gender distinctions is either lexical,
or by compounding or by suffixation.
Neuter :
These are nouns representing inanimate
objects. The gender is lexical.
/ masį/
`tree’
/macyig/
`water’
/tįphra/
`river’
Common :
The gender refers to animate beings which, however, make
no distinction for male and female. Some common gender nouns are
distinguished for masculine and feminine by overt marking.
(i) Non-human animate beings other
than birds and mammals. The gender distinction is never made
morphologically.
/tįa/
`fish’
/įr/
`moth’
/tk/
`grasshopper’
/tįn/
`crocodile’
(ii) Many human nouns representing
professions belong to common gender.
/gwįg/
/ą/
/kwąg/
/macįb/
/tyś/
`priest’
`child`
`dog`
`cow`
`fowi`
(iii) Other non-human animate nouns
and some human nouns. Gender distinction is optional and is marked
morphologically.
Masculine :
Masculine gender is expressed in three
ways.
(i)
Lexical :
/ syābr/
`man’
/ mówą/
`husband’
/ kįmł /
`husband’s sister’s husband’
(ii)
Compounding :
/ą-mówą/
`boy’
offspring-husband
(iii)
Suffixation :
The animate nouns in common gender may
be optionally specified for masculine by taking gender suffixes.
(a) The non-human animate masculinity
of birds is expressed by the suffix /-tala/.
/tyś-tala/
`cock’
fowl-male
(b) Teh non-human animate masculinity
of animals is expressed by the suffix /-kįr/.
/
/ 
k
/ 
/
/.
