Les préjugés sexistes dans les dictionnaires de professionnels et de profanes : un petit espoir de changement?

On-line profane dictionaries, and in particular collaborative resources such as Wiktionnaire, under the banner of “immediacy” and the absence of limitations in the choice of entries, seem to be able to escape the constraints which, on the contrary, prevent professional dictionaries from presenting an up-to-date picture of the language. On the other hand, the number and diversity of authors involved in their production should make it possible to attest to a wider range of uses and knowledge of the language. Observation of the lexicographical treatment of certain words and expressions referring to women, which may be considered to be part of a sexist ideology, confirms the observations of the French High Council for Equality between Women and Men, which denounced the fact that manifestations of sexism “perceived as banal”, benefit from a “social tolerance” that is at odds with a negative opinion of the ideology they convey. However, an analysis of the faults and qualities of the different types of resources consulted on this point suggests that a reciprocal influence could help to close the lexicographical gap with society, and help to avoid the sexist discrimination pitfall.