Feminization of feminitives

Abstract

   The article examines the influence of the Russian language femininity category on foreign-language names of female persons, which we conventionally designate by the term “feminitive”, as these feminitives have no indicators of femininity accepted in the Russian language. We analyze such borrowings as babysitter, hostess and cheerleader, characterized as unique words for Russian grammar, since they, being the designations of women, are masculine nouns. Тhe process of their feminization – the formation of neo-derivatives with the help of the suffixes of femininity, is explained by the law of analogy, according to which isolated forms acquire formal indicators characteristic of the recipient language. To designate new derivatives (neo-derivatives), the article uses the term “neofeminitive” (our term – S. I., E. P.), as they, for the most part, are not represented in the dictionaries of the modern Russian language. Individual lexemes are recorded in such a mobile lexicographic source as Wiktionary. The adaptation of foreign language borrowings is usually accompanied by the appearance of variants. Neofeminitives, motivated by a borrowed feminitive, enter into word-formation competition relations – neo-derivatives with various suffixes of femininity participat in it. The most active derivational processes occur in the language of the Internet communication, which is explained by its behavioral attitudes – democracy, verbal freedom, a tendency to strengthen the gaming content – all these are clearly expressed in neofeminitives’ stylistic effect, high emotionality and expressiveness.