Noun Gender - Masculine And Feminine

GENDER

Gender comes from Latin genus (kind or sort). There are four types of gender.

• Masculine: A noun that denotes a male sex is said to be of the masculine gender.
  
  
• Feminine: A noun that denotes a female sex is said to be of the feminine gender.
  
  
• Common: A noun that denotes either a male or female is said to be of the common gender.
  Example: Baby, Child, Cousin, Enemy, Friend, Infant, Monarch, Neighbour, Orphan, Parents, Person, Pupil, Relation, Servant, Student, Thief
  
  
• Neuter: A noun that denotes a thing that is neither male nor female i.e. thing with out life is said to be of the neuter gender. (Neuter means neither i.e. neither male nor female).
  Example: Book, Pen, Room, Tree.
  
  * Objects without life are often personified, as if they were living things. We then regard them as male or female.
  Example:
  a) The Neuter Masculine Gender (applied to objects remarkable for strength and violence; as, The sun, Summer, Winter, Time Death.
  (i) The sun sheds his beam on rich and poor alike.
  
  b) The Neuter Female Gender (applied to object remarkable for beauty, gentleness and gracefulness; as, The Moon, the Earth, Spring, Autumn, Nature, Liberty, Justice, Mercy, Peace, Hope, Charity.
  (i) The Moon has hidden her face behind s cloud.
  (ii) Spring has spread her mantle of green over the earth.
  (iii) Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war.
  (iv) The ship lost all her boats in the storm.
   

Ways Of Forming The Feminine Of Nouns 

There are three ways of forming the Feminine of Nouns:

1. By Using An Entirely Different Word; as:

Masculine	Feminine
Bachelor	Maid, Spinster
Boy	Girl
Bridegroom	Bride
Brother	Sister
Bull (or Ox)	Cow
Buck	Doe
Bullock	Heifer
Cock	hen
Colt	Filly
Dog	Bitch
Drake	Duck
Drone	Bee
Earl	Countess
Father	Mother
Fox	Vixes
Gander	Goose
Gentleman	Lady
Hart	Roe
Cock	Hen
Horse	Mare
Husband	Wife
King	Queen
Lord	Lady
Man	Woman
Monk (or Friar)	Nun
Nephew	Niece
Papa	Mamma
Ram	Ewe
Sir	Madam
Son	Daughter
Stag	Hind
Uncle	Aunt
Wizard	Witch

2. By Adding A Syllable (-ess) as:

Masculine	Feminine
Author	Authoress
Baron	Baroness
Count	Countess
Heir	Heiress
Giant	Giantess
Host	Hostess
Jew	Jewess
Lion	Lioness
Manager	Manageress
Mayor	Mayoress
Patron	Patroness
Poet	Poetess
Priest	Priestess
Prince	Princess
Shepherd	Shepherdess
Steward	Stewardess
Viscount	Viscountess

(Note that in the following (-ess) is added after dropping the vowel of the masculine ending)

Masculine	Feminine
Actor	Actress
Benefactor	Benefactress
Conductor	Conductress
Director	Directress
Emperor	Empress
Enchanter	Enchantress
Founder	Foundress
Hunter	Huntress
Inspector	Inspectress
Instructor	Instructress
Murderer	Murderess
Negro	Negress
Emperor	Empress
Preceptor	Preceptress
Prince	Princess
Seamster	Seamstress
Sorcerer	Sorceress
Songster	Songstress
Tempter	Temptress
Tiger	Tigress
Traitor	Traitress
Waiter	Waitress
Abbot	Abbess
Duke	Dutchess
Master	Mistress

(Note:- The suffix (-ess) is the commonest suffix used to form feminine nouns, from the masculine, and is the only one which we now use in forming a new feminine noun.)

Masculine	Feminine
Czar	Czarina
Hero	Heroine
Lad	Lass
Mr.	Mrs.
Senor	Senorita
Signor	Signora
Sultan	Sultana
Testator	Testatrix
Widower	Widow

3. By Placing a word before or after; as:

Masculine	Feminine
Cock-sparrow	Hen-sparrow
Doctor	Lady-doctor
Grandfather	Grandmother
Great-uncle	Great-aunt
He-fox	She-fox
Jack-Ass	She-ass
Manservant	Maidservant
Landlord	Landlady
Milkman	Milk-woman
Peacock	peahen
Salesman	Saleswoman
Step-son	Step-daughter
Washer-man	Washerwoman