ABSTRACT
Gender and sexuality are difficult to relate in simple terms to language use. This chapter looks quite closely at the notion of gender performativity through English. The degree of semantic derogation within the female counterpart of some pairs of nouns, such as bachelor and spinster, is such that the female form has gone out of general use. In Early Modern English it was used to designate the formal status of a woman who was unmarried, a usage which survives in some legal and religious contexts. Another kind of imbalance occurs in words intended or assumed to have a generic meaning, referring to both females and males, but which in fact often fail to do so. The replacement of generic he with s/he is another alternative that can apply only to written English. Sexuality, like ethnicity, age, social class and other factors, can have a significant effect on how femininity and masculinity are constructed through the language.
