К вопросу о корреляции грамматического рода и биологического пола (О феминитивах в русском и белорусском языках)
On the issue of correlation between grammatical gender and biological sex

Summary/Abstract: The focus of this study is on feminitives. According to the generally accepted interpretation, this term is used to denote a female person in relation to professions, positions and various types of activities. The issues related to the formation and usage of feminitives constitute a complex phenomenon pertaining to the noun gender category and require multifaceted investigation. This topic deserves attention not only within the framework of an individual Slavonic language, but also upon comparing different Slavonic languages. In this regard, the research team of linguists from the Institute of Slavonic and Baltic Philology of our university decided to pay special attention to this phenomenon, employing an integrated approach. The purpose of this article is to analyse the processes of feminization in the Russian language in comparison with the linguistic facts of the closely related Belarusian language. Primary attention is given to the description of feminitives in the synchronic aspect; however, the complex nature of the studied problems – in particular, the influence of socio-political changes – also necessitates diachronic analysis. With respect to the Russian language, the diachronic aspect covers linguistic data for approximately the past hundred years. Feminitives in modern language are characterized by variable frequency of use, which in turn may be attributed to different stylistic nuances, including colloquial shades. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that two different processes are observed simultaneously in the Belarusian language. On the one hand, the feminization of masculine words evolved in parallel with similar processes of the Russian language, partly under its influence. On the other hand, the more active use of feminitives is explained by the fact that native Belarusian speakers, more so than Russian speakers, draw upon their own historical heritage, the Old Belarusian literary tradition, and living dialects. In controversial cases, the establishment of feminitives in both languages is largely determined by the frequency of their use in the mass media.

• Details
• Contents