Communicative and functional intentionality of femininity and masculinity: Grammar and semantics

Abstract

The article discusses the communicative and functional intentionality of femininity and masculinity in terms of grammar and semantics. The research aims to analyze the communicative and functional orientation of femininity and masculinity, examining their relationship and/ or lack of correlation with feminine and masculine forms, and their manifestations in discursive practices. The article proposes distinguishing trends in contemporary feminization by diagnosing traditional- normative and gender-sensitive approaches to naming female individuals based on social status, profession, and title. Additionally, it seeks to determine the key factors driving public demand for the use of derived feminine forms. By comparing the functioning of feminine forms in the German language, the article identifies the main psychological, social, pragmatic, cognitive (including cognitive-behavioral and cultural-historical) factors that burden the national memory with noun forms for the nomination of female individuals in the modern Ukrainian language.

Keywords

• femininities
• masculinities
• discursive practice
• gender-marked form
• androcentrism