GENDER IN LANGUAGE PROJECT
INCLUSIVE PARTIAL GRAMMAR OF CATALAN
by JESUS DUARTE
This grammar identifies all sites of gendered personal reference in Catalan (i.e. everywhere that linguistic gender aligns with the social gender of who is being referred to). We display the prescriptive masculine and feminine forms as well as forms in several inclusive linguistic genders (e.g. -i gender, -x gender), which you may see by clicking on the selector below. It does not identify the sites of Catalan grammar that do not have gendered personal references, like the entire verbal system. Sections in gray represent "gray areas" which lack consensus about whether or not they should be transformed. Attestations of these genders are listed in References below. This grammar is a living document that intends to show a nonexhaustive set of examples for each lexical class considered open.
ABBREVIATIONS
[M.]
MASCULINE
[F.]
FEMININE
[I.]
INCLUSIVE
[SG.]
SINGULAR
[PL.]
PLURAL
jo
tu
ell, ella
nosaltres
vosaltres
ells, elles
ell
'he'
ells
'they [PL.]'
ella
'she'
elles
'they [PL.]'
ellx
'they [SG.]'
ellxs
'they [PL.]'
In the Catalan personal pronoun system, two of the six possible person and number combinations have masculine-feminine gendered distinctions prescriptively. While speakers may avoid gendering others by using their name, omitting a pronoun, or referring to them indirectly (e.g. Jaime és una persona simpàtica 'Jaime is a kind person'), gendered distinctions permeate the language.
CANONICAL -Ø / -A NOUNS
WHICH REFER TO PEOPLE
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These paired nouns have different masculine and feminine forms which differ only by canonical gender morpheme (-ø [M.], -a [F.]). This morpheme is replaced by an inclusive morpheme, though orthographic changes may be necessary with the -i morpheme to preserve the sound of the word in writing (e.g. amic → amigui).
amic
'friend'
noi
'boy'
xicot
'boyfriend'
doctor
'doctor'
bomber
'firefighter'
fill
'son'
amiga
'friend'
noia
'girl'
xicota
'girlfriend'
doctora
'doctor'
bombera
'firefighter'
filla
'daughter'
amigx
'friend'
noix
'kid'
xicotx
'partner'
doctorx
'doctor'
bomberx
'firefighter'
fillx
'child'
NONCANONICAL NOUNS
WHICH REFER TO PEOPLE
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These paired nouns have different masculine and feminine forms which have noncanonical gender morphology, including:
-e [M.], -a [F.]
-à [M.], -ana [F.]
-í [M.], -ina [F.]
mestre
'teacher'
alumne
'student'
germà
'brother'
cosí
'cousin'
padrí
'godfather'
mestra
'teacher'
alumna
'student'
germana
'sister'
cosina
'cousin'
padrina
'godmother'
mestrx
'teacher'
alumnx
'student'
germanx
'sibling'
cosinx
'cousin'
padrinx
'godparent'
INVARIANT NOUNS WHICH REFER TO PEOPLE AND CAN BE MASCULINE OR FEMININE GRAMMATICALLY
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These nouns have only one common form which may be any gender grammatically, usually revealed by the noun's dependent elements (e.g. [un/una] cantant). There is still not yet a consensus on whether or not to transform these nouns. Some speakers do transform them while others transform only the words that must agree with the noun. Certain orthographic changes are necessary with the -i morpheme to preserve the sound of the word in writing (e.g. jerarca → jerarqui).
jerarca
'hierarch'
cantant
'singer'
dentista
'dentist'
jove
'young man'
jerarca
'hierarch'
cantant
'singer'
dentista
'dentist'
jove
'young woman'
jerarcx
'hierarch'
cantantx
'singer'
dentistx
'dentist'
jovx
'young person'
INVARIANT NOUNS WHICH REFER TO PEOPLE BUT ARE ONLY ONE GENDER PRESCRIPTIVELY
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These nouns have only one form which is only ever one gender grammatically. Because semantically they refer to people, some speakers transform these nouns, though there is still not yet a consensus on whether or not to do so.
-
grup
'group'
-
membre
'member'
-
persona
'person'
-
gent
'people'
-
família
'family'
personx
'person'
grupx
'group'
gentx
'people'
membrx
'member'
famílx
'family'
LEXICAL GENDER NOUNS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These nouns do not differ minimally by gender morpheme, but by some other feature(s). We have not seen any inclusive forms of these nouns attested.
home
'man'
marit
'husband'
oncle
'uncle'
gendre
'son-in-law'
pare
'father'
dona
'woman'
muller, esposa
'wife'
tia
'aunt'
nora, jove
'daughter-in-law'
mare
'mother'
CANONICAL -Ø / -A ADJECTIVES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These paired adjectives have different masculine and feminine forms which differ only by canonical gender morpheme (-ø [M.], -a [F.]). This morpheme is replaced by an inclusive morpheme, though orthographic changes may be necessary with certain vocalic morphemes (e.g. simpatic→ simpàtiqui).
simpatic
'kind'
fred
'cold'
baix
'short'
fort
'strong'
trist
'sad'
dolç
'sweet'
simpàtica
'kind'
freda
'cold'
baixa
'short'
forta
'strong'
trista
'sad'
dolça
'sweet'
simpàticx
'kind'
fredx
'cold'
baix
'short'
fortx
'strong'
tristx
'sad'
dolçx
'sweet'
NONCANONICAL ADJECTIVES WITH DIFFERENT MASCULINE AND FEMININE FORMS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These paired adjectives have different masculine and feminine forms with noncanonical morphology, including:
-eu [M.], -ea [F.]
-iu [M.], -iva [F.]
-au [M.], -ava [F.]
europeu
'European'
efectiu
'effective'
viu
'alive'
blau
'blue'
europea
'European'
efectiva
'effective'
viva
'alive'
blava
'blue'
europex
'European'
efectivx
'effective'
vivx
'alive'
blavx
'blue'
INVARIANT ADJECTIVES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These adjectives have only one form which is may be assigned multiple genders prescriptively (e.g. Ell/Ella és feliç 'He/she is happy'). These may end in a vowel or a consonant, but as they are invariant forms, it is unclear whether or not speakers believe they should be transformed.
hostil
'hostile'
regular
'regular'
elegant
'elegant'
amable
'kind'
feliç
'happy'
hostil
'hostile'
regular
'regular'
elegant
'elegant'
amable
'kind'
feliç
'happy'
hostilx
'hostile'
regularx
'regular'
elegantx
'elegant'
amablx
'kind'
feliçx
'happy'
DEFINITE ARTICLES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
el, l'
la, l'
el, l'
els
la, l'
les
lx, l'
lxs
While all singular definite articles that come before a noun beginning in a vowel result l', we have not seen any inclusive attestations of the form l'.
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
un
una
un
uns
una
unes
unx
unxs
POSSESSIVE ARTICLES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
mon
ton
son
nostre
vostre
llur
mon
mos
ton
tos
son
sos
nostre
nostres
vostre
vostres
ma
mes
ta
tes
sa
sas
nostra
nostres
vostra
vostres
mx
mxs
tx
txs
sx
sxs
nostrx
nostrxs
vostrx
vostrxs
Possessive articles agree in gender and number with a person/people or thing(s) being possessed, as opposed to the gender and number of the possessor (e.g. la meva mare 'my mother' vs. el meu pare 'my father').
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
el meu
el teu
el seu
el nostre
el vostre
el seu
el meu
els meus
el teu
els teus
el seu
els seus
el nostre
els nostres
el vostre
els vostres
el seu
els seus
la meva
les meves
la teva
les teves
la seva
les seves
la nostra
les nostres
la vostra
les vostres
la seva
les seves
lx mevx
lxs mevxs
lx tevx
lxs tevxs
lx sevx
lxs sevxs
lx nostrx
lxs nostrxs
lx vostrx
lxs vostrxs
lx sevx
lxs sevxs
Possessive pronouns agree in gender and number with a person/people or thing(s) being possessed, as opposed to the gender and number of the possessor (e.g. la meva [mare] 'mine, my mother]' vs. el meu [pare] 'mine, my father').
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
meu
teu
seu
nostre
vostre
seu
meu(s)
teu(s)
seu(s)
nostre(s)
vostre(s)
seu(s)
meva(-es)
teva(-es)
seva(-es)
nostra(-es)
vostra(-es)
seva(-es)
mevx(s)
tevx(s)
sevx(s)
nostrx(s)
vostrx(s)
sevx(s)
Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with a person/people or thing(s) being possessed, as opposed to the gender and number of the possessor (e.g. El telèfon és meu 'The telephone is mine').
DEMONSTRATIVE ARTICLES AND PRONOUNS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
Demonstrative article and pronoun forms are identical in Catalan.
aquest
aquests
aquell
aquells
aquesta
aquestes
aquella
aquelles
aquestx
aquestxs
aquellx
aquellxs
DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
BEFORE THE VERB
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
em/m'
et/t'
el/l', la/l'
ens
us
els, les
el, l'
els
la, l'
les
lx
lxs
AFTER THE VERB
-me/'m
-te/'t
-lo/'l, -la
-nos/'ns
-vos/-us
-los/'ls, -les
-lo, 'l
-los, 'ls
-la
-les
-lx
-lxs
INTERROGATIVES
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
The interrogatives quin and quant must agree in gender and number with the noun to which it refers.
quin
quins
quant
quants
quina
quines
quanta
quantes
quinx
quinxs
quantx
quantxs
QUANTIFIERS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
These items share the same function as other determiners and must agree in gender with the noun they describe.
cert
certs
poc
pocs
molt
molts
altre
altres
mant
certa
certes
poca
poques
molta
moltes
altra
altres
manta
certx
certxs
poqux
poquxs
moltx
moltxs
altrx
altrxs
mantx
HONORIFICS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
Inclusive honorific forms have been minimally attested.
Sr.
senyor
'mister (Mr.)'
Dr.
doctor
'doctor'
Sra.
senyora
'missus (Mrs.)'
Dra.
doctora
'doctor'
Srx.
senyorx
'Mx.'
Drx.
doctorx
'doctor'
CARDINAL NUMBERS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
When certain numbers are followed by a noun, they must agree with the noun's gender. This applies only to numbers ending in the number 1 or the number 2 (with the exception of 11 and 12). For example, numbers like 21, 72, 141, etc.
1
u, un
2
dos
32
trenta-dos
121
cent vint-i-un
1
una
2
dues
32
trenta-dues
121
cent vint-iuna
1
unx
2
duxs
32
trenta-duxs
121
cent vint-i-unx
ORDINAL NUMBERS
MASCULINE
FEMININE
INCLUSIVE—X
All ordinal numbers with or without a following noun are inflected for gender and number.
1r
primer
primers
2n
segon
segons
10è
desè
desens
1a
primera
primeres
2a
segona
segonas
10a
desena
desenes
1x
primerx
primerxs
2x
segonx
segonxs
10x
desenx
desenxs
CITE THIS PAGE
APA 7
Duarte, J. (2022). Inclusive partial grammar of Catalan. Gender in Language Project. www.genderinlanguage.com/catalan/grammar
REFERENCES
Our grammar is based on the following sources:
Fabra, P. (1956). Gramàtica catalana. Editorial Teide.
Forteza i Cortès, T. (2008). Gramática de la lengua catalana, Vol. I. Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat, S.A.
Hualde, J. I. (1992). Catalan. Routledge.
Pers i Ramona, M. (1847). Gramática catalana-castellana. Imprenta de A. Berdegur.
With supplemental information and attestations of inclusive forms from the following sources:
Herrero i Goméz, P. (2021). Guia de llenguatge inclusiu en el tractament de persones amb discapacitat. Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura. https://llengua.gencat.cat/web/.content/documents/publicacions/publicacions_en_linia/arxius/guia-llenguatge-inclusiu.pdf
Heura Marçal, F. K., & Nogués, M. (2011). Guia per a l’ús no sexista del llenguatge a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Servei de Llengües i Observatori per a la Igualtat. https://www.uab.cat/doc/llenguatge
Olid, B. (2018). Amb ‘i’ d’inclusiva. Jornada. http://catalallengua.blogspot.com/2018/08/amb-i-dinclusiva.html?m=1
Fajardo Martín, C. (2021). Ells, elles, ellis: s’acabarà imposant el llenguatge no binari? Ara. https://www.ara.cat/cultura/ellis-llenguatge-no-binari-catala-inclusiu_130_3113734.html
Valenzuela Sanz, A., Alonso Vinués, C., & Ordóñez Castellnou, M. (2021). Guia pràctica de lleguatge inclusiu. Chrysallis: Asociación de familias de menores trans. https://chrysallis.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GUIA-PRACTICA-LLENGUATGE-INCLUSIU-CATALA.pdf