S, before a vowel, sounds like z, as in nous avons eu, which must be pronounced nou-zavōn-zu. S is sounded in aloès, bibus, blocus, chorus, choléramorbus, dervis, florès, gratis, jadis, laps, maïs, mars, orémus, ours, rébus, relaps, Reims, Rubens, sinus, en sus, vasistas, etc. It is silent in Jésus-Christ, but sounded in le Christ.
T is generally pronounced before a vowel, except when it is preceded by a sounded consonant, as in effort étonnant, pronounced é-for-éto-nan; in quatre-vingt-un it is not pronounced, but it is sounded in vingt et un. In all plural nouns, and in the conjunction et; also before a vowel in fort, adjective, it is silent, but it is sounded in fort, adverb. Final t is also sounded in brut, déficit, dot, mat, exact, fat, infect, intact, net, rapt, subit, tact, toast, transit, zénith, etc. It is not heard in Jésus-Christ, though it is sounded in le Christ.
LIST OF THE NOUNS OF DOUBLE GENDER EXISTING IN
THE FRENCH LANGUAGE.
| Aide | { | m., a male assistant. |
| { | f., a female assistant; aid, help, succor. | |
| Aigle | { | m., male eagle. |
| { | f., she-eagle; standard, eagle. | |
| Ange | { | m., angel; (artil.) chain-shot, bar-shot; angel-shot; (ich.) angel-fish.[1] |
| { | f., not used. | |
| Apologétique | { | m., Tertullian’s treatise in defense of the early Christians. |
| { | f., apologetics, a part of theology. | |
| Armadille | { | m., wood-louse. |
| { | f., armadilla, Spanish fleet to defend Spain’s possessions in the New World; Spanish frigate belonging to this fleet. | |
| Asclépiade | { | m., (ancient poet.) asclepiad. |
| { | f., (bot.) asclepias, swallow-wort. | |
| Aune | { | m., alder tree. |
| { | f., obsolete French measure = one ell. | |
| Barbe | { | m., Barbary horse. |
| { | f., beard. | |
| Barde | { | m., a bard, Celtic poet. |
| { | f., a thin slice, a rasher of bacon. | |
| Basque | { | m., Biscayan; Basque (nation and language). |
| { | f., flap, skirt, tail, of a coat, or any other garment. | |
| Bourgogne | { | m., Burgundy (wine). |
| { | f., Burgundy (province). | |
| Brie | { | m., Brie (cheese). |
| { | f., Brie (province); rolling-pin. | |
| Bulbe | { | m., (anat.) bulb. |
| { | f.,[2](bot.) bulb. | |
| Câpre[3] | { | m., ☉pirate; privateer; piratical ship. |
| { | f., (bot.) caper. | |
| Carpe | { | m., wrist. |
| { | f., (ich.) carp. | |
| Cartouche | { | m., (arch.) cartouch, modillion. |
| { | f., cartridge for small firearms. | |
| Caustique | { | m., (med.) caustic. |
| { | f., (geom., phys.) caustic curve. | |
| Champagne | { | m., Champagne (wine). |
| { | f., Champagne (province). | |
| Chorée | { | m., choreus, choree, trochee. |
| { | f., (med.) chorea, St. Vitus’ dance. | |
| Cinquième | { | m., the fifth part; pupil in the 5th form in public schools. |
| { | f., 5th form in public schools. | |
| Cistophore | { | m., (antiq.) Asiatic coin marked with a cist. |
| { | f., (antiq.) a female cist-bearer in the feast of Ceres and Bacchus. | |
| Claque | { | m. opera hat. |
| { | f., flap, slap, smack; (thea.) claque, paid clappers. | |
| Cloaque | { | m., sink, receptacle of filth; filthy, dirty place; filthy person; (anat.) cloaca. |
| { | f., (Roman antiq.) common sewer. | |
| Coche | { | m., barge for the conveyance of travelers, track-boat, coach. |
| { | f., sow, she-pig; notch, nick, indentation. | |
| Connétable | { | m., High-Constable. |
| { | f., High-Constable’s wife. | |
| Contumace | { | m., a man guilty of contumacy (jur.). |
| { | f., contumacy. | |
| Cornette | { | m., cornet, ensign-bearer (cavalry). |
| { | f., cornet, mob-cap; (milit.) colors of a company of cavalry; cornetcy; (nav.) broad pendant. | |
| Cosaque | { | m., Cossack. |
| { | f., Cossack dance. | |
| Cosmétique | { | m., cosmetic. |
| { | f., the art of using cosmetics. | |
| Cotte | { | m., (ich.) bull-head, miller’s-thumb. |
| { | f., ☉petticoat. — d’armes; coat of arms. — de mailles; coat of mail. — morte; property left by a deceased monk. | |
| Couple | { | m., a married pair, husband and wife. |
| { | f., a brace, two. | |
| Cravate | { | m., Croatian horse; ☉trooper of light cavalry regiments which bore the same name. |
| { | f., cravat, necktie, neckcloth. | |
| Crêpe | { | m., crape. |
| { | f., pancake. | |
| Critique | { | m., a critic. |
| { | f., criticism. | |
| Custode | { | m., warden. |
| { | f., cloth to cover the pyx in which the Host is kept; curtain of the high altar; ☉curtain. | |
| Décime | { | m., copper coin worth 10 centimes, the tenth part of a franc; a war tax. |
| { | f., tithe formerly levied on ecclesiastical revenues; pl., tax paid formerly to the king by the holders of benefices. | |
| Dentale | { | m., (conch,) dentalium, dental, tooth-shell. |
| { | f., dental, dental consonant. | |
| Didactique | { | m., didactic language, didactic style. |
| { | f., the art of teaching. | |
| Dixième | { | m., the tenth part; a tax. |
| { | f., (mus.) tenth. | |
| Ébène[4] | { | m., not used. |
| { | f., ebony, ebon; (fig.) black color. | |
| Écho | { | m., echo. |
| { | f., Echo (nymph). | |
| Élève | { | m., male pupil, school-boy. |
| { | f., female pupil, school-girl; breeding of horses, cattle, etc. | |
| Enseigne | { | m., ensign, standard-bearer. |
| { | f., sign-board. | |
| Éphémère | { | m., (ent.) ephemera, ephemeran, day-fly, May-fly. |
| { | f., spider-wort, tradescantia virginica. | |
| Espace | { | m., space, distance, interval. |
| { | f., (print.) space, metallic plate to separate words. | |
| Exemple | { | m., example. |
| { | f., writing-copy. | |
| Faune | { | m., faun (myth.). |
| { | f., fauna. | |
| Faux | { | m., forgery, falsehood. |
| { | f., scythe. | |
| Fin | { | m., sharp, astute man; gist, main point; (metal.) pure metal. |
| { | f., end, termination; aim, object, view, design, intention. | |
| Finale | { | m., (mus.) finale. |
| { | f., (gram.) final letter or syllable. | |
| Flasque | { | m., cheek (of a gun-carriage). |
| { | f., powder-flask, powder-horn; (nav.) whelp (of the capstan); board (of bellows). | |
| Follicule | { | m., (anat., bot.) follicle. |
| { | f., [5]small sheet of paper; (pharm.) pod of senna. | |
| Foret[6] | { | m., drill (to bore holes). |
| { | f., forest. | |
| Foudre | { | m., (st.e.) thunder-bolt, lightning; (paint., sculpt.) thunder-bolt, Jupiter’s attribute; (fig.) irresistible eloquence; great general, orator, hero; divine anger, vengeance; fulmination of excommunication, etc.; artillery, mines, war; (poet.) catastrophe, destruction. A tun (cask). |
| { | f., thunder-bolt, lightning; (fig.) divine anger, vengeance; fulmination of excommunication, etc.; superior eloquence; artillery, mines, etc. | |
| Fourbe | { | m., knave. |
| { | f., deceit, craftiness. | |
| Garde | { | m., a guard, a keeper. |
| { | f., guarding, guard; watching; keeping. | |
| Garde-robe | { | m., lady’s apron. |
| { | f., wardrobe; (bot.) artemisia. | |
| Geste | { | m., gesture, action, movement. pl., ☉great deeds of generals, princes, etc. |
| { | f., poem in old French. | |
| Givre | { | m., hoar frost, rime. |
| { | f., (her.) snake, serpent, wyvern. | |
| Grave | { | m., (phys.) body, heavy body; (lit.) grave style; (mus.) flat; wine made at Grave (France). |
| { | f., shore, beach (Newfoundland); | |
| { | pl., gravelly and clayey soil in the department of Gironde (France). | |
| Greffe | { | m., record-office of a court of justice. |
| { | f., graft. | |
| Grêle | { | m., nut-coal. |
| { | f., hail; (med.) chalazion, grando, hailstone. | |
| Guérilla | { | m., guerilla-soldier. |
| { | f., guerilla, small army of irregulars. | |
| Guide | { | m., a guide. |
| { | f., rein. | |
| Havane | { | m., Havana (cigar). |
| { | f., Havana (town). | |
| Hymne | { | m., ode, hymn. |
| { | f., hymn (church). | |
| Inde | { | m., indigo, indigo blue; logwood. |
| { | f., India. | |
| Interligne | { | m., space between printed or written lines; space between the lines of the stave (mus.). |
| { | f., (print.) lead, metallic plate to separate lines. | |
| Jujube | { | m., the extract of jujube (fruit). |
| { | f., [7]jujube (fruit). | |
| Laque | { | m., lacker, lacquer. |
| { | f., lac, lake, gum-lake. | |
| Lepte | { | m., (ent.) leptus, wheal-worm, harvest-bug. |
| { | f., (bot.) a triphyllous plant of the order celastraceæ. | |
| Lévite | { | m., Levite. |
| { | f., surtout, overcoat. | |
| Liquide | { | m., a liquid. |
| { | f., (gram.) liquid, liquid consonant. | |
| Litre | { | m., liter, French measure of capacity, less than a quart. |
| { | f., band of black cloth bearing the coat of arms of a deceased person, and hung in church at his funeral. | |
| Livre | { | m., book. |
| { | f., pound (weight, money). | |
| Louche | { | m., ambiguity; equivocalnees; underhand dealing. |
| { | f., soup-ladle. | |
| Loutre | { | m., ☉a hat, a muff, etc., made of otter-skin or hair. |
| { | f., otter. | |
| Maheutre | { | m., (French hist.) Protestant soldier. |
| { | f., a sleeve that was formerly worn, and did not reach further than the elbow. | |
| Manche | { | m., handle of a tool, a knife, etc. |
| { | f., sleeve; the English Channel. | |
| Manœuvre | { | m., day-laborer; bricklayer’s journeyman; (fig.) bungler; crafty person. |
| { | f., (milit., nav.) maneuver; running rigging, cordages of a ship. | |
| Marengo | { | m., Oxford gray (color). |
| { | f., (cook.) marengo (sauce for fowl). | |
| Maroufle | { | m., ragamuffin, lout, rascallion, clodhopper. |
| { | f., (paint.) lining-paste. | |
| Martyre | { | m., martyrdom. |
| { | f., a female martyr. | |
| Masque | { | m., a mask. |
| { | f., ☉ugly woman, ugly girl. | |
| Mémoire | { | m., memorandum; memoir; bill (of large amount). |
| { | f., the memory. | |
| Merci | { | m., thanks. |
| { | f., mercy, grace, benevolence, favor. | |
| Mestre de Camp | { | m., ☉colonel; general. |
| { | f., ☉the 1st company of a regiment. | |
| Minime | { | m., minim, Franciscan monk. |
| { | f., ☉(mus.) minim. | |
| Mobile | { | m., mover, spring, motive power; motive; soldier in the garde mobile. |
| { | f., the garde mobile, a French infantry corps no longer in existence. | |
| Mode | { | m., mood, mode; method. |
| { | f., fashion. | |
| Môle | { | m., pier, jetty. |
| { | f., (med.) mole. | |
| Mort | { | m., a dead man. |
| { | f., death. | |
| Moufle[8] | { | m., (chem.) muffle. |
| { | f., (mec.) tackle (assemblage of pulleys); fingerless glove. | |
| Moule | { | m., mold, matrix to cast lead, iron, etc. |
| { | f., (ich.) mussel. | |
| Mousse | { | m., cabin-boy, apprentice sailor. |
| { | f., moss; froth, foam. | |
| Mulle | { | m., (ich.) mullet. |
| { | f., ☉rennet, prepared membrane of the calf’s stomach. | |
| Myope | { | m., myope, short-sighted man; (ent.) conops. |
| { | f., myope, short-sighted female. | |
| Mystique | { | m., mystic (man). |
| { | f., mystic (female); the study of spirituality. | |
| Néphrétique | { | m., (med.) nephritic; man affected with nephritis. |
| { | f., nephritic, renal colic. | |
| Nielle | { | m., niello. |
| { | f., blight, smut; (bot.) rose campion. | |
| Noël | { | m., Christmas; Christmas carol. |
| { | f., la Noël (ellipsis for la fête de Noël), Christmas-day. | |
| Œuvre | { | m., the philosopher’s stone; (arch.) walls; the whole of the works of an engraver, painter, or composer of music; argentiferous lead; (jur.) summons to one who builds upon another man’s ground. |
| { | f., work, deed, action; work of the hand; handiwork; (jewel.) bezel; (nav.) hull of a ship; the works of a writer. | |
| Office | { | m., divine service; duty; office[9]; employment; formulary of prayers. Saint-—; holy-office, inquisition. |
| { | f., servants’ hall; pantry. | |
| Ombre[10] | { | m., (ich.) umbra, chromis, corvo; umber, grayling, char; (card game) omber. |
| { | f., shade, shadow; spirit, ghost. | |
| Once | { | m., mountain-cat, catamount. |
| { | f., ounce (weight); jaguar, ounce. | |
| Orphiques | { | m., Orpheus’ poems; Pythagoreans, votaries of Orpheus. |
| { | f., orgies, feast in honor of Bacchus. | |
| Page | { | m., page, young male servant. |
| { | f., page of a book, etc. | |
| Paillasse | { | m., clown, merry-andrew. |
| { | f., straw-bed, straw-bed ticking. | |
| Palme | { | m., palm; hand (measures). |
| { | f., palm; palm-branch; (bot.) palm-tree; pattern of cashmere shawls; (sculpt., arch.) palm; (her.) palm; (bot.) Cuban reed; (nav.) a kind of East Indian ship with two masts. | |
| Pantomime | { | m., pantomimist, pantomime. |
| { | f., dumb-show, pantomime. | |
| Pâque[11] | { | m., Easter (Christian religion). |
| { | f., Passover, Easter (Jewish religion). | |
| Parallèle | { | m., comparison; (geog.) parallel of latitude. |
| { | f., (geom.) parallel line; (fort.) trench, trenches. | |
| Part | { | m., (jur.) new-born child, infant; birth. |
| { | f., share, portion, part; concern, interest, part, side. | |
| Peau-rouge | { | m., American Indian. Red-skin. |
| { | f., (no hyphen) any one’s skin when it is red, or redder than usual. | |
| Pendule | { | m., pendulum. |
| { | f., time-piece. | |
| Période | { | m., highest point, acme, height. |
| { | f., period, epoch. | |
| Personne | { | m., (pron.) nobody, anybody. |
| { | f., (noun) a person. | |
| Physique | { | m., a person’s constitution, body. |
| { | f., natural philosophy. | |
| Pique | { | m., spade (cards). |
| { | f., pike (weapon); tiff, pique, quarrel. | |
| Pivoine | { | m., (orni.) bull-finch. |
| { | f., (bot.) peony, piony. | |
| Plane | { | m., (bot.) plane-tree; inside surface of scissors blades. |
| { | f., joiner’s plane; spoke-shave, drawing-knife; (ich.) plaice. | |
| Platine | { | m., (metal.) platinum. |
| { | f., lock (of small fire-arms); metallic-plate. | |
| Podagre | { | m., a podagrical man, i.e. one having the gout in his feet. |
| { | f., podagra, gout in the feet. | |
| Poêle | { | m., pall; stove. |
| { | f., frying-pan. | |
| Polacre or Polaque | { | m., ☉Polish cavalry. |
| { | f., (nav.) polacca, polacre. | |
| Politique | { | m., politician. |
| { | f., politics; policy. | |
| Ponte | { | m., punter (gambling). |
| { | f., laying of eggs. | |
| Poste | { | m., post, situation. |
| { | f., post, mail, post-office; buckshot. | |
| Poulpe | { | m., (mol.) poulp, octopus. |
| { | f., pulp, pap. | |
| Pourpre | { | m., purple (color); (her.) purpure; (chem.) purple; (med.) purples. |
| { | f., purple, coloring matter extracted from buccinum lapillus; stuff, fabric dyed in purple; (fig.) vivid red color; sovereign dignity, cardinal’s dignity. | |
| Prétexte | { | m., pretense, pretext. |
| { | f., (Rom. ant.) prætexta. | |
| Primevère | { | m., ☉spring season. |
| { | f., (bot.) primrose, cowslip, oxlip. | |
| Pupille | { | m., a male ward. |
| { | f., a female ward; pupil of the eye. | |
| Pyrrhique | { | m., pyrrhic (poet.). |
| { | f., pyrrhic, military dance. | |
| Quadrille | { | m., quadrille (card game); quadrille, a dance; (mus.) quadrille. |
| { | f., troup of horses in a tournament. | |
| Quadruple | { | m., quadruple, fourfold; (Spanish coin) doubloon. |
| { | f., Spanish gold coin worth about £3 8s. | |
| Quatrième | { | m., fourth; 4th floor; pupil of the 4th form in public schools. |
| { | f., 4th form in public schools; (piquet) quart. | |
| Queux | { | m., ☉cook. |
| { | f., whetting-stone, hone. | |
| Réciproque | { | m., like, like for like, tit for tat. |
| { | f., (log.) converse. | |
| Réclame | { | m., (hawking) cry, sign to bring back a hawk to the lure or to the fist. |
| { | f., (print.) catch-word; primer; editorial advertisement in newspapers; (c.rel.) part of the responses recited in the versicle; (thea.) cue. | |
| Régale | { | m., organ stop imitating the human voice; regal (musical instrument). |
| { | f., the king’s right to receive the revenue of a vacant bishopric. | |
| Réglisse | { | m., du réglisse (popular ellipsis for du jus de réglisse) extract of liquorice, Spanish juice. |
| { | f., (bot.) liquorice, licorice; liquorice root. | |
| Relâche | { | m., (thea.) non-performance. |
| { | f., (nav.) putting into port. | |
| Remise | { | m., coach let on hire, livery-coach. |
| { | f., coach-house; (com.) remittance. | |
| Rencontre | { | m., (her.) rencounter. |
| { | f., encounter, rencounter, accidental meeting; accident, chance, collision; meeting; accidental fight; opportunity, occurrence, case; juncture. | |
| Rhingrave | { | m., count of the Rhine. |
| { | f., ☉knee-breeches. | |
| Romaïque | { | m., Romaic, modern Greek language. |
| { | f., the Greek national dance. | |
| Rossinante | { | m., Rosinante, Don Quixote’s horse. |
| { | f., Rosinante, a sorry horse, a jade. | |
| Sagittaire | { | m., (astron.) Saggitarius. |
| { | f., (bot.) arrow-head, adder’s-tongue. | |
| Sarde | { | m., a native of Sardinia. |
| { | f., (ich.) whale; scomber; sardan; Brazilian sardine or pilchard. | |
| Satyre | { | m., (myth.) satyr. |
| { | f., (Grec. ant.) satyric tragedy. | |
| Scolastique | { | m., scholastic; school-man. |
| { | f., scholasticism. | |
| Scolie | { | m., (geom.) scholium. |
| { | f., scholium, annotation; (Grec antiq.) table-song. | |
| Scytale | { | m., (zoöl.) a species of very venomous snakes. |
| { | f., (antiq.) staff used in Sparta as a cypher to write secret dispatches. | |
| Septième | { | m., seventh, seventh part, seventh day. |
| { | f., (piquet) septième; (mus.) seventh. | |
| Serpentaire | { | m., (astron.) Serpentarius; (orni.) secretary-bird, snake-eater. |
| { | f., (bot.) dragon’s-wort. | |
| Silène | { | m., (myth.) Silenus; Satyr, attendant of Bacchus; (ent.) a South European butterfly. |
| { | f., (bot.) catch-fly. | |
| Sixième | { | m., sixth, sixth part; sixth day; pupil of the 6th class in public schools. |
| { | f., (piquet) seizième; 6th class in public schools. | |
| Solde | { | m., balance of an account. |
| { | f., soldier’s pay. | |
| Somme | { | m., nap, slumbers, doze, sleep. |
| { | f., a sum of money; total; load, burden. | |
| Souris | { | m., smile. |
| { | f., mouse. | |
| Statère[12] | { | m., (antiq.) stater (coin). |
| { | f., (antiq.) statera, Roman balance. | |
| Statuaire | { | m., sculptor. |
| { | f., the art of making statues, statuary. | |
| Stipe | { | m., (bot.) stipe; caudex. |
| { | f., (bot.) stipa, feather-grass; ☉a tax on leases. | |
| Superbe | { | m., proud, haughty man. |
| { | f., arrogance, haughtiness, vainglory. | |
| Technique | { | m., (arts) material execution, technicalities. |
| { | f., technics. | |
| Teneur | { | m., keeper, accountant; teneur de livres; book-keeper. |
| { | f., text, terms, purport, tenor, contents, of writings. | |
| Terre-neuve | { | m., Newfoundland dog. |
| { | f., Newfoundland. | |
| Tirelire | { | m., ☉song, carol of the lark. |
| { | f., money-box. | |
| Tonique | { | m., (med.) tonic. |
| { | f., (mus.) tonic, key-note, key. | |
| Topique | { | m., (rhet., med.) tonic. |
| { | f., (rhet.) the art of finding topic or arguments. | |
| Tour | { | m., turn; tour; lathe; trick. |
| { | f., tower. | |
| Triomphe | { | m., triumph. |
| { | f., triumph (card-game). | |
| Trochée | { | m., (poet.) trochee. |
| { | f., (agri.) brushwood. | |
| Troisième | { | m., third; third floor; pupil of the 3d class in public schools. |
| { | f., 3d class in public schools. | |
| Trolle | { | m., globe-flower, trollius. |
| { | f., (hunt.) trolling. | |
| Trompette | { | m., trumpeter. |
| { | f., trumpet. | |
| Trouble | { | m., confusion, disorder, disturbance, dispute, quarrel; pl. troubles, broils, commotions. |
| { | f., hoop-net (for fishing). | |
| Vague | { | m., space, emptiness; vagueness; looseness; uncertainty. |
| { | f., sea-wave, billow. | |
| Vapeur | { | m., steamer, steam-boat. |
| { | f., steam; vapor. | |
| Vase | { | m., vase. |
| { | f., mud, slime, mire. | |
| Vigogne | { | m., hat made of vicugna wool. |
| { | f., (zoöl.) vicugna. | |
| Voile | { | m., veil. |
| { | f., sail. | |
| Vulnéraire | { | m., (pharm.) vulnerary. |
| { | f., (bot.) kidney-vetch, woundwort. |
FOOTNOTES
[1] Some grammars and dictionaries give ange de mer, angel-fish, as feminine, but it is an error; ange is masculine in all its acceptations.—(Acad.)
[2] In the language of botany this word is sometimes used in the masculine.—(Acad.)
[3] In the sense of pirate, this word has no accent: capre.
[4] Some grammarians and lexicographers give ébène, in the figurative sense of black color, as masculine, but it is an error; ébène is feminine even when used figuratively.—(Acad.)