The (n.) Anna and her (f.) dog. Female first names in the neuter gender. Socio-pragmatic vs. semantic gender assignment in German and Luxembourgish dialects

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Damaris Nübling
• Subject Area: Individual Linguistics, Historical Linguistics
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 261383717

"The (n.) Anna and her (f.) dog. Female first names in the neuter gender. Socio-pragmatic vs. semantic gender assignment in German and Luxembourgish dialects"Application for continuation for the fourth yearThis DACH-project, which was conceived for four years, has in the past two years looked into disagreement between sex and gender. First names of women and girls are often used with the neuter article (das Anna 'the (n.) Anna'). It is also quite common that “gender breaks” occur such as the (n.) Anna – she or the (f) Anna – it. These neuter forms are as yet unexplored. In many dialects of Germany and Switzerland they are disappearing. The aim of this trinational project is to explore as thoroughly as possible the system and the function of these “diverging” uses of the neuter gender – alongside which the feminine uses often coexist – by means of explorations combining various methods in 24 survey locations. This data should allow new insights into the situational and socio-pragmatic factors determining gender assignment, its functions and its genesis.1st – 3rd year: In the first two years all planned steps were taken (literature study, project meetings, pretests etc.). Furthermore, most of the explorations were completed and they were much more fruitful than expected. The analyses of the data are in progress and will continue as planned in the 3rd year: Clozes and translations are being evaluated and conversations among friends as well as long interviews (which were carried out earlier than scheduled) have to be transcribed. Furthermore, an elaborate online questionnaire was created in order to reach speakers outside the 24 survey locations. The high return of several thousand people in the 3 countries allowed us to generate maps displaying the area in which neuter first names occur. This area is larger than previously assumed. Its use, however, is decreasing; in many regions it has disappeared among the younger generation. With our study we are capturing the last areas in which this phenomenon still exists. First results indicate that the neuter forms were originally used according to the social position of a woman or a girl. Today it reflects the relation between the speaker, the addressee and the woman referred to, although there are important regional and generational differences. Factors which trigger the use of neuter (or feminine) forms are the degree of familiarity within the triad, social and age differences, kinship, acquaintance, antipathy and sympathy as well as belonging to a family or a place. Moreover, certain names and suffixes have an influence upon the gender assignment.The 4th year will focus on diachrony, i.e. the central question of when, how and why these neuter forms emerged (we have already developed some hypotheses). For this purpose, the results of the explorations have to be known. Furthermore, historical and literary dialectal texts will be looked at and the dialects of emigrants of our areas are to be examined.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Luxembourg, Switzerland
• Partner Organisation: Fonds National de la Recherche; Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Helen Christen; Professor Dr. Peter Gilles