With these preliminaries we may appreciate (or criticise) Dr. Johnson's explanation of the word etymology.
"Etymology, n. s. (etymologia, Lat.) ἔτυμος (etymos) true, and λόγος (logos) a word.
"1. The descent or derivation of a word from its original; the deduction of formations from the radical word; the analysis of compounds into primitives.
"2. The part of grammar which delivers the inflections of nouns and verbs."
CHAPTER II.
ON GENDER.
[§ 271]. The nature of gender is best exhibited by reference to those languages wherein the distinction of gender is most conspicuous. Such a language, amongst others, is the Latin.
How far is there such a thing as gender in the English language? This depends upon the meaning that we attach to the word gender.