Plongeurplongeuse

Plongeurplongeuse is a coined term in the French language that combines the masculine noun plongeur and the feminine plongeuse to refer to a diver without specifying gender. It sits within a broader conversation about gender-inclusive language in French and reflects efforts to acknowledge multiple gender identities in occupational terms.

Origins and forms: Plongeurplongeuse is a concatenated portmanteau and one of several strategies used to signal inclusivity. Other approaches include plongeur·euse, which uses an interpunct to indicate both gendered forms, or explicit constructions such as plongeur et plongeuse. The concatenated form is less common and can be perceived as cumbersome or unclear, which can limit its adoption in formal writing.

Usage: The term appears mainly in online discussions, language guides, and contexts concerned with inclusive language. It is rarely used in professional or technical diving literature or official documentation, where more established inclusive forms (like plongeur·euse or plongeur et plongeuse) are preferred.

Note: In practice, many speakers and editors prefer separating masculine and feminine forms or using explicit pairings rather than adopting a single coined word. Related topics include gender-inclusive language in French, as well as the relationships between plongeur, plongeuse, and neutralized or hyphenated forms.