‘Are you man enough?’. Gender as an increasingly decisive factor in the choice of Basque personal pronouns

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the relationship between the Basque informal form of address hika and gender. Hika consists of a complex system that is in decline among Basque speakers and is currently employed mostly by men. Focus group discussions and dyadic interviews were used to elicit data from 38 participants from different generations (in the age range 14–74) and profiles. In line with previous studies, our findings confirm the relationship between hika and masculinity, which is manifested in various expressions. This association has been enforced significantly in one or two generations, and the use of the informal address form has become marginal among the youngest female participants. While the meaning of the use of hika among men is usually clear, female forms are considered more uncertain or ambiguous by participants.