Page 77 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 11(1) (2023)
P. 77
ia universitatisfluence of the Russian and Serbian languages, guistic complexity of the use of the feminine to
designations of professions and positions in italian in the slovene littor al ... 77 an unmarked masculine form was introduced denote professions and positions, a reference to
in use in official papers and documents to des- the formation and use of the grammatical fe-
ignate titles, professions and positions, but it male gender should be made. The corpus-based
did not catch on in other communicative con- analytical research of grammatical and referen-
texts, least of all in the journalistic language, and tial gender use by the Self-Managed National
it gradually disappeared completely from use. Community of Italians in the Slovene Littoral
In the following decades, due to the increasing (Comunità Autogestita Costiera della Nazional-
presence of women holding titles and prominent ità Italiana, hereinafter: CAN)14 reveals a bipo-
positions, as well as due to the development of larisation in the usage of the female referential
the educational system for new areas of profes- gender. Epicene nouns ([vice]presidente, consu-
sional activity, new feminine forms entered the lente, responsabile) are almost consistently used
Slovene Standard Language Dictionary (Likar in the grammatical feminine and referential
1970–1991) and Modern Slovene Language Lex- feminine gender (la [vice-]presidente, la consu-
icon Dictionary (Bizjak Končar and Snoj 2014) lente, la responsabile); only 2 occurrences (13%) of
(Derganc 2017). the masculine il presidente as grammatical male
and referential female gender were found. Femi-
Italian nationals in Istria use a variety of nine forms derived from the m. -tore ([vice]diret-
(Italian) language variations, depending on the tore) are invariably derived by means of the suf-
communication situation. The Italian on the fix -trice; no occurrences of -tora were detected.
west coast of Istria and in the Kvarner gulf is of-
ficially standard Italian, but it is usually replaced On the other hand, for denominations of
by the Istrian-Venetian dialectal variety, particu- prominent professions and positions with the
larly in informal conversation and in the family masculine ending in -o, the reference to wom-
milieu (Milani Kruljac 2001). The standard va- en is grammatically male (m. determinant + m.
riety, although it holds the status of the official noun: il vicesindaco italiano di Pirano, Manue-
language besides Slovene in the Slovene Litto- la Rojec) or mixed (f. determinant + m. noun: la
ral and is protected by law, is a live variety spo- presidenza è stata affidata alla sindaco). No oc-
ken in circumscribed areas and it is used in de- currences were found of female determinant +
terminate contexts, such as in school, in means female noun for the two positions searched (la
of communication and information designated ministra, la [vice]sindaca).
for the Italian national community, in the Ital-
ian department of the public library Srečko Vil- In comparison to the language used by ad-
har in Koper, and in associations organised by ministrative organs, the language of journal-
the Italian community, as well as in public use. ism appears to be more favourable to addressing
women holding prominent positions and profes-
In 2022, recommendations on the use of sions in the feminine.15 The comparative anal-
terminology in administration in Italian for the
Istrian region were issued, with all professions 14 Research was conducted on the text available on the In-
stated in the grammatical male gender. In the in- ternet page of the CAN (https://www.cancostiera.org/sl/
troduction the authors clarify that the mascu- component/contact/contact/1.html). The following oc-
line used is neutral and refers equally to males currences were searched and analysed: presidente, consu-
and females (Regione Istriana 2022, authors’ lente, responsabile, direttore, direttrice, ministro, ministra,
translation). We argue that, due to the sociolin- sindaco, sindaca. Due to the limited capacity of the Inter-
net page archive, all occurrences were taken into consider-
AM in the former regional chamber hall (region mansion). ation. Their number ranges between 13 and 70, and thus
The following candidates will be promoted: the philoso- has little statistical value, but they are nevertheless indica-
pher (grammatical female gender, AN) Anka Mayer from tors of usage tendencies. Occurrences lower than 10 were
a prominent family from Vipava and jurists (grammatical excluded from further analysis and research.
male gender, AN) Mirko Kuhelj and Pavel Suver from Lju-
bljana’ (Slovenski narod LIII/158, 3, authors’ translation). 15 As Zarra (2017) points out, this is true for journalist and
publishers affiliated to left-wing politics, while those affili-
ated to right-wing politics remain more conservative.
designations of professions and positions in italian in the slovene littor al ... 77 an unmarked masculine form was introduced denote professions and positions, a reference to
in use in official papers and documents to des- the formation and use of the grammatical fe-
ignate titles, professions and positions, but it male gender should be made. The corpus-based
did not catch on in other communicative con- analytical research of grammatical and referen-
texts, least of all in the journalistic language, and tial gender use by the Self-Managed National
it gradually disappeared completely from use. Community of Italians in the Slovene Littoral
In the following decades, due to the increasing (Comunità Autogestita Costiera della Nazional-
presence of women holding titles and prominent ità Italiana, hereinafter: CAN)14 reveals a bipo-
positions, as well as due to the development of larisation in the usage of the female referential
the educational system for new areas of profes- gender. Epicene nouns ([vice]presidente, consu-
sional activity, new feminine forms entered the lente, responsabile) are almost consistently used
Slovene Standard Language Dictionary (Likar in the grammatical feminine and referential
1970–1991) and Modern Slovene Language Lex- feminine gender (la [vice-]presidente, la consu-
icon Dictionary (Bizjak Končar and Snoj 2014) lente, la responsabile); only 2 occurrences (13%) of
(Derganc 2017). the masculine il presidente as grammatical male
and referential female gender were found. Femi-
Italian nationals in Istria use a variety of nine forms derived from the m. -tore ([vice]diret-
(Italian) language variations, depending on the tore) are invariably derived by means of the suf-
communication situation. The Italian on the fix -trice; no occurrences of -tora were detected.
west coast of Istria and in the Kvarner gulf is of-
ficially standard Italian, but it is usually replaced On the other hand, for denominations of
by the Istrian-Venetian dialectal variety, particu- prominent professions and positions with the
larly in informal conversation and in the family masculine ending in -o, the reference to wom-
milieu (Milani Kruljac 2001). The standard va- en is grammatically male (m. determinant + m.
riety, although it holds the status of the official noun: il vicesindaco italiano di Pirano, Manue-
language besides Slovene in the Slovene Litto- la Rojec) or mixed (f. determinant + m. noun: la
ral and is protected by law, is a live variety spo- presidenza è stata affidata alla sindaco). No oc-
ken in circumscribed areas and it is used in de- currences were found of female determinant +
terminate contexts, such as in school, in means female noun for the two positions searched (la
of communication and information designated ministra, la [vice]sindaca).
for the Italian national community, in the Ital-
ian department of the public library Srečko Vil- In comparison to the language used by ad-
har in Koper, and in associations organised by ministrative organs, the language of journal-
the Italian community, as well as in public use. ism appears to be more favourable to addressing
women holding prominent positions and profes-
In 2022, recommendations on the use of sions in the feminine.15 The comparative anal-
terminology in administration in Italian for the
Istrian region were issued, with all professions 14 Research was conducted on the text available on the In-
stated in the grammatical male gender. In the in- ternet page of the CAN (https://www.cancostiera.org/sl/
troduction the authors clarify that the mascu- component/contact/contact/1.html). The following oc-
line used is neutral and refers equally to males currences were searched and analysed: presidente, consu-
and females (Regione Istriana 2022, authors’ lente, responsabile, direttore, direttrice, ministro, ministra,
translation). We argue that, due to the sociolin- sindaco, sindaca. Due to the limited capacity of the Inter-
net page archive, all occurrences were taken into consider-
AM in the former regional chamber hall (region mansion). ation. Their number ranges between 13 and 70, and thus
The following candidates will be promoted: the philoso- has little statistical value, but they are nevertheless indica-
pher (grammatical female gender, AN) Anka Mayer from tors of usage tendencies. Occurrences lower than 10 were
a prominent family from Vipava and jurists (grammatical excluded from further analysis and research.
male gender, AN) Mirko Kuhelj and Pavel Suver from Lju-
bljana’ (Slovenski narod LIII/158, 3, authors’ translation). 15 As Zarra (2017) points out, this is true for journalist and
publishers affiliated to left-wing politics, while those affili-
ated to right-wing politics remain more conservative.
