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The word woman, from Treccani via offensive terms such as bitch - Lifestyle

2021-05-15T20:26:05.880Z


Open letter and mobilizations, the Italian Encyclopedia changes (ANSA) Words are important. It has always been said but if in the online vocabulary of Treccani for women there are synonyms or declensions such as "whore", "bitch", "whore", "whore", and various expressions including "servant" to give examples, maybe there is a problem. From now on, those who look for the voice 'woman' in the online vocabulary of Treccani will no longer find those offensive words such a


Words are important. It has always been said but if in the online vocabulary of Treccani for women there are synonyms or declensions such as "whore", "bitch", "whore", "whore", and various expressions including "servant" to give examples, maybe there is a problem. From now on, those who look for the voice 'woman' in the online vocabulary of Treccani will no longer find those offensive words such as 'bitch' among the synonyms. No it's not the plot of a dystopian film, but the Italian reality. An article in the Repubblica informs about the news that gives another important detail:

the change in the Italian Encyclopedia was prompted by a debate between a group of activists and the director of the Treccani vocabulary herself

hosted on the pages of the same newspaper ". So commented the deputy Rossella Muroni, group leader in the Chamber of FaciamoECO - Federation of the Greens." good job for Carrozza and Belloni, but it is clear that there is still a long way to go to achieve gender equality in our country and that this challenge passes through education and cultural change ". 


- Read also

Changing the language to break down the sexism on women


The Republic had published a letter addressed to the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia Treccani asking for the elimination of the sexist references that appear in the synonym of the word "woman" in the online version of the dictionary. Signed by one hundred people, including Laura Boldrini, Michela Murgia, Imma Battaglia, Alessandra Kustermann, Elly Schlein, regional councilor, and also the deputy director general of the Bank of Italy Alessandra Perrazzelli, plus a group of activists led by

Maria Beatrice Giovanardi

, the Italian who obtained that the Oxford Dictionary changed the definition of "woman" in a non-sexist key thanks to the results of the petition "

Change Oxford Dictionary's Sexist Definition of 'Woman'

"launched in June 2019 which collected 35,000 signatures.



"Shines for absence - read the letter reported by the Republic - any positive expression that depicts the woman in an equally complete and adherent to reality, as for the definition of man: business woman, career woman, etc ... absence under the heading "man" of words such as "violent man", "not serious man", "ogre", "little man", "little man", "little man", "gigolo" risks appearing as an incongruity, if not even discrimination, in the face of the "duty to register" and describe the "Italian lexical heritage" that Treccani claims in justifying her choices. Vocabularies, dictionaries of synonyms and antonyms, encyclopedias are educational tools of reference and Treccani .it,as such, it is consulted in schools, libraries and in the homes of all of us. And it is also one of the most visible Italian linguistic sources. We therefore kindly ask the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia founded by Giovanni Treccani SpA that: in the first instance it eliminates the expressly injurious words referring to the woman, simply leaving them under the initial reference letter; insert expressions that represent, in a complete way and in keeping with today's reality, the role of women in society. This will not put an end to daily sexism, but it could contribute to a correct description and vision of women and their role in today's society ".We therefore kindly ask the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia founded by Giovanni Treccani SpA that: in the first instance it eliminates the expressly injurious words referring to the woman, simply leaving them under the initial reference letter; insert expressions that represent, in a complete way and in keeping with today's reality, the role of women in society. This will not put an end to daily sexism, but it could contribute to a correct description and vision of women and their role in today's society ".We therefore kindly ask the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia founded by Giovanni Treccani SpA that: in the first instance it eliminates the expressly injurious words referring to the woman, simply leaving them under the initial reference letter; insert expressions that represent, in a complete way and in keeping with today's reality, the role of women in society. This will not put an end to daily sexism, but it could contribute to a correct description and vision of women and their role in today's society ".the role of women in society is complete and in keeping with today's reality. This will not put an end to daily sexism, but it could contribute to a correct description and vision of women and their role in today's society ".the role of women in society is complete and in keeping with today's reality. This will not put an end to daily sexism, but it could contribute to a correct description and vision of women and their role in today's society ".


Cecilia Robustelli

, the Italian linguist most present in the theoretical debate and in the activity of supporting the public administration in the creation of guidelines for a non-sexed use of the language, observed: "Current Italian testifies to many attempts to eliminate all those uses of the language which can give a negative image of women, as evidenced by the numerous conferences and training courses aimed at attracting speakers to a greater awareness of the symbolic power of language.

The situation is on the move

, but the scale that tradition had burdened with sexist linguistic uses is slowly being lightened ».


In a certain sense, Treccani has changed opinion: in an in-depth

article on the Treccani website

 had observed, in response to Maria Beatrice Givoanardi's letter: "The dictionary assumes to represent the lexical patrimony in its different components. I, the reader, will find the serious definition of what the single lexical element means and useful information to understand its characteristics. use. The dictionary does not select the lexicon on the basis of moral judgments or prejudices. Just as the idea of ​​an ethical state is to be rejected, so is that of an "

ethical dictionary

" to be rejected

. If society and culture express negativity through words, a dictionary cannot refuse to document them ...

The dictionary lets us know what the reality of our lexicon is

. We, as speakers, civilized people, citizens, women and men, strong in this knowledge, will strive to use it (or not to use it) in the most correct and civil ways, if we are capable of it. The evil does not lie in acknowledging that it exists, but in the possible decision to use it .... We undoubtedly take the critical solicitation in the sense of carefully reviewing what we have done so far and of highlighting more clearly the distancing from the words which, out of duty, as we have tried to clarify, it is our duty to record. It will then be up to the personal conscience of each one to assess whether there are contexts and situations in which, in today's society, using certain words is a demonstration of intelligence and civilization. "



"I am very happy, it is a very important result culturally". Thus Monia Monni, councilor for the environment of the Tuscany Region, who just over two months ago signed the open letter asking to remove the word 'bitch' and not only among the synonyms of the word 'woman' in the online vocabulary of the Braids.


"I gladly joined the appeal - explains Monni - for personal history and conviction, and I am happy that something is starting to move even in Treccani: it was shocking that in the encyclopedia with a capital 'e' there was such an offensive definition" . A result that, according to the Tuscan councilor, "

does not immediately change the lives of women, but the changes always start from the mentality,and we hope that this country will progress towards a more respectful and equal culture

".

Source: ansa

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