Language and representation

• Saphir-Whorf hypothesis

  The language we learn determines the way we view the world. When we acquire language, we also acquire ways of thinking. We are not just simply passive recorders of what we find around us in language rather we impose our ideas on our environment as a result of the particular language we have.

  The language we speak influences our thoughts and actions.

  Particular groups may be unfairly represented in our language by being linguistically marked.
• 1850 Act of Parliament

  Words importing the masculine gender shall be deemed and taken to include females

  This gave legal sanction to the use of the personal pronoun 'he' when the gender of the individual is unknown
• Muriel Schulz 1975

  Semantic derogation of women suggesting that all words used in association with women tend to become derogatory.

  Words which are marked female are negative.
• Geoffrey Leech 1968

  Trivialising suffixes for example 'ess' or 'ine' to language refers to females. This implies inferiority of women. False generics where man and mankind are used to represent all human beings exclude women