Gender Differences

1.Introduction

It is claimed that men and women in different parts of the world use language differently. In some places, pronunciation and vocabulary show a discrepancy between men and women in the use of language. Many researches on language unfold some differences between males and females in pronouncing words and in naming things.

2.Differences in terms of Pronunciation

To begin with, pronunciation is a concept which has interested researchers for a long time. It concerns the way one sex pronounces certain words with a remarkable difference in comparison to the other sex. To take one example, Chambers (1995 : 113) states that gender differences, in inner Detroit, are evident representing the variables /r/. The /r/ may be pronounce in postconsonantal position as in “bird” and final position as in “mother”. The differentiation at this point is striking with women consistently more /r/. Full than men.
Far from inner Detroit, Chambers (1995 : 140) mentions an other example of pronunciation in Middle Eastern nations, where the variable /q/ is studied. The sound /q/ has three variants : the standard uvular stop /q/, the glottal stop /?/ and the velar stop /g/. The study carried out in this context shows that women tend to use the uvular stop /q/ more than men.
Alongside the notion of pronunciation, in Norwich, according to Preston (1989: 65-66), the variable (ng) under the study reveals that men use mostly the variant (ng) while women present a frequency of the prestige velar variant /j/.
From these examples, taken from geographically different parts, we notice that there is gender differences at the level of pronunciation with women much more inclined to use the standard form than men.

3.Differences in terms of Vocabulary

Concerning the notion of vocabulary, Lakoff (cited in ward hangh 1986 : 312) claims that men and women tend to show some differences as far as the repertoire of color is concerned. Women use color words like mauve, beige, aquamarine and magenta while most men do not. She also adds that adjectives such as adorable, charming, lovely and sweetly are commonly used by women and rarely by men.
Lakoff’s claim is advocated by Firstone (cited in Thorne and Hanley 1973: 51) Firstone relates that the cursing vocabulary is restricted to men. He says
“A man is allowed to blaspheme the world because it belongs to him to damn, but the same curse out of the mouth of a woman is considered presumptuous, and thus an impropriety and worse”.

BY: MUSTAPHA KOURBANE