ETYMOLOGY.
33
2. By a difference of termination; as,
MALE. | FEMALE. |
Poet | Poetess. |
Lion | Lioness, &c. |
3. By a noun, pronoun, or adjective being prefixed to the substantive; as,
MALE. | | FEMALE. |
A cock-lobster | A hen-lobster. | |
A jack-ass | A jenny-ass (vernacular.) | |
A man-servant, or flunkey. | A maid-servant, or Abigail. | |
A male flirt (a rare animal.) | A female flirt (a common animal.) |
We have heard it said, that every Jack has his Jill. That may be; but it is by no means true that every cock has his hen; for there is a
Cock-swain, but no Hen-swain.
Cock-eye, but no Hen-eye.
Cock-ade, but no Hen-ade.
Cock-atrice, but no Hen-atrice.
Cock-horse, but no Hen-horse.
Cock-ney, but no Hen-ney.
Then we have a weather-cock, but no weather-hen, a turn-cock, but no turn-hen; and many a jolly cock, but not one jolly hen; unless we except some of those by whom their mates are pecked.
Some words; as, parent, child, cousin, friend, neighbour, servant and several others, are either male or female, according to circumstances.
It is a great pity that our language is so poor in the terminations that denote gender. Were we to say of a
3