Since the dawn of society many distinctions have been made between the roles of men and women, different creeds and the disabled. Yet these social stereotypes hold true today just as they did many thousands of years ago; men are expected to be strong and brave while women are perceived as dependent and maternal. But why does this discrimination within language exist at a time when the representation of all facets of society has evolved to a level of unparalleled equality? English contains many lexical features which may promote and maintain stereotypes encompassing sex, race and disability. But does bias in language create lasting prejudices and if so what should be done about it?

An important premise that must be true for the idea that language can cause or reveal our social prejudices to be correct is that the lexis we are surrounded by determines our thought. Edward...