Gender bias in human society exists in all walks of life. The subjugation of fair sex is a universal phenomenon. Women in most societies are treated not on par with men even in this 21st century. Language is not merely a medium of communication. It is an embodiment of human experiences, thoughts, beliefs and the totality of human heritage. Language can be considered as a part of human behaviour. May be due to physical strength, even from the primitive stage of human beings, males considered women inferior to them. One can notice the symptoms of male domination in language also.
Prof. B. Sreedevi, Former Professor & Head of the Department of English, Calicut University, has made outstanding contributions in linguistics. The present work "The Art And Edifice of Genderlect" is the report of her research work done during 09-10-2020 to 08-10-2022 at the International School of Dravidian Linguistics as a Senior Fellow. I am sure that "The Art And Edifice of Genderlect" authored by Prof. B. Sreedevi will be a welcome addition to the field of Women Centred Linguistic Studies in India.
In this context I have to express my sincere thanks to Mrs. Rajitha K.V. and Miss. Anju B., Junior Research Fellows for giving diacritical marks for the Malayalam examples. Special thanks need to be given to Dr. Aiswaria Shajan for giving English translations for the notes given under the photographs and also for incorporating some of the required references. So also I thank Dr. N. Muraleedharan Nair for going through the press copy of this work.
Gender distinction, though naturally biological, is a social construct as well. This differentiation exists from time immemorial. Our Ithihasa-s and Purana-s fix and describe the position of women in society. Poets and writers write lores about women according to their perspectives and wishes. Women form themes and shapes in art sculpture, painting, other visuals and letters. Writers 'draw' this through verbal picturisation, leaving enough space for the reader to imagine according to their taste. In poems, stories and novels we see such 'paintings' of women. Caricatures are drawn based on the description through the language. Women's code of conduct gets fixed in society through the many and varied descriptions. The advertisement industry catalyzes this chemistry.
Genderlect, in this study, is an umbrella term which includes the interventions of language with society, culture, customs and rituals, psychological aspects, political thinking if any, literature etc. Socio-linguistic studies have established that there are remarkable differences in language use between men and women, not only grammatically but in usage as well. Just like religious, caste, community, class and job-based distinctions are marked in socio-linguistic studies, there are linguistic cues that lead to gender identity. In different cultures world-wide separate constructs are there for the two genders based on the customs and rituals of the locale.
If we scan through the pages of history, we see women are placed in different status - from slave to the Goddess in the ladder. Very often we listen to the media broadcasting the news of the atrocities against women in almost all parts of the world, especially in India. Here in this context, the use of the word 'women' is generic and it includes right from a baby-girl to the oldest lady on earth. They have a common identity of their own and is marked by their behavioural pattern in society. Perhaps marginal differences may be seen in terms of the covetable positions they hold and their wealth.
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