The Grammar of Erasure and the Latin Ghost

Philosophics — Philosophical and Political Ramblings · Jul 6, 2026 · 21m

In this reflective essay, language philosopher Bry Willis examines how the English language handles gender through the lens of professional titles and Latin suffixes. He initially proposes a simplified, neutral spelling for the word "administrator" to strip away its archaic masculine connotations, yet he soon realises that this "reform" merely masks a deeper linguistic trend. Willis argues that English tends to launder the masculine into a generic default, effectively erasing the feminine rather than achieving true neutrality. By comparing this to the French approach of active feminisation…