Aspect Markers

Men's and Women's Languages

Physically, men and women are obviously different; that is, men have a larger head and longer vocal cords than women do. From this point, women are stereotyped as being weak, subordinate, and minority in society. Moreover, in Lakoff's study Language and Woman's Place, she claims it does not matter whether women talk the way they are supposed and expected to do or not.

"If they talk like a lady, they are ridiculed and thought that they are unable to think clearly and participate in a serious discussion. If they do not talk like a lady, they are also ridiculed and criticized as unfeminine." (p.6)

Another point Lakoff claims that women lack power, seriousness, and confidence. This shows that women are hesitant, tentative, unassertive, and deficient; whereas, men are opposite. Therefore, men and women use language differently.

According to Janet Holmes (1995), women use language to establish and develop personal relationships. She states that most of them enjoy and consider talking as the way of keeping in touch, especially with friends and intimates. Women compliment and apologize more than men do. When they talk to somebody, their utterances show concern for the feelings of their interlocutor more often and clearly than men's. Also, they use some devices (questions, phrases: you know) to encourage other people to talk (Holmes 1995, p.2).

Lakoff believes that women's language, mainly for the English speakers, is formed by (p.53-56):

1. Many words related to their specific interest and work, such as magenta

2. "Empty" adjectives, such as divine, charming, cute, etc. (examples from Lakoff 1975)

3. Question intonation: tag questions and rising intonation in statement context

4. Hedges: showing uncertainty, such as well, you know, sort of, etc.

5. Using intensive "so"

6. Hypercorrect grammar, such as saying without dropping "g"

7. Superpolite forms, such as please

8. No telling jokes

9. Speaking in italics (more like lady and feminine): showing uncertainty in their own self-expression

All these forms are used much more frequently than by women. Holmes describes that men use language to obtain and convey information. Also, they use the devices that women do to qualify certainty and validity of the information they are asserting. Most of the reasons that men talk are to focus on the content of the talk or outcome. They tend to dominate public talking time. (Holmes 1995)

From all these previous points, we can see that men and