Open AccessHvorfor er Berit farmasøyt mens Brigitte er pharmacienne? Om kjønnsspesifikke betegnelser for yrker og funksjoner i norsk og fransk
Author(s) -
Helge Lødrup,
Marianne Hobæk Haff
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
oslo studies in language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1890-9639
DOI - 10.5617/osla.8503
Subject(s) - norwegian , phenomenon , noun , pharmacist , significant difference , linguistics , psychology , sociology , mathematics , political science , philosophy , law , epistemology , statistics , pharmacy
In French, nouns denoting occupations and offices usually have different forms for males and females (e.g. pharmacien 'male pharmacist' - pharmacienne 'female pharmacist'). In Norwegian, this is a very marginal phenomenon. We discuss this difference between the two languages, and propose that it must be understood on the background of their systems of grammatical gender. The forms for males and females find a natural place in French, with its clear distinction between masculine and feminine gender. The situation is different in Norwegian, where this distinction is marginal or non-existing in central varieties.