What is gender?
In grammar there is a classifications of a Noun or Pronoun as Masculine or Feminine. Therefore, gender is the sexual classification in grammar. Gender comes from Latin genus, meaning kind or sort. (व्याकरण में संज्ञा और सर्वनाम का वर्गीकरण स्त्री और पुरुष के रूप में होता है। फिर भी, लिंग व्याकरण में जातियों के अनुसार वर्गीकृत किया जाता है। Gender शब्द की उत्पत्ति लैटिन शब्द genus से हुई है, जिसका अर्थ है प्रकार या क्रम।)
Classification of sex as male, female or any other is called gender.
We know that living beings are either the male or the female sex. (जैसा कि हम सब जानते हैं कि सभी जीवित प्रजातियों का लिंग या तो स्त्री हैं या पुरुष।) For example:
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Tiger | Tigress |
| Man | Woman |
| Cock | Hen |
| Brother | Sister |
| Boy | Girl |
| Actor | Actress |
| Hero | Heroine |
| Lion | Lioness |
The words in the first column under A are the names of all male animals. (प्रथम स्तम्भ “A” में दिए गए सभी नाम पुरुष प्रजाति के हैं।) And, the words in the second column under B are the names of all female animals. (और, द्वितीय स्तम्भ “B” में दिए गए सभी नाम स्त्री प्रजाति के हैं।)
Types of Gender
There are four types of gender in English Grammar (अंग्रेजी व्याकरण में लिंग चार प्रकार के होते हैं):
- Masculine Gender (पुल्लिंग)
- Feminine Gender (स्त्रीलिंग)
- Common Gender (उभयलिंग)
- Neuter Gender (नपुंसकलिंग)
1. Masculine Gender
A noun that denotes a male animal is said to be of the Masculine Gender. (संज्ञा शब्द जो पुरुष जाति को दर्शाते हैं पुल्लिंग कहलाते हैं।)
जैसे- Tiger, Men, Boy, Brother, Father etc.
Masculine Gender is often applied to objects remarkable for strength, violence, sublimity and superiority. (पुल्लिंग अक्सर ताकत, हिंसा, उदात्तता और श्रेष्ठता के लिए उल्लेखनीय वस्तुओं पर लागू होता है।) जैसे-
Death, time, winter, summer, the sun, fear, love etc.
2. Feminine Gender
A noun that denotes a female animal is said to be of the Feminine Gender. (जिस संज्ञा शब्द से मादा जाति का बोध होता है, उसे स्त्रीलिंग कहते हैं।)
जैसे- Tigress, Women, Girl, Sister, Mother etc.
Feminine Gender is often applied to objects remarkable for beauty, gentleness gracefulness, fertility, softness, Sweetness and weakness etc. (स्त्रीलिंग प्राय: सौन्दर्य, सज्जनता, शोभा, उर्वरता, मृदुलता, माधुर्य और दुर्बलता आदि के लिए उल्लेखनीय वस्तुओं के लिए प्रयुक्त होता है।)
जैसे- The moon, the earth, spring, liberty, autumn, nature, charity, church, hope, justice, mercy, peace, religion, spring, truth, viture, names of countries, locomotive engines, cars, ships and of arts and sciences.
3. Common Gender
Besides, Masculine Gender and Feminine Gender, there is a gender which is said to be the Common Gender. In this gender, a noun that denotes either a male or a female is included. (पुल्लिंग और स्त्रीलिंग के अतिरिक्त एक लिंग ऐसा भी है जिसे उभयलिंग कहा जाता है। इस लिंग में, एक संज्ञा शब्द पुरुष या महिला दोनों को दर्शाती है।)
जैसे– parent, child, pupil, servant, friend, thief, relation, enemy, cousin, orphan, student, person, baby, guardian, monarch, infant, neighbour, tutor etc.
4. Neuter Gender
A noun that denotes a thing that is neither male nor female is said to be of Neuter Gender. (Neuter means neither male nor female.) (जिस संज्ञा शब्द से न तो पुरुष का बोध होता है और न ही स्त्री से उसका बोध होता है, उसे नपुंसक लिंग कहा जाता है। (नपुंसक का मतलब न तो पुरुष है और न ही महिला।))
जैसे- Book, pen, table, chair, room, wall, tree, paper, ball, Sword, radio, telephone, bag, cloth, cigarette, music, key, bus, auto, motor, song etc.
Changing the Gender
Formation of noun from masculine to feminine (पुल्लिंग से स्त्रीलिंग संज्ञा का निर्माण): There are three ways of forming the feminine from the masculine.
1. By using a different word (एक अलग शब्द का प्रयोग करके):
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Mother | Husband | Wife |
| Uncle | Aunt | Nephew | Niece |
| Brother | Sister | Boy | Girl |
| Pappa | Mamma | Man | Woman |
| Gentleman | Lady | King | Queen |
| Son | Daughter | Sir | Madam |
| Cock | Hen | Stag | Hind |
| Beau | Bettle | Swan | Nymph |
| Fox | Vixen | Widower | Widowe |
| Bachelor | Maid, Spinster | Horse (or Stalion) | Mare |
| Hart | Roe | Wizard | Witch |
| Earl | Countess | Drake | Duck |
| Colt | Filly | Dog (or Hound) | Bitch |
| Monk (or Frian) | Nun | Lad | Lass |
| Doe | Buck | Ram | Ewe |
| Gander | Goose | Drone | Bee |
| Bullock | Heifer | Bull (or Ox) | Cow |
| Bride groom | Bride | – | – |
2. By adding a syllable (एक शब्दांश जोड़कर) ( ess, ine, trix, a etc.):
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lion | Lioness | Host | Hostess |
| Priest | Priestess | Patron | Patroness |
| Benefactor | Benefactress | Negro | Negress |
| instructor | Instructress | Waiter | Waitress |
| Seamster | Seamstress | Songster | Songstress |
| Murderer | Murderess | Heir | Heiress |
| Poet | Poetess | Mayor | Mayoress |
| Peer | Peeress | Conductor | Conductress |
| Enchanter | Enchantress | Pounder | Foundress |
| Traitor | Traitress | Templer | Temptress |
| Preceptor | Preceptress | Sorcerer | Sorceress |
3. By substituting a feminine word for a masculine in compound words (यौगिक शब्दों में पुल्लिंग के स्थान पर स्त्रीलिंग का प्रयोग करना):
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peacock | Peahen | Billy-goat | Nanny-goat |
| Foster-father | Foster-mother | Jack-ass | Jenny-ass |
| Viceroy | Vicereine | Executor | Executrix |
| Shepherd | Shepherdess | Viscount | Viscountess |
| Jew | Jewess | Author | Authoress |
| Count | Countess | Don | Donna |
| Cock-sparrow | Hen-sparrow | Grandfather | Grandmother |
| Czar | Czarina | Prophet | Prophetess |
| Steward | Stewardess | Manager | Manageress |
| Signor | Signora | Testator | Testatrix |
| Baron | Baroness | Giant | Giantess |
| Hero | Heroine | Sultan | Sultana |
| Signor | Signora | Administrator | Adninistratrix |
Again, “ess” is added after dropping the vowel of the masculine ending (पुल्लिंग समाप्त होने वाले स्वर को छोड़ने के बाद फिर से “ess” जोड़ा जाता है).
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Abbot | Abbess |
| Emperor | Empress |
| Hunter | Huntress |
| Marquis | Marchioness |
| Tiger | Tigress |
| Prince | Princess |
| Duke | Cuchéss |
| Actor | Actress |
| Master | Mistress |
| Votary | Votaress |
| Land-lord | Land-lady |
| Milk-man | Milk-maid |
| He-ass | She-ass |
| Man-servant | Maid-servant |
| School-master | School-mistress |
| Washer-man | Washer-woman |
| Step-son | Step-daughter |
| Buck-rabbit | Doe-rabbit |
| Man-kind | Woman-kind |
| Bull-calf | Cow-calf |
| He-bear | She-bear |
| Great-uncle | Great-aunt |
Some Masculine Nouns are used in the Common Gender (कुछ पुल्लिंग संज्ञाओं का प्रयोग सामान्य लिंग में किया जाता है)
- Actor,
- Advocate,
- Author,
- Chairman,
- Doctor,
- Hound,
- Lawyer,
- Man,
- Painter,
- Poet,
- Teacher,
- Tutor,
- Hunter.
Some Feminine Nouns are used in the Common Gender (कुछ स्त्रीलिंग संज्ञाओं का प्रयोग सामान्य लिंग में किया जाता है)
- Cow,
- Duck,
- Bee.
Some Feminine Nouns have no corresponding Masculine forms (कुछ स्त्रीलिंग संज्ञाओं का कोई संगत पुल्लिंग रूप नहीं होता है)
- House-wife (mistress of the house).
- Virgin (an unmarried woman).
- Flirt (woman pretending to make love).
- Virago (a turbulent woman).
- Dowager (widow with late husband’s property).
- Siren (an enticing woman).
- Brunette (a dark-complexioned woman).
- Prude (a woman of a affected modesty).
Some Masculines have no corresponding Feminines (कुछ पुल्लिंग का कोई संगत स्त्रीलिंग नहीं होता है)
- Captain,
- Judge,
- Knight,
- Squire,
- Person.
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