Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

WHICH MEANINGS ARE THERE FOR GENDER? AN ANALYSIS OF DICTIONARIES

Abstract

Situated in the field of History of Linguistics Ideas, this paper offers an analysis in the field of History of Linguist Ideas of different definitions for the entry word gender in two language dictionaries and two specialized dictionaries. Our objective is to investigate how the exploration and silencing of sexual differentiation and gender identity act in different linguistic instruments. Based on the theoretical framework of the History of Linguistic Ideas developed by Collinot and Mazière (1997), as well as on Brazilian references (OLIVEIRA, 2006; NUNES, 1996), we reflect upon linguistic instruments and gramatization. Subsequently, we present the criteria for the construction of our corpus and proceed to the entries’ analysis. The results point to a regularity that permeates the definitions of gender in both the language and the specialized dictionaries: its relations with categories and differences. The specificities that outline distinct meanings depend on the way the word gender functions in the knowledge fields that are included or excluded in each definition.

Keywords:
Gender; History of Linguistic Ideas; Discourse; Language dictionary; Specialized dictionary

Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina Av. José Acácio Moreira, 787 - Caixa Postal 370, Dehon - 88704.900 - Tubarão-SC- Brasil, Tel: (55 48) 3621-3369, Fax: (55 48) 3621-3036 - Tubarão - SC - Brazil
E-mail: lemd@unisul.br