Gender and Denoting Gender Nouns

     Gender. In English nouns, gender indicates sex or the absence of sex. Four genders are distinguished:

     1. Masculine Gender:  male human beings or animals.
         boy, father, Joseph, bull, cock, stallion.

     2. Feminine Gender: female human beings or animals.
         girl, mother, Josephine, cow, hen, mare.

     3. Neuter Gender: objects without flower, fire, furnace.
     (NOTE: children and animals are sometimes spoken of as Neuter: The baby cries because it is bored.
       The dog barks because it can't speak.

     4. Common Gender: human beings or animals that may belong to either sex.
        cousin, parent, child, fish, bird.

     DENOTING GENDER.  Gender in nouns may be indicated in three ways: by a different word, by a changed termination, and by an added word.

 by a different word.

                        MASCULINE                                          FEMININE
                              buck                                                          doe
                              bull                                                            cow
                              cock                                                          hen
                              colt                                                            filly
                              lord                                                           lady
 
  by a changed termination

                        MASCULINE                                          FEMININE
                             actor                                                         actress
                             baron                                                        baroness
                             god                                                           goddess
                             hero                                                          heroine
                             widower                                                   window

  by an added word.

                       MASCULINE                                           FEMININE
                         billy goat                                                     nanny goat
                         bridegroom                                                 bride
                         landlord                                                      landlady

     PERSONIFICATION. Sometimes object on forces, normally of neuter gender, are personified - regardless as persons; consequently, they are endowed with masculine or feminine gender.
     Crops fail at times, but Death always reaps his harvest.
     Then the bully came in, his hand upon his knife.
     Fame smiled, displaying her false teeth.
     (NOTE: Personifications are often capitalized.)
     CASE. In English nouns, case refers to the change in form that shows the grammatical relationship of nouns to other words in the sentence.
     Whether a noun initiates an action or receives it, the form remains constant (that is, the spelling of the noun does change)"
     John threw the bull.
     The bull threw John.
     The noun changes its form (or spelling) only when it is used to show possession:
     John's cape eluded the bull's horns. Therefore, some grammarians insist that English nouns have two cases only: the common case and the possessive case. However, though the principle is valid, it creates as many difficulties as it solves, since it complicates nomenclature. Throughout this book, consequently, the traditional three cases of nouns are recognized.