A&G›PART FIRST — WORDS AND FORMS

GENDER

§§29–34 · 6 sections

The Genders distinguished in Latin are three: Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter.

The gender of Latin nouns is either natural or grammatical.

Natural Gender is distinction as to the sex of the object denoted: as, puer (M.), boy; puella (F.), girl; rēx (M.), king; rēgīna (F.), queen.

Many designations of persons (as nauta, sailor) usually though not necessarily male are always treated as masculine. Similarly names of tribes and peoples are masculine: as, Rōmānī, the Romans; Persae, the Persians.

Many petenames of girls and boys are neuter in form: as, Paegnium, Glycerium.

Grammatical Gender is a formal distinction as to sex where no actual sex exists in the object. It is shown by the form of the adjective joined with the noun: as, lapis māgnus (M.), a great stone; manus mea (F.), my hand.

General Rules of Gender

Names of Male beings, and of Rivers, Winds, Months, and Mountains, are masculine:—

  1. pater, father; Iūlius, Julius; Tiberis, the Tiber; auster, south wind; Iānuārius, January; Apennīnus, the Apennines.

A few names of Rivers ending in -a (as, Allia), with the Greek names Lēthē and Styx, are feminine; others are variable or uncertain.

Some names of Mountains are feminine or neuter, taking the gender of their termination: as, Alpēs (F.), the Alps; Sōracte (N.).

Names of Female beings, of Cities, Countries, Plants, Trees, and Gems, of many Animals (especially Birds), and of most abstract Qualities, are feminine:—

  1. māter, mother; Iūlia, Julia; Rōma, Rome; ītalia, Italy; rosa, rose; pīnus, pine; sapphīrus, sapphire; anas, duck; vēritās, truth.

Some names of Towns and Countries are masculine: as, Sulmō, Gabiī (plur.); or neuter, as, Tarentum, Illyricum.

A few names of Plants and Gems follow the gender of their termination: as, centaurēum (N.), centaury; acanthus (M.), bearsfoot; opalus (M.), opal.

Indeclinable nouns, infinitives, terms or phrases used as nouns, and words quoted merely for their form, are neuter:—

  1. fās, right; nihil, nothing; gummī, gum; scīre tuum, your knowledge (to know); trīste valē, a sad farewell; hōc ipsum diū, this very “long.”

Many nouns may be either masculine or feminine, according to the sex of the object. These are said to be of Common Gender: as, exsul, exile; bōs, ox or cow; parēns, parent.