PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF GENDER

Construction according to the Sense (926 a).—The real, not the grammatical, gender often determines the agreement: ὦ φίλτατ᾽, ὦ περισσὰ τῑμηθεὶς τέκνον O dearest, O greatly honoured child E. Tro. 735 (this use of the attributive adjective is poetical), τὰ μειράκια πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαλεγόμενοι the youths conversing with one another P. Lach. 180e, ταῦτ᾽ ἔλεγεν ἡ ἀναιδὴς αὕτη κεφαλή, ἐξεληλυθώς this shameless fellow spoke thus when he came out D. 21.117.

The masculine is used for person in general: οὐκ ἀνέξεται τίκτονται ἄλλους, οὐκ ἔχουσ᾽ αὐτὴ τέκνα unfruitful herself, she will not endure that others bear children E. And. 712, ὁπότερος ἂν ᾖ βελτῑ́ων, εἴθ᾽ ὁ ἀνήρ εἴθ᾽ ἡ γυνή which ever of the two is superior, whether the man or the woman X. O. 7.27. So οἱ γονεῖς parents, οἱ παῖδες children. See 1055.

See also 1009, 1050.