In this section we will learn three ways of transform of masculine nouns to feminine nouns and later we’ll see some notes we should keep handing for correct formation.
I guess almost all of us get confused as to how the feminine version of a word is formed, though we have a long list of masculine and feminine words. But it is difficult to tell how they are formed just by looking at them, Is there any specific way ?. That’s what we are going to have a look at this article.
Masculine to Feminine Gender Changing Rules
Following is a list of 3 important rules if followed will help you change the gender forms.
Rule 1. Use a Completely Different Word
In these types we have a different word for a every masculine nouns. Let us understand this with some examples.
| Masculine | Feminine |
| Father | Mother |
| Uncle | Aunt |
| Boy | Girl |
| Brother | Sister. |
| Sir | Madam |
| King | Queen |
Rule 2. By Adding a Syllable (—ess, —ine, —trix, —a, etc.)
We can also make a feminine word by adding syllables at the end of masculine word.
- Syllable -ess is added after dropping the vowel of the masculine ending.
- we add suffixes -ine, -a, -trix to form feminine form.
| Masculine | Feminine |
| Poet | Poetess |
| Priest | Priestess |
| Host | Hostess |
| Murderer | Murderess |
| Waiter | Waitress |
| Actor | Actress |
| Emperor | Empress |
| Prince | Princess |
| Master | Mistress |
| Hero | Heroine |
| Executor | Executrix |
| Sultan | Sultana |
| Don | Donna |
| Signor | Signora |
| Administrator | Administratrix |
Rule 3. Substituting a Feminine Word for a Masculine in Compound Words.
We make feminine of some compound words by substituting a Feminine Word for a Masculine part.
| Masculine | Feminine |
| Milk-man | Milk-maid |
| Land-lord | Land-lady |
| Step-son | Step-daughter |
| Man-kind | Woman-kind |
| Great-uncle | Great-aunt |
| School-master | School-mistress |
Points to Note while Forming Feminine Words
Following are some notes you should be aware while forming feminine.
Note : 1. Some Masculine Nouns are used in the Common Gender. For example,
- Actor
- Author
- Doctor
- Lawyer
- Man
- Poet
- Teacher.
Note 2. Some Feminine Nouns are used in the Common Gender. For example,
- Cow
- Duck
- Bee
Note 3. Some Feminine Nouns have no corresponding Masculine forms. For example,
- 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 modestry)
Note 4. Some Masculines have no corresponding Feminines. For example,
- Captain
- Judge
- Knight
- Squire
- Parson
Make a list of these key points and you’ll have a good time understanding the concept of genders and their types.
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