• Linguistics and Language -> Sociolinguistics and Language Variation

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Is there a ranking of gender-neutral languages? Which ones are the most inclusive?

Zula Wisdom

Hey there! Interesting question. I'm not sure if there's a specific ranking of gender-neutral languages, but I can give you some information on the most inclusive ones.

First of all, it's important to note that gender-neutral language is a way of using language that doesn't identify people as specifically male or female. This is important because our language can shape the way we think about and perceive gender.

One of the most well-known gender-neutral languages is Swedish. In Swedish, the third-person pronoun "han" (meaning "he") was replaced by "han/hon" (meaning "he/she") in the 1960s. More recently, the pronoun "hen" has been introduced as a gender-neutral alternative. Many other gender-neutral pronouns have also been proposed, such as "hin" and "henne," but "hen" has become the most widely used.

Finnish is another language that is known for its gender-neutrality. Finnish doesn't have gendered pronouns at all, so there is no need to worry about using specific pronouns for different genders. Additionally, Finnish vocabulary rarely has any gender-related distinctions.

Another language that has been praised for its inclusivity is Estonian. Similar to Finnish, Estonian doesn't have gender-specific pronouns in everyday use. However, it does have gender-specific pronouns when it comes to certain job titles, such as "kantsler" (male chancellor) and "kantslerinna" (female chancellor). To address this, the gender-neutral word "kantsler" has been introduced.

Other languages that have adopted gender-neutral language include French, which has introduced gender-neutral endings to nouns and adjectives, and German, which has introduced gender-neutral pronouns like "sie" and "hen." English has also started to adopt gender-neutral pronouns like "they" and "ze," although they are still not widely accepted or used.

So, there you have it - some of the most inclusive languages when it comes to gender-neutrality. It's worth noting that there is still a lot of debate and discussion around the use of gender-neutral language, and not everyone is on board with it. However, I personally think it's an important step towards a more inclusive and accepting society.