Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2007, Page 106

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GENDER IN LANGUAGE CONTACT: EVIDENCE
FROM FAROESE-DANISH AND CATALAN-SPANISH
4.1.3. Equipment
The data were recorded witli a Sony ECM-
CS10 unidirectional lapel microphone,
plugged into a portable Mini-Disc Hi-MD
Walkman MZ-RH10 Sony recorder.
4.1.4. Procedure
As the data reported here forms part of a
larger study, data collection sessions lasted
45 minutes each, approximately, in which
subjects were asked to perform different
tasks. For the specifíc purpose of the current
study, subjects were asked questions aimed
at eliciting some of the cognates in the list
above. Apart from being asked specific
questions, subjects were also shown
pictures of objects, which they were meant
to describe, in which they could see objects
in the list of target words.
4.2. Results
4.2.1. First group: front - m., dent - f,
olor - m., dubte - f.
The words under study in this fírst group
have in common that they are everyday
words. They are, in principle, high frequen-
cy words as they include parts of the body
and a word that has to do with the senses
(i.e., olor). As for dubte, it is a more abstract
noun but is still often used in everyday
speech.
The original gender of these words in
Latin is always kept in Spanish, but changes
to the opposite gender in Catalan. Thus,
Spanish follows the Preserve gender prin-
ciple, but Catalan does not.
4.2.1.1. front - m., Spanish: frente
- f; forehead’
The Catalan word for ‘forehead’ comes
from Latin frons, fróntis, f., and the
Catalan masculine gender is consistently
used in most Catalan dialects. It is only kept
as a feminine noun at the Northern and
Western part of the Western dialect (Coro-
mines, 1980).
Group % of Catalan gender usage
G1 Grácia 87.5
GI Nou Barris 44.44
G2 Grácia 100
G2 Nou Barris 90
G3 Grácia 90.9
G3 Nou Barris 60
Table 4.front
The results show that Catalan speakers do
not have a problem with the gender of these
words overall. The only noticeable differen-
ces are those between G1 in Grácia and
Nou Barris, as well as in G3 in both dis-
tricts.
The strong presence of Spanish in Nou
Barris is made obvious in speech produc-
tion patterns in the language of children and
adults. Nevertheless, G2 shows ceiling
effects in both districts. This could be due to
the fact that these subjects have received
Catalan education from the beginning.
Hence, they have learnt the gender distinc-
tion from very early on, and that is why
their production sticks to the standard re-
gardless of the district they live in.