Gender assignment across languages: The case for Algerian speakers

Abstract

This paper set out to investigate gender across languages. While some linguists argue that gender assignment is arbitrary, others explain that gender attribution relies on linguistic cues that might facilitate the process. As a matter of fact, the way we perceive gender is modulated by socio-linguistic factors. For instance, nobody could explain why the noun "make up" is masculine in French while it should be feminine since it is a symbol of femininity. This study aims to prove that there is a disconnection between perception and language. Moreover, it demonstrates that languages with a transparent gender system like Arabic or French could help us assign the gender in another language.