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 |
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