gender of the person is unknown.
• Social and Cultural Implications: Grammatical gender can reinforce gender stereotypes and biases. For instance, using masculine pronouns to refer to a group of people, regardless of their gender, can inadvertently exclude women.

Gender-inclusive language in Spanish

The topic of gender-inclusive language is a complex one with strong arguments on both sides. Proponents of gender-neutral language argue that it is more inclusive and better reflects the diversity of genders in society. Opponents argue that gender-neutral language is grammatically incorrect and unnecessary.

In October 2020, the RAE (Real Academia Española – Royal Spanish Academy) added the gender-neutral pronoun “elle” to its Observatory of Words, a section of its website intended to inform the public about words and neologisms that are being evaluated but not yet included in the Spanish dictionary [1].

Although efforts are made to be more inclusive, the RAE does not have absolute control over how Spanish is spoken and most reactions to the new proposed pronoun were generally based on a prescriptivist view of language. The RAE has traditionally been a prescriptivist institution, meaning that it tries to dictate how Spanish should be spoken and written. However, in recent years, the RAE has become more descriptive, acknowledging the way that language is actually used by speakers.

The debate about gender neutrality is likely to continue for some time and it somehow reflects the broader social and political changes that take place in Spanish-speaking countries. Ultimately, it is up to individual Spanish speakers to decide whether or not they want to use gender-neutral language.

Strategies for Gender Neutrality

While it’s not always straightforward to achieve complete gender neutrality, here are some common strategies you can use in Spanish:

1. Using Both Masculine and Feminine Forms:
   • Example: “Hola chicos y chicas” or “Bienvendos/as”.
   • This might be a bit cumbersome and repetitive for some people, especially in the written language.
2. Using Gender-Neutral Language:
   • This involves finding creative ways to rephrase sentences to avoid gendered language.
   • For example, instead of saying un “alumno” (a male student), one could use “un(a) estudiante” or “una persona estudiante” (a student person).
3. Using the Gender-Neutral Pronoun “Elle”:
   • This is a relatively new development, particularly in Spanish, and is still debated. It’s used to refer to a person whose gender is unknown or non-binary.
   • Example: “Elle es una persona muy amable”.

As mentioned before, the debate over gender neutrality is intense and ongoing, with language academies and individuals offering various perspectives and solutions. It is a complicated issue with social, cultural, and linguistic implications. As societal attitudes towards gender evolve, so will the language used to express these concepts.

Other resources

If you are interested in this topic, check these other articles for more information:

• Why Gendered Nouns in European Languages Will Blow Your Mind: The Secrets Behind Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter Words
• Gender-neutral language in the European Parliament

References

[1] El, ella y “elle”: el pronombre que la Real Academia estudia incorporar al idioma