Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/414

 latter a special feminine ending is generally used ( and ) both in the singular and plural (see, however, ), its use being most consistent in adjectives and participles; cf. . The employment of these special endings is most natural when by means of them the feminine names of persons or animals are distinguished from the masculine of the same stem and the same formation, e.g., ; , ; , ; ,. On the other hand, the feminine plays an important part in denoting the gender of whole classes of ideas (see below, p, &c.), which the Hebrew regards as feminine. The language, however, is not obliged to use the feminine ending either for the purpose of distinguishing the sex of animate objects (see b), or as an indication of the (figurative) gender of inanimate things which are regarded as feminine (see h).

2. The distinction of sex may be effected even without the feminine ending, (a) by the employment of words of different stems for the masculine and feminine; (b) by the different construction (either as masculine or feminine) of the same word (communia). But the distinction may also, (c) in the case of names of animals, be entirely neglected, all examples of a species being included under one particular gender, either masculine or feminine (epicoena).

Examples of (a) are:, ; , ; , ; , ; ,. Sometimes with the feminine ending as well, e.g., or ; ,.

Of (b):. Plur. construed as masculine, ; as feminine, ; collect, oxen,, construed as masculine, but in ,  as feminine. In the construction of, changes directly from the masculine (intended as epicene) to the feminine.Cf. the Greek ὁ, ἡ παῖς· ὁ, ἡ βοῦς.

Of (c): analogous to the epicene nouns of other languages, many species of animals which are strong and courageous, are regarded in Hebrew as always masculine, while the weak and timid are feminine; cf. ὁ λύκος, ἡ χελιδών, and the German der Löwe, der Adler, &c., but die Katze, die Taube, &c. Similarly in Hebrew, e.g. ( even referring to cows when pregnant),,   (a bear that is bereaved of her whelps; cf., however, , ), , , all masculine; but , , , , , &c., feminine.

Rem. 1. Masculine nouns which either have a separate feminine form or might easily form one, are but seldom used as epicene; such are,, for ; ,  for. In ff. , refers more especially to the body of a woman;, in refers to wisdom ( feminine, cf. Plin. 2, 1 natura omnium artifex; and our