Podcast Summary: Little Talk in Slow French – Le sexisme dans la langue française

Host: Nagisa Morimoto
Date: January 27, 2023
Episode Theme:
Exploring how the French language shapes and reflects sexism—through grammar, vocabulary, and professional titles—and discussing the societal impact of linguistic evolution and gender representation.

Overview

In this episode, Nagisa Morimoto discusses the pervasive sexism found in the French language. Through historical context, concrete linguistic examples, and thoughtful reflection, she explores how the language both mirrors and perpetuates gender stereotypes. She encourages listeners to consider how language change can drive social progress toward greater equality.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Influence of Language on Gender Representation

• French, like other languages, is a "living language" that evolves over time.
• Changing language can help fight societal stereotypes, especially those related to gender.
• Language both reflects and shapes our view of the world and gender ([00:18]).

The Societal Urgency for Change

• Persistent issues: gender discrimination, wage gaps, harassment, and domestic violence make language reform urgent ([01:40]).
• Recent studies: Sexism in France is worsening, especially among young people ([02:09]).
• Terminology tip: In French, use "les jeunes" (not "les jeunes personnes") for "young people" ([02:25]).

Grammatical Sexism: The Masculine Wins

• Core Rule: "Le masculin l’emporte sur le féminin" (The masculine wins over the feminine) ([03:15]).
• In mixed-gender groups, masculine forms are used even if females are the majority.
  • Example: "Le canapé, la table et la lampe sont verts" (The sofa, the table, and the lamp are green)—even if two out of three nouns are feminine ([04:05]).
  • "Pierre, Mathilda, Catherine et Yasmina sont présents"—one male, three females, still masculine plural ([05:00]).
• This rule was established in the 17th century with the argument that the masculine was "the nobler gender" ([06:10]).
  • "Le genre masculin était le genre le plus noble." – Nagisa Morimoto [06:17]

Sexism in Vocabulary

• Use of "l'homme" (man) to represent all of humanity, rooted in the first Académie Française dictionary ([07:05]).
  • Example: "Quand l’homme est-il apparu ?" means "When did humanity appear?"
• Académie Française: Gatekeepers of official French, established in the 17th century, slow to admit women ([08:15]).
  • First woman member only in 1980; currently 34 men, 6 women; average member age is 70 ([08:41]).
• Institutional gender imbalance influences language evolution and acceptance.

Semantic Gaps and Negative Gendered Terms

• Feminine equivalents of neutral or positive masculine words often carry negative or sexual connotations:

  • Un gars (guy) → une garce (a nasty or mean woman) ([09:27])
    • "Une garce, c'est une fille ou une femme très désagréable ou une femme méchante." – NM [09:39]
  • Un maître (master/teacher) → une maîtresse (female teacher, but also 'mistress') ([10:00])
  • Un courtisan (courtier) → une courtisane (historically, female courtier; commonly, 'prostitute') ([10:31])
  • Un allumeur (one who lights) → une allumeuse (woman who flirts provocatively, pejorative) ([11:05])
  • Un compère (accomplice) → une commère (gossip, pejorative) ([11:45])

• Animal terms:

  • Un chien (dog, male) / une chienne (female dog, but also 'bitch')
  • Un chat (cat, male) / une chatte (female cat, also slang for female genitalia) ([12:15])

Erasure of Feminine Professional Titles

• Pre-17th century: Most professions had both masculine and feminine forms (e.g., un peintre / une peintresse, un auteur / une autrice) ([12:40]).
• Feminine forms eliminated in the 17th century; generic masculine adopted by default for all ([13:25]).
  • Argument: These jobs were considered for men, not women ([13:35]).
• Ongoing debates in France about the feminization of job titles; many resist reintroducing words like autrice ([14:00]).
  • "Beaucoup de gens, par exemple, ne veulent pas accepter des mots comme 'une autrice', mais souvent ils ignorent que ces mots existaient déjà avant le XVIIe siècle." – NM [14:12]

Comparative and Personal Reflection

• Sexism isn't unique to French; listeners are prompted to reflect on their own native languages ([14:32]).
• Changing one’s way of speaking is difficult but important.
  • "Personnellement j’ai envie de choisir plus consciemment les mots que j’utilise, et je pense sincèrement que faire évoluer notre langage peut aider à faire évoluer notre société vers une société plus juste, vers une société plus égalitaire." – NM [15:05]

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• "Lutter contre le sexisme et pour l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, c’est aussi remettre en question le langage." – Nagisa Morimoto [01:22]
• "Le masculin l’emporte sur le féminin." – Repeated and explained multiple times ([03:17], [04:45]).
• "Cette règle n’a pas toujours existé… L’argument était tout simplement que le genre masculin était le genre le plus noble." – NM [06:13]
• "Aujourd’hui, il y a beaucoup de débats en France concernant la féminisation des noms de métier. Beaucoup de gens ne veulent pas accepter des mots comme 'une autrice', mais souvent ils ignorent que ces mots existaient déjà avant le XVIIe siècle." – NM [14:12]
• "Faire évoluer notre langage peut aider à faire évoluer notre société vers une société plus juste, vers une société plus égalitaire." – NM [15:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:18 – Episode theme: Language influence on worldview and gender
• 01:22 – Language, sexism, and equality
• 03:17 – Rule explained: "le masculin l’emporte sur le féminin"
• 05:00 – Childhood grammar lessons; example with mixed-gender nouns
• 06:13 – Rule origins and “nobility” of masculine gender
• 07:05 – The word "l’homme" for humanity; Académie Française’s role
• 08:41 – Gender composition of the Académie Française
• 09:27 – Gendered insult: “une garce”
• 10:00-11:45 – More examples of gendered job and social titles
• 12:40 – Erasure of feminine profession names
• 14:00 – Modern debate on feminizing job titles
• 15:05 – Personal call for conscious language choice

Conclusion

Nagisa wraps up by inviting listeners to consider how their own languages perpetuate sexism and the importance of intentional word choice for building a fairer world. Through thoughtful examples and historical context, she illustrates just how deeply sexism is embedded in French—and why change, though challenging, is necessary and possible.