Why being told how to speak irks us: Adelaide linguist unpacks the reaction to ‘gestational parent’

An SA linguist says those upset by a uni’s new guide on how to describe mothers and fathers should expect to see more uncomfortable changes.

Backlash to an university sector’s call for the word mum to be replaced by “gestational parent” reflects Australian’s dislike of being told how to speak, a leading Adelaide linguist says.

However, UniSA senior lecturer David Caldwell predicts increasingly significant shifts in language – with some commonly-used words lost – in response to globalisation and today’s social media landscape.

Dr Caldwell said language was evolving more quickly than any time in history.

“Language is changing at a rapid pace, the repertoire of young people is far more advanced than it ever has been,” he said.

“Our young people have access to more and more through this global world and invariably their language practices, what they read, receive, listen to and then speak, write and produce is expanding.

“We have far more words than we did 100 years ago, even 10 years ago … many coming from digital culture – the more complicated our world becomes, the more complicated our language becomes as well.

“If society starts to say, ‘let’s not behave this way’ and the language shifts to project a particular ideology, the way we’ve spoken in the past will go, words will disappear.”

News Corp reported during the week the Australian National University’s Gender Institute Handbook is instructing tutors and lecturers to use terms such as “chestfeeding’’ instead of breastfeeding, “human or parent’s milk’’ not mother’s milk, “gestational parent” rather than mum and “non-birthing parent” instead of dad.

Language is evolving more quickly than any time in history, says UniSA’s David Caldwell.

A poll embedded in the story showed an overwhelming 99 per cent (of the more than 3070 voters) disagreed with the approach.

“It’s not only about the issue, people find it confronting being told how to speak – it is something very personal to them,” Dr Caldwell said

“So, there is the issue and politics of it – in this case, there is a consciousness and global awakening around the social issue of gender – but many people simply don’t want to have to redo their vocabulary.”

Dr Caldwell said there was also a bigger picture aspect.

“The interesting question here is, how long will it be before we actually don’t say ‘mother’s milk’, we say ‘person’s milk’, that it becomes policy in a workplace and if you violate it, there are repercussions,” he said.

Dr Caldwell argues there is value in considering all types of new language.

“I would challenge people to take on new words and see how they feel to use,” he said.

“Because it is not just about transgender people, it is about positioning yourself as someone who is willing to be more open and try new things with language … unpack it and think about what some of the good things might be, rather than thinking in terms of division.

“The world is changing around us at a rapid rate, which means the language is going to as well – you can sit back and push against it, or have a go.”