Gendering the Jordanian Dinar: A Study of Lexical Variation Among Jordanian University Students According to Gender Performativity Theory

This study examines the impact of gender as a social factor on the lexical variation of the Jordanian currency, dinar, among students at the University of Jordan. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, the study aims to determine whether the role of gender is statistically significant in the choices among different lexical variants of the terms. For quantitative results, the chi-square test of independence, conducted after distributing a questionnaire to 510 participants, revealed that gender significantly influences lexical choices. Furthermore, data obtained from fifty audio-recorded interviews revealed that the majority of participants agreed with the findings from the quantitative analysis. Applying Gender Performativity Theory to analyze these choices socially and the meanings conveyed by their usage reveals that lexical preferences in Jordan are deeply connected with societal expectations regarding gender roles.