Essays

Mirela Dakić

Abstract

Following the research and the theoretical framework of feminist linguistics, as well as recent revisions of the way women are represented in dictionaries of Croatian, this paper offers a comparative analysis of the dictionary entries žena (woman) and muškarac (man), with emphasis on some aspects of the evident quantitative, qualitative and gender asymmetry that is present there. Considering the analytical distinction between the lexicographic level and language use, this paper confronts the existing analyses of the definitions of these two lexemes and of the broader context of referring to women and men in dictionaries and language use, and shows how stereotyping and sexism are equally at play on both linguistic levels. Combining lexicological analysis and feminist criticism in approaching dictionary entries both refers to the inter-relation between this qualitative and gender asymmetry, and is the basis for this paper’s critical approach. The assumption is that – instead of being mechanisms for their perpetuation – dictionaries could become the new space for questioning stereotypes.

Keywords

feminist linguistics; dictionary; gender asymmetry; stereotype; sexism

Hrčak ID:

192989

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/192989

Publication date:

30.6.2017.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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