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135
noun + noun stem
pronoun + noun stem
Tom-cat
doctor
dog-otter
male-frog
cock-
pheasant
- Tabby-cat
- woman-doctor
- bitch-otter
- female-frog
- hen-pheasant
he-wolf
he-cousin
- she-wolf
- she-cousin
There are also some traditional associations of certain nouns with gender. These are apparent in the use of
personal or possessive pronouns:
a) moon and earth are referred to as feminine, sun as masculine:
It is pleasant to watch the sun in his chariot of gold and the moon in her chariot of pearl.
At first the earth was large, but every moment she grew smaller.
b) the names of vessels (ship, boat, steamer, ice-breaker, cruiser, etc.) are referred to as feminine:
The new ice-breaker has started on her maiden voyage.
She is equipped with up-to-date machinery.
c) the names of vehicles (car, carriage, coach) may also be referred to as feminine, especially by their
owners, to express their affectionate attitude to these objects:
She is a fine car.
d) the names of countries, if the country is not considered as a mere geographical territory, are referred to as
feminine:
England is proud of her poets.
But: If the name of the country is meant as a geographical one the pronoun it is used. Iceland is an island, it
is washed on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean.
The category of number
§ 171. English nouns that are inflected for number (count nouns) have singular and plural forms.
Singular denotes one, plural denotes more than one. Most count nouns are variable and can occur with
either singular or plural number. In Modern English the singular form of a noun is unmarked (zero). The plural
form is marked by the inflexion -(e)s. The spelling and the pronunciation of the plural morpheme vary.
§ 172. Regular plurals
I. Nouns ending in vowels and voiced consonants have the plural ending pronouced as [z]:
bee - bees [bi:z], dog - dogs [d?gz]
II. Nouns ending in voiceless consonants have a voiceless ending:
book - books [buks]
III. Nouns ending in -s, -sh, -as, -ch, -x, -z, (sibilants) have the ending [iz]:
actress - actresses ['?ktr?s?z]