Olena Synchak, Associate Professor in Philology at the Ukrainian Catholic University and Leipzig University, delivered a compelling lecture on the evolving feminization of the Ukrainian language in the public sphere.

Abstract: Since the early 2000s, the Ukrainian language in public sphere is witnessing an increasing surge in feminization, pertaining to the use of gender-sensitive forms, with attitudes in the public and the media coming to diverge from those of traditional academia. This lecture presents findings from the author’s empirical research on the use of feminine terms in Ukrainian media from 2000 to 2022. Through a diachronic corpus analysis, the research identifies sharp increases in feminization, peaking during pivotal events like the Euromaidan, the Revolution of Dignity, the 2014 occupation of Crimea and Donbas, and the full-scale russian invasion in 2022. These findings suggest that feminization has become a unique symbol of Ukrainian national identity, countering a longstanding policy of Russification. This linguistic shift places the gender debate at the center of a broader choice for Ukraine’s future direction. The report will also address the issue of gender language reform in Ukraine, as deeply entwined with the processes of decolonization of language norms, as well as the wider nationalist and liberal discourses and language ideologies.  


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