Abstract
Although a great deal of research has been carried out on the nature of sexist language in recent years, less attention has been focused on the historical background of this problem than might have been expected. One fact in particular that has largely gone unrecognized is that even today, it can be yery difficult to talk about women or the relationship between the sexes without utilizing images and clichés that originated in the feudal era. “The fair sex”, “the weaker sex”, “the little woman”, a man’s “better half”, “young lady”, “pretty girl”, “gorgeous blonde”, “woman of pleasure”, “lady of the night”, “call girl”, “courtesan” — these are only a few of the countless expressions in contemporary usage that betray the influence, directly or indirectly, of medieval courtly love and chivalry.
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Judd, E. (1985). Fair Maiden and Dark Lady: The Impact of Courtly Love on Sexual Stereotypes in Modern English. In: Hellinger, M. (eds) Sprachwandel und feministische Sprachpolitik: Internationale Perspektiven. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-83937-4_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-83937-4_12
Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften
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