The English Language

by R. G. Latham

In the Latin language, where there are confessedly genders, we have the words taurus, meaning a bull, and vacca, meaning a cow. Here the natural distinction of sex is expressed by wholly different words. With this we have corresponding modes of expression in English: e.g.,

Male. Female. Bachelor Spinster. Boar Sow. Boy Girl. Brother Sister. Buck Doe.	Male. Female. Horse Mare. Ram Ewe. Son Daughter. Uncle Aunt. Father Mother, &c.
Male.	Female.
Bachelor	Spinster.
Boar	Sow.
Boy	Girl.
Brother	Sister.
Buck	Doe.
Male.	Female.
Horse	Mare.
Ram	Ewe.
Son	Daughter.
Uncle	Aunt.
Father	Mother, &c.

The mode, however, of expressing different sexes by wholly different words is not a matter of gender. The words boy and girl bear no etymological relation to each other; neither being derived from the other, nor in any way connected with it.

[§ 272]. Neither are words like cock-sparrow, man-servant, he-goat, &c., as compared with hen-sparrow, maid-servant, she-goat, &c., specimens of gender. Here a difference of sex is indicated by the addition of a fresh term, from which is formed a compound word.

[§ 273]. In the Latin words genitrix=a mother, and genitor=a father, we have a nearer approach to gender. Here the difference of sex is expressed by a difference of termination;

the words genitor and genitrix being in a true etymological relation, i. e., either derived from each other, or from some common source. With this we have, in English corresponding modes of expression: e. g.,

Male. Female. Actor Actress. Arbiter Arbitress. Baron Baroness. Benefactor Benefactress. Count Countess. Duke Duchess.	Male. Female. Lion Lioness. Peer Peeress. Poet Poetess. Sorcerer Sorceress. Songster Songstress. Tiger Tigress.
Male.	Female.
Actor	Actress.
Arbiter	Arbitress.
Baron	Baroness.
Benefactor	Benefactress.
Count	Countess.
Duke	Duchess.
Male.	Female.
Lion	Lioness.
Peer	Peeress.
Poet	Poetess.
Sorcerer	Sorceress.
Songster	Songstress.
Tiger	Tigress.

This, however, in strict grammatical language, is an approach to gender rather than gender itself. Its difference from true grammatical gender is as follows:—

Let the Latin words genitor and genitrix be declined:—

Sing.	Nom.	Genitor	Genitrix.
	Gen.	Genitor-is	Genitric-is.
	Dat.	Genitor-i	Genitric-i.
	Acc.	Genitor-em	Genitric-em.
	Voc.	Genitor	Genitrix.
Plur.	Nom.	Genitor-es	Genitric-es.
	Gen.	Genitor-um	Genitric-um.
	Dat.	Genitor-ibus	Genitric-ibus.
	Acc.	Genitor-es	Genitric-es.
	Voc.	Genitor-es	Genitric-es.