Page:A Grammar of the Urdū Or Hindūstānī Language in Its Romanized Character.djvu/40

20 but generic terms usually are either of one or other Gender; haran (or hian) 'a stag' is always Masculine, and chīl 'a kite' always Feminine. Sometimes the terminations ā for the male, and ī for the female, are added, as harnā 'a buck,' harnī 'a doe.' Admī 'a human being,' 'descendant of Adam,' applies to either sex; and a Hindu would say, aohchhā ādmī for 'a good man,' achcīil ādmī for 'a good woman.' But Musulmans prefer to use a different word for the female, as 'aurat or zan.

(8) In the case of compound words the Gender is generally determined by the final ingredient. Thus k͟hilwatk͟hāna 'a private apartment,' is Masculine ; jawān-mardī ' manliness,' Feminine.

It will be observed that by far the greater number of the above Rules refer to Nouns which are Feminine, and we think it needless to add more. The student who has mastered and who bears in mind these Rules need only remember that, generally speaking, Substantives of all other 'measures' and terminations are Masculine. As natives of India themselves—even well-educated gentlemen—are not ashamed to make occasional mistakes as to the Gender of Nouns, the Rules above given will, we trust, suffice. In cases of uncertainty on the part of the speaker it is generally better to regard the doubtful word as Masculine, than to risk making a Feminine of what is really a Masculine Noun.

29. A few more words, however, may be added here, before quitting the subject, on the formation of Feminine from Masculine Substantives. The most usual way of doing this is by the addition of longī to the Masculine word, if ending in a consonant; or if in a or ā, by the change of that into ī: as, from Brāhman, Fem. Brāhmanī;