National Language Commission: Creating single guide for feminine forms is impossible
Creating a universal reference for feminine forms is impossible due to the complexity and diversity of linguistic processes.
This was stated by Yuliia Chernobrov, chair of the National Commission on State Language Standards, in an interview with Ukrinform.
"Regarding recommendations: in 2021, the Commission worked on a standard for feminized terms in the medical field—these were lists of equivalents. However, the Institute of the Ukrainian Language did not support this approach, emphasizing that there is no complete parallelism in the language and that it is worth using various linguistic means, not just formal recommendations. Therefore, it is difficult to create a universal list for all words. It is hard to imagine how a user would work with such a reference guide—constantly referring to it while searching for equivalents," said Chernobrov.
According to her, language does not rely solely on formal means, and it is not always possible to form a feminine form and obtain a completely equivalent pair.
“For example, words may not coincide semantically, and you cannot equate them. That is, there is no comprehensive parallelism in language. Therefore, it is worth using other means—analytic forms (‘pan,’ ‘pani’), syntactic constructions—and not just word formation,” said the chair of the National Commission.
She added that gender-sensitive language is not limited to feminine forms; it can be achieved through a whole range of linguistic tools, and it is important not to forget this diversity.
As reported, the National Commission on State Language Standards has approved Ukrainian Spelling as the standard for the state language.