Všeobecný mužský rod a maskulinizácia v slovenskom, poľskom a bulharskom jazykovom prostredí
General masculine gender and masculinization in Slovak, Polish and Bulgarian language environment

Summary/Abstract: The use of masculine gender (generic masculine), which is a characteristic system phenomenon for all three languages under discussion – Slovak, Polish, Bulgarian – is firmly anchored in the language awareness of its carriers. Requests calling for revision of this language standard that are vigorously raised especially in the Polish language environment are not, with some exceptions, generally accepted. Despite the fact that all three languages dispose of similar mechanisms of word formation and multiple morphological means to form feminine names next to their masculine counterparts, Polish and to a lesser extent Bulgarian apply a category of inflection specifically. Unlike Slovak language, a feminine correlate can be derived automati-cally from nearly each living noun of masculine gender, masculinization – i.e. using masculine nouns in a deputizing function to mark women – is characteristic for Polish and Bulgarian languages. Generally, it can be said for both languages that on one hand there are word formation possibilities that language system has to offer, as well as democratization of language and creation potential, on the other hand there is a well-established linguistic tradition and an absence of categoric rules determining gender in naming of professions, functions, titles and various activities depending on the person’s gender. These trends cause tension in the formation or non-formation of feminine forms and their use in both languages, as well as in their lexicographic processing, where searching for an adequate solution is necessary.

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