Linguistic sexism as religious offense among the Oromo

Abstract

Linguistic sexism is an act of patronizing one sex in a discourteous way, usually female. Studies show that human languages exhibit some form of linguistic sexism. However, the current discourses about its source and its sociopolitical purposes lack universality. To indicate this gap, as a case in point, this paper tried to unravel the cultural experiences of the Oromo regarding the matter which contradicted with the contemporary discourses of linguistic sexism. The data for this study were collected through interview, discussion, and exploration of secondary sources. As unraveled by this study, traditionally the Oromo women were sacred. They were considered as the vital part of the society without whose participation the whole system of human existence collapsed. So, sexual insults against them were considered as offenses against Waaqa, ‘Oromo deity’. Consequently, as part of their religious duties they had the mandate to carry out legal actions against men who involved in these offences. This practices question the universality of the contemporary theories of linguistic sexism. Thus, acknowledging and documenting these cultural experiences of the Oromo would become vital for the current global struggle for gender equality.   Keywords: Sexist language, women’s rights, siiqqee, feminism, traditional Oromo.