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.
|
| /tį´a/ |
`fish’ |
| /įrõ / |
`moth’ |
/tö kć
/ |
`grasshopper’ |
/tįnķ´/
|
`crocodile’
|
|
(ii) Many human nouns representing
professions belong to common gender.
|
|
|
(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 :
|
| / syābre)
/ |
`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 /-kįrģ/.
|
| /macįb-kįrģ/ |
`bull’ |
| cow-male |
|
| /tamyā-kįrģ/ |
`tiger’ |
tiger-male
|
|
|
