Discourse motivations for the gender-inclusive coordinated plural forms in Czech

Abstract

This paper examines coordinated masculine plural and feminine plural noun phrases (MFPL constructions) (e.g., studenti a studentky^MFPL ‘students’), alternative to the “generic” masculine plural form (studenti). Rather than simply stating that MFPL constructions are marked with explicit reference to both male and female members, this study explores whether MFPL forms have the potential to spread, and if so, how such spread might be motivated. The data suggest that MFPL constructions are emergent and compete with MPL forms. The study further discusses the types of lemmas that are most prone to MFPL use and the contexts in which the construction appears.