Column: What worries Würmser
Idiotysicher gendern for beginners
Something different: Do you already use gender? No. Why don't you try "gendering according to Phettberg"? It works like this: For personal names, add a "y" to the root of the word, precede it with a neutral "das", and you're not just referring to male, female or diverse. For plurals, simply add an "s" at the end. It's idiot-proof and also ideal for beginners. It also doesn't sound as robotic as the gender star language dropout. Whereby, strictly speaking, it is still completely unclear whether there is a m/f/d in Robotys at all.
The method of the Austrian action artist Hermes Phettberg now even inspires Germanistys and also works very well in logistics: logisticians become Logistikys, professional drivers become Berufskraftfahry. Then there are the Verkehrsministy, the Supply Chain Managy, the Chefy, the Disponenty, the Leity or the Vorständys, and the question of whether "der Drucker" means the device or the Drucky is also answered. Even personal names ending in "-ling" can be gendered with it: das Lehrly, das Auszubildy, das Widerly. This is not possible with gender asterisks.
Too many ypsilons, do you think? That's right, just like in English, and it would be news to me that anyone has ever complained about it. Besides, the ypsilon is underrepresented anyway and would thus be put to good use.
The question is no longer whether we use gender, but only how we do it. Some are in favor of the colon, others of the gender asterisk or the inline I. All well-intentioned, but really badly done. When the newsreaders started doing this, I initially thought my TV was going to give up the ghost. Really true. But if you get over the natural reflex to see gendering as a crazy idea, it's the most normal thing in the world. Language evolves, just like the rest of life. Or do you still type "SZ" instead of "ß" on your typewriter and stand in a little yellow box to make a phone call.
Gendering according to Phettberg has great advantages. Admittedly, it takes some getting used to, but only until you get used to it. People must have felt very similar in the 18th century when it suddenly became fashionable to call mom and dad by their first names.
As long as there are no better alternatives, I'm in favor of the "y". You can use it to "Gendern, bis das Arzty kommt", as Der Spiegel recently headlined - this headline is simply far too good not to quote. If you do it that way, dear Lesys, then you'll have the Lachys on your side.
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