Abstract: Language is the reflection of the society and it is fundamental to gender inequality. This paper discusses about the reflection of gender in the Malayalam language, which clearly depicts the bias against women. The most common proverbs, wedding vows, movie dialogues, swear words, even lack of equivalent words for feminine gender shows the subordinate roles of women in the society or how they are treated secondary to man. (kerala india)
INTRODUCTION
What is language?
Language is a means of communication which is spoken, written it is through which human beings express themselves, their culture as a social group. Language reflects all the aspects of a society.
What is Gender?
Gender is the socially constructed relationships and roles …show more content…
We see language as a mere means of communication between us , but language is never that and never had been that. Though it looks transparent and unbiased, it is only until we see the reality in it. Like most other languages we can see gender discrimination in Malayalam also, as we it gender discrimination is clearly seen in the language. We have very evident questions in Malayalam like “manushyan tee kandupidichapol stri enthu cheyum aayirunu” - what was women doing when MAN invented fire; “achan ammene kalyanam kayichapol amma enth cheyum aayirunu” – “what was mother doing when you married her” . These two examples are evident to show that in Malayalam community women is seen as secondary to men, as the second sentence shows us that the term “man marries women or women is married to man is used”. Women are more affected than men here, and they are given/seen as reduced …show more content…
The society expects the profession of a prostitute to be only for women. Women are depicted as mere pleasurable object through this word. No equivalent word for widower in Malayalam shows the death of a wife does not matter him, but the death of a husband earns her a name “vidawa”.These words are used to restrict women’s choices and make them feel ashamed. The linguistic constraint placed on men and women are different the male’s language are more dominant and it indicates societies inherent picture. Women may find it difficult in the ale dominated society like in politics, but a man is considered weak or of less masculine if he does not go for work and stays at home.
The most commonly asked question, “what is your mother?” – “she is a homemaker- veetamma”and also referred as “Adukala-kari – kitchen-marker for feminine gender). This is a powerful example to show that women are confined to house. Malayalam does not have a word called “veetachan” to indicate a father staying at home and doing household work. They are expected to go to work and earn. If a man listen to a women’s words , stays at home doing household work, he is considered to have less masculinity and called “pennan- henpecked husband”, a common word used in Malayalam language
INTRODUCTION
What is language?
Language is a means of communication which is spoken, written it is through which human beings express themselves, their culture as a social group. Language reflects all the aspects of a society.
What is Gender?
Gender is the socially constructed relationships and roles …show more content…
We see language as a mere means of communication between us , but language is never that and never had been that. Though it looks transparent and unbiased, it is only until we see the reality in it. Like most other languages we can see gender discrimination in Malayalam also, as we it gender discrimination is clearly seen in the language. We have very evident questions in Malayalam like “manushyan tee kandupidichapol stri enthu cheyum aayirunu” - what was women doing when MAN invented fire; “achan ammene kalyanam kayichapol amma enth cheyum aayirunu” – “what was mother doing when you married her” . These two examples are evident to show that in Malayalam community women is seen as secondary to men, as the second sentence shows us that the term “man marries women or women is married to man is used”. Women are more affected than men here, and they are given/seen as reduced …show more content…
The society expects the profession of a prostitute to be only for women. Women are depicted as mere pleasurable object through this word. No equivalent word for widower in Malayalam shows the death of a wife does not matter him, but the death of a husband earns her a name “vidawa”.These words are used to restrict women’s choices and make them feel ashamed. The linguistic constraint placed on men and women are different the male’s language are more dominant and it indicates societies inherent picture. Women may find it difficult in the ale dominated society like in politics, but a man is considered weak or of less masculine if he does not go for work and stays at home.
The most commonly asked question, “what is your mother?” – “she is a homemaker- veetamma”and also referred as “Adukala-kari – kitchen-marker for feminine gender). This is a powerful example to show that women are confined to house. Malayalam does not have a word called “veetachan” to indicate a father staying at home and doing household work. They are expected to go to work and earn. If a man listen to a women’s words , stays at home doing household work, he is considered to have less masculinity and called “pennan- henpecked husband”, a common word used in Malayalam language