Noun- Gender

Genders tell us whether a noun belongs to the male sex, female sex or to neither of
the two. There are four genders in the English language:

(a) Masculine Gender

(b) Feminine Gender

(c) Common Gender

(d) Neuter Gender

1. Man, boy and the male animals are masculine.

2. Women, girls and female animals are feminine.

3. A noun which has the same form for masculine and feminine is of the Common
Gender; as, parent, baby, child, cousin, author, painter, artist, etc.

4. A lifeless thing is of the Neuter Gender; as, book, table, knife, pen, etc.

WAYS OF CHANGING GENDER

 Words change from masculine to feminine by adding a suffix:

author: authoress, heir : heiress

 Words change from feminine by adding = ess with some changes to the
masculine

waiter: waitress, duke : duchess

 Some masculine words change entirely as they become feminine words.

king: queen, bride: groom.

 Some masculine words change party when they become feminine words.

Landlord: landlady, milkman: milkmaid

1. By using entirely different words:

Masculine - Feminine

Bachelor - Maid, spinster

Hart - Roe

Boy - Girl

Horse - Mare

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Brother - Sister

Husband - Wife

Bull - Cow

2. By changing prefix or suffix :

(i) By changing the prefix (the word before)

Masculine Feminine

Bull-calf Cow-calf

Cock-Sparrow Hen-Sparrow

He-goat She-goat

He-bear She-bear

Man-servant Maid-servant

(ii) By changing the suffix (the word after)

Masculine Feminine

Grand-father Grand-mother

Bar-man Bar-maid

Land-lord Land-lady

Pea-cock Pea-hen

Milk-man Milk-maid

3. By adding 'ess' to the masculine:

(i) Without any change in the form of masculine:

Masculine Feminine

Author Authoress

Count Countess

Giant Giantess

Heir Heiress

Lion Lioness

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(ii) After dropping the last vowel of the masculine.

Masculine Feminine

Actor Actress

Benefactor Benefactress

Enchanter Enchantress

Hunter Huntress

Instructor Instructress

4. In an irregular way:

Masculine Feminine

Duke Duchess

Emperor Empress

God Goddess

Governor Governess

Lad Lass

Master Mistress

5. Some exceptions:

Masculine Feminine

Bridegroom Bride

Fox Vixen

Hero Heroine

Viceroy Vicereine

6. From foreign languages:

Masculine Feminine

Beau Belle

Czar Czarina

Executor Executrix

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Common Gender is applied to names of persons or animals that do not indicate their
sex.

(a) Persons: baby, child, cousin, friend, infant, cook, student, enemy, neighbour,
pupil, person, people, painter, servant, guest, cousin, client, advisor, singer, teacher,
pilot, professor, manager etc.

(b) Animals: animal, bird, cat, fish, lamb, mouse, rat, ant, worm, frog, snake,
sparrow, elephant.

Gender Nouns for People

Here are some examples of masculine and feminine nouns for people.

S.n Male Female

1 actor actress

2 boy girl

3 bridegroom bride

4 brother sister

5 count countess

6 dad mom

7 duke duchess

8 emperor empress

9 father mother

10 gentleman lady

11 grandfather grandmother

12 heir heiress

13 host hostess

14 husband wife

15 king queen

16 landlord landlady

17 man woman

18 nephew niece

19 policeman policewoman

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 20 prince princess

21 sir madam

22 son daughter

23 steward stewardess

24 uncle aunt

25 waiter waitress

26 widower widow

27 wizard witch

All the animals come under common gender nouns and therefore can be used to
refer either male or female.

If an animal is a male it is characterized using Masculine noun words while if an

animal is female it is characterized using Feminine noun words.

Masculine and Feminine Examples:

S.n Animal Male Female

1 ant drone queen / worker

2 antelope buck doe

3 bear boar sow / she-bear

4 camel bull cow

5 caribou buck doe

6 cat tom queen

7 chimpanzee blackback empress

8 chicken cock / rooster hen

9 coyote dog bitch

10 crab cock / jimmy hen / jenny

11 crocodile bull cow

12 deer stag / buck doe

13 dog dog bitch

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14 donkey jack jenny

15 dragonfly king / drake queen

16 duck drake duck / hen

17 elephant bull cow

18 elk bull cow

19 falcon tiercel falcon

20 ferret hob gill / jill

21 finch cock hen

22 fox dog vixen

23 gerbil buck doe

24 giraffe bull cow

25 goat billy / buck nanny / doe

26 goose gander goose

27 guinea pig boar sow

28 hamster buck doe

29 hawk tiercel hen

30 hedgehog boar sow

31 hippopotamus bull cow

32 horse stallion / stud mare / dam

33 jellyfish boar sow

34 kangaroo boomer / buck / jack flyer / doe / jill

35 leopard leopard leopardess

36 lion lion lioness

37 lobster cock hen

38 mallard greenhead hen

39 mole boar sow

40 mouse buck doe

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 41 opossum jack jill

42 peafowl peacock peahen

43 partridge cock hen / chantelle

44 pig boar / barrow sow / gilt

45 rabbit buck / jack doe / jill

Exercise:
1. Which of the following nouns 5. Which gender do ''scientists''
is the masculine counterpart of belong to?
the bride?
a. Masculine
a. Groom
b. Feminine
b. Bridesmaid
c. Neuter
c. Lad
d. Common
d. Drake
6. Which of the following is in
2. Which of the following nouns
the common gender?
is the neuter gender?
a. Steward
a. Nurse
b. Flight attendant
b. Doctor
c. Airplane
c. Lab assistant
d. Stewardess
d. Syringe

3. Which of the following 7. What is the female

pairs of nouns is composed counterpart of gander?
males and females? a. Goose
b. Horse
a. Hen-chick c. Bull
b. Bull-cow d. Sheep
c. Cock-rooster
d. Lady-lass 8. Which of the following does
NOT belong to the neuter
gender?
4. Which of the following
nouns completes the analogy a. Curtain
"cock is to hen as boar is to b. Letter
______? c. Sailor
d. Walnut
a. Sow e. Computer
b. Goat
c. Horse 9. What is the gender of the
d. Sheep noun ''prophet?''

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a. Feminine b. Doe
b. Common c. Dow
c. Neuter d. Dough
d. Masculine
13. What is the feminine of bull?
10. Boy, man, uncle, fireman,
grandfather are... a. Ox
b. Cart
a. Feminine titles c. Cow
b. Masculine titles d. Sheep
c. Both Feminine and Masculine
titles 14. What is the feminine of
d. None of the above father?

11. What is the feminine of a. mother

peacock? b. cousin
c. wife
a. Peak d. daughter
b. Pierce
c. Peanut 15. What is the feminine of son?
d. Peahen
a. sister
12. What is the feminine of b. mistress
buck? c. daughter
d. mother
a. Dove

Answers :
1. A 8. C
2. D 9. B
3. B 10. B
4. A 11. D
5. D 12. B
6. B 13. C
7. A 14. A
15. C