The feminitives in the Ukrainian language: grammatical correctness or linguistic necessity?

Abstract

The aim of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the functioning of feminitives in the Ukrainian language as a language category, reflecting modern socio-cultural transformations associated with changes in gender roles and public ideas about identity. The study is aimed at identifying and understanding the factors that determine active discussions about grammatical correctness, stylistic features and linguistic necessity of using feminitives in various areas of communication. The methodological basis of the article includes a set of linguistic, sociolinguistic, historical-cultural and normative approaches combined with the analysis of empirical data from modern language practice, in particular the media, official documents, educational materials and everyday communication. The article systematizes the historical development of feminitives in the Ukrainian language, describes their word-formation models and stylistic characteristics, and examines the social and cultural factors influencing the perception and use of these linguistic units in different social groups and environments. The results of the study show that feminitives have a solid grammatical basis, which is confirmed by the new edition of the Ukrainian spelling of 2019, and perform an important function of linguistic inclusion, contributing to the reflection of gender equality in society. At the same time, the process of introducing feminitives is accompanied by a certain resistance due to both traditional linguistic norms and socio-cultural stereotypes and prejudices, which illustrates the need for further interdisciplinary research on this issue. The conclusions emphasize the importance of feminitives as an important tool for the formation of new linguistic norms and public ideas about female identity, which corresponds to modern aspirations for equality, justice and inclusiveness in linguistic communication and social life in general.