Re: Gender classes, which to use?

In Almaqerin, standalone words are generally neuter, and may be
preceded by the particle "i" to denote the feminine gender.
Masculine is not distinguished from neuter.
(Formerly there was a masculine particle "o", but it is seldom
used now in common speech, unless a particular sublety is wanted).

       nanar   = "(he-)rabbit"
       i.nanar = "she-rabbit"

       gleidh   = "baker"
       i.leidh  = "she-baker" (usually the baker's wife, but
                               not necessarily. She owns the
                               bakery)

       norg     = "king" (or "lord")
       i.narg   = "queen" (with a vowel shift as it derives
                           from a root *N'@ZEK, were @ = A/O)

Some words, howevere, changed in meaning as they were commonly
used. For instance, tevch used to mean "bull", but since "i.devch"
was used for cows regarded as cattle, it changed to "ox".

       tevch   = "ox"
       for "bull", o.devch is used (lit. he-bull).
       i.devch = "cow"

       tevchelde = "cattle" (this neuter word includes oxen and
       cows as well, and is an exception as feminine generally
       prevails over masculine in Almaqerin).

This scheme is general for all farm animals.

For human beings, there is sometimes a dedicate word:

   vedhr = "man"
   i.vedhr = "woman", but this term regarded as impolite
             (a bit as if you used 'female' for a woman in
             english).
   i.hevel = "woman" (lit. "lady").

Here gevel is a feminine word (thus always seen as i.hevel)
which means "lady".

The main idea behind this is that the Almaqerin society was
mainly matriarchal (though this is changing in modern times),
and that female beings are respected.

A few words are always feminine, e.g. the City of Almaq
(the pride of any true inhabitant).


Didier