Masculine and Feminine in the Northern Iroquoian Languages

Abstract

Abstract This chapter describes a morphological pattern in which there is obvious bias toward masculine gender paired with ambiguity and lack of distinctiveness in the expression of feminine gender. It then describes the ancient culture pattern in which males had a conspicuous, flamboyant, constantly changing, and individualized role that contrasted with the stable, undifferentiated, background role of women. The chapter discusses the plausibility of hypothesizing a motivational relation between the culture pattern and the morphology. Using Northern Iroquoian culture as a case study, the chapter shows that the correspondence between morphology and culture is no longer present in certain areas, and that the morphological backgrounding of feminine gender does not quite reflects the role of women in Iroquoian society.

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