GENDER IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH: A GRAMMATICAL AND CULTURAL COMPARISON

Аннотация

This article compares the gender systems in Arabic and English, highlighting their grammatical and cultural differences. Arabic has a rigid gender system affecting all parts of speech, while English follows a natural gender system primarily based on biological or social identity. Keywords: Gender, Arabic language, English language, Grammatical gender, Cultural gender, Language and culture, Natural gender, Gender neutrality. feminine, masculine. Language not only reflects our thoughts but also mirrors the culture and social norms we live in. One of the most striking aspects of language structure is the concept of gender, which varies significantly across languages. Arabic, a Semitic language, is rich in grammatical gender distinctions, whileEnglish, a Germanic language, tends to followamore natural gender system. Arabic is a language that features a clear and consistent system of grammatical gender. All nouns in Arabic are either masculine or feminine, and this distinction influences many aspects of the language. Feminine nouns are often marked by the suffix “ةـ” (taa marbuta), though there are exceptions. For example, the word ةبتكم *maktaba* (library) is feminine, while بتكم *maktab* (office) is masculine. In Arabic, gender agreement is essential. Adjectives, verbs, pronouns, and even numbers must agree in gender with the noun they describe or refer to. For instance, in the sentence „اسرد تبتك ةليمجلا تنبلا“ – "al-bint al-jamīla katabat darsan" (The beautiful girl wrote a lesson), both the adjective *al-jamīla* and the verb *katabat* are in the feminineform to match *al-bint*. Unlike Arabic, English does not have a grammatical gender system for most nouns. Instead, English relies on a natural gender system, where gender is determined by the biological or social identity of the referent. For instance, the noun *teacher* is gender-neutral, and the gender is only clarified through pronouns like *he* or *she*, or context. English nouns do not change their form to reflect gender, and adjectives and verbs remain the same regardless of the subject's gender. This makes English simpler in terms of gender agreement compared to Arabic. However, English pronouns are gendered: *he* for males, *she* for females, and *it* for objects or animals. Similarly, in Arabic, the pronouns huwa(وه) for males and hiya (يه) for females serve thesamepurpose, reflecting thegender of thesubject inboth languages. Furthermore , in both Arabic and English, some words are feminine due to their meaning rather than form. For example, the word umm (مأ) in Arabic and mother in English are considered feminine because they refer to a female person. This shows that natural gender can influence grammatical gender, especially inhuman-related terms. Language is deeply connected to culture, and the way gender is expressed in a language often mirrors the cultural values and social roles within that society. In Arabic-speaking cultures, traditional gender roles have historically been more clearly defined, and this is reflected in the 229 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS ISSN:3030-332X Impact factor: 8,293 Volume 11,issue1,April2025 https://wordlyknowledge.uz/index.php/IJSR worldly knowledge Index: googlescholar, research gate, research bib, zenodo,open aire. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=ru&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=wosjournals.com&btnG https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Worldly-Knowledge https://journalseeker.researchbib.com/view/issn/3030-332X language. For instance, many Arabic proverbs and expressions emphasize the roles of men as protectors and women as caretakers. An example is the saying „ ِء اَس ّءنلا ىسلَس َس ومم اوو سق ُم اَس ِّء لا“ – "ar-rijal qawwamuna ‘ala an-nisā’" (the men are protectors over the women)1, which is rooted in both linguisticstructureand religious-cultural context. In contrast, English-speaking societies have experienced more rapid changes in gender roles, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. This has influenced the language significantly. Terms like *fireman* and *policeman* are now being replaced with *firefighter* and *police officer* to promote gender neutrality. Moreover, English idioms and expressions have also evolved to reflect amore inclusiveperspective, although someoutdated phrases stillpersist. Both languages show how cultural attitudes toward gender are embedded in daily communication. These gendered expressions reflect societal roles and expectations, shaping how speakers perceive and interact with the world around them. Even simple choices in pronouns or jobtitles can carry deep cultural significance. The differences in gender systems between Arabic and English can present significant challenges for language learners. Native English speakers learning Arabic often struggle with the rigid gender agreement rules that govern nouns, adjectives, verbs, and pronouns. For instance, they may forget to match the gender of adjectives or use the wrong verb form when speaking about a feminine subject.