Ženská podoba příjmení v češtině a ve slovinštině pohledem lingvistů a v názorech veřejnosti
Feminine forms of Czech and Slovenian surnames ‒ strike a balance between linguistics and users’ demands

Summary/Abstract: In recent years the subject of feminine forms of surnames has become a topic of a heated debate in Czech and Slovenian society, taking control of public as well as language experts’ attention. While in Czech the option for women to choose the “masculine form” of surname is still relatively new and it is possible to have the surname without suffix -ov(á) registered only in specific, well-defined cases; in Slovenian the form of surname (in conjunction with the first name) without -ov(a) has been regarded as a fundamental and formal language principle. However, even in Slovenian the use of the generic masculine forms is called into question in specific occurrences. This paper focuses on different sorts of divergences in approaches to feminine forms of surnames in the Czech and Slovenian language system. They will be exam¬ined both in the statements of linguists (including the state of codification) and in the lay-persons attitudes (including feminist approach to language). As a valuable source for lay-persons attitudes are being used the databases of inquiries of the Czech and Slovenian language counselling services. Comparing the situation in related languages shows probable trends in feminine forms of Czech and Slovenian surnames. Being in close contact with language users is crucial for the detection and accurate description of any linguistic phenomenon in usage and its explanation in language handbooks. Therefore, this paper also highlights the importance of language counselling services.

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