Women's Language

Is there a special niche reserved for women's language? This is the theory tested empirically by the authors of Women's language, by means of an exhaustive stylistic analysis of a voluminous body of letters written in five different languages -- Latin, English, German, French, and Swedish -- from medieval times through to the long eighteenth century. In a detailed investigation of style and expression, the authors have applied a number of advanced methods of study to pinpoint how women expressed themselves to other women and whether they addressed themselves differently to men. Unveiling fascinating differences in language use, but none particular to female language, this authoritative work is a joy to follow for anyone interested in language, literature, stylistic analysis, and gender studies.

Women's Language is, in my opinion, a work of highest scientific standard in its presentation of analyses and results; it is efficient, straight-to-the-point, and precisely argued throughout despite its, in parts, relatively specialized content. That the book will leave a distinct thumb-print within its discipline is quite evident. Therefore, it has my evident and best recommendations. --Boel Westin, professor in comparative literature, Stockholm University

Eva Haettner Aurelius is a professor in comparative literature at Lund University in Sweden. Hedda Gunneng is an associate professor in Medieval Latin at Gotland University in Sweden. Jon Helgason is an editor of the dictionary from the Swedish Academy and a researcher in comparative literature at Lund University.