C. "Verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, etc., used substantively, remain unchanged under all circumstances." (§ 149.) Hence (pr. + n.) un avant-poste out-post (v. + pr.) un rendez-vous des avant-postes des arrière-pensées des rendez-vous meeting § 153. Gender is a grammatical word which means class or kind: it is only applied to words. Nouns have two genders in French,-The Masculine and the Feminine. Nouns have no Neuter. PART I. SUBSTANTIVES SIGNIFYING THINGS WITH SEX. § 154. Names of males are usually masculine; but not always. Names of females are usually feminine; but not always. § 155. Many substantives, signifying things with sex, have a masculine word for the male, and a feminine word for the female.* (§ 229). They show these forms in two ways: (a.) By the use of a different word. It is evident that the more common the animal, or the greater the difference in appearance between the male and the female, the more certainly will there be a double form. (B.) By the use of suffixes. The feminine is usually formed from the masculine according to rules given for adjectives : (1) The following words in -e have -sse : PART II. SUBSTANTIVES SIGNIFYING THINGS WITHOUT SEX. § 156. Names of things without sex are sometimes masculine, sometimes feminine. There are no neuter nouns in French; most Latin neuters have become masculine. 1. Substantives which end in 'mute e' are feminine. 2. Substantives which do not end in 'mute e' are masculine. § 157. The exceptions are numerous; they amount to about a tenth of the whole number. These exceptions may be most conveniently arranged in three principal classes: * CLASS I. Nouns in which the meaning affords the simplest or the only clue to the gender: un frêne, an ash (name of tree); un livre (book); une livre (pound). CLASS II. Nouns which are feminine, although they do not end in e mute: la loi, la douleur, etc. CLASS III. Nouns which are masculine, although they do end in e mute: le verbe, le beurre, etc. Each of these classes may be further divided into: (1) Those nouns which break through the rule of the 'mute e,' because of the etymology. Such words are not irregular they only obey another rule. They are always given first. (2) Those which break through the rule of the mute e without any such reason. These words only can be called 'irregular.' They are few in number. (See Appendix, C.) *The classification corresponds for the most part to that in §§ 232-272, where the reason of the gender is given, when such reason is known. CLASS I. Nouns in which the meaning affords the best or the only clue to the gender. (S$ 233-240.) § 158. Masculine are: 1. Adjectives, verbs, conjunctions, etc., taken substantively: un être, a being; le rire, laughter; le repentir, repentance; le savoir, knowledge; le fossile; le fluide; le meuble, furniture. 2. Trees and shrubs: as, un frêne, an ash. EXCEPTIONS to 2.—Epine, thorn; with compounds, aubépine, hawthorn, etc.; bourdaine, alder-buckthorn; ronce, briar; vigne, vine; viorne, wayfaring tree, viburnum; yeuse, evergreen-oak. 3. Metals and minerals: as l'or, gold; le cuivre, copper. 4. The decimal system of money, weights and measures. 5. Seasons, months, days of the week. § 159. Substantives with Double Gender. (§ 233.) |