Da il capo a la capa: un nuovo femminile?

Abstract

The article deals with the feminine form of the Italian word capo, in the meaning of “chief”, namely a person in a senior position with directive functions, which is a metaphorical extension of the original meaning of the term referred to an inanimate entity (i.e., the head, as a body part). In light of the evidence collected and examined herein, the preferred use seems to be the masculine as an invariable form, in combination with the feminine determiners such as la/le, etc. However, more recently a growing number of documents also hints at the use of the feminine form (la, etc.) capa. The initially sporadic usage of these occurrences is becoming ever more widespread and continuous as a result if the contemporary debate on linguistic sexism.

10.4424/lam132024-9