Gender of the Noun

Gender of the Noun
§ 12. Of the two genders, mas. and fem., the mas. is the prevailing one, and by a natural inaccuracy the writer often falls into it even when speaking of a fem., subject, especially in using suffixes. § 1, R. 3. The distinctive fem. termination a, i.e. at (Gr. § 16, R. b) is generally used in adj. and ptcp. referring to a fem. subject.
In the case of living creatures, distinction of gender is indicated—(a) By the fem. termination, as ‏אַיָּל‎ a hart, fem. ‏איֶּלֶת‎, ‏עֶלֶם‎ a youth, fem. ‏עַלְמָה‎, ‏עֵגֶל‎ a calf, fem. ‏עֶגְלָה‎.
(b) By different words, as ‏אָב‎ father, ‏אֵם‎ mother, ‏חֲמוֹר‎ he-ass, ‏אָתוֹן‎ she-ass, ‏אַיִל‎ ram, ‏רָחֵל‎ ewe, ‏עֶבֶד‎ servant, ‏אָמָה‎ maid.
(c) Or the same word may be used for both genders, and differentiated only in construction, as Hosea 13:8 ‏דֺּב שַׁכּוּל‎ a bear robbed of her whelps, 2 Kings 2:24 ‏שְׁתַּיִם דֻּבִּים‎ two bears. So ‏גְּמַלִּים‎ camels, mas. Genesis 24:63, fem. Genesis 32:16; ‏אלהים‎ goddess? 1 Kings 11:5. The grammatical difference, however, does not seem always meant to express a real difference of gend., cf. Jeremiah 2:24. Anciently ‏נַעַר‎ appears to have been of common gend.
(d) Or a word of one gend. may be used as name of the class or genus, without distinction of individuals, as ‏כֶּלֶב‎ dog, ‏זְאֵב‎ wolf, mas.; ‏אַרְנֶבֶת‎ hare, ‏יוֹנָה‎ dove, fem.
§ 13. Of inanimate things the following classes are usually fem. (Gr. § 16):— (a) Proper names of countries and cities, as ‏בָּבֶל‎ Babylon, ‏צִדוֹן‎ Sidon. Words like ‏מוֹאָב‎ Moab, &c., when used as name of the people, are usually mas., but fem. when the name of the country, and also when used for the population as a collective personified (§ 116, R. 5). So the word ‏בַּת‎ daughter of inhabitants or people, as ‏בַּת בָּבֶל‎, ‏בּת צִיּוֹן‎.
(b) Common names of definite places, as districts, quarters of the earth, &c., as ‏עִיר‎ city, ‏תֵּבֵל‎ the world, ‏כִּכָּר‎ the circle (of the Jordan), ‏שׁאוֹל‎ hades (mas. as personified Isaiah 14:9), ‏תֵּימָן‎ the south, ‏צָפוֹן‎ north, Isaiah 43:6. But there are exceptions.
(c) The names of instruments, utensils used by man, and members of the body, particularly such as are double, as ‏חֶרֶב‎ sword, ‏כּוֹס‎ cup, ‏נַעַל‎ shoe; ‏עַיִן‎ eye, ‏אֺזֶן‎ ear, ‏רֶגֶל‎ foot, &c. So of animals, ‏קֶרֶן‎ horn. Again there are exceptions, as ‏אַף‎ nose, nostril, ‏עֺרֶף‎ neck, ‏פֶּה‎ mouth.
(d) The names of the elements, natural powers and unseen forces, as ‏אֵשׁ‎ fire, ‏נֶפֶשׁ‎ soul, ‏רוּחַ‎ wind, spirit (usually), ‏שֶׁמֶשׁ‎ the sun (usually), but ‏יָרֵחַ‎ moon, is mas.
§ 14. Some other classes of nouns are fem. 1. Abstract nouns, as ‏אֱמֶת‎ truth, ‏גְּבוּרָה‎ strength, ‏צְדָקָה‎ righteousness, though there is often also a mas. form, as ‏עֵזֶר‎ and ‏עֶזְרָה‎ help, ‏נָקָם‎ and ‏נְקָמָה‎ vengeance. So adj. and ptcp. used nominally, as we should say as neuters, as ‏רָעָה‎ evil (physical), Hosea 5:9 ‏נֶֽאֱמָנָה‎ a sure thing, Amos 3:10 ‏נְכֺחָה‎ what is straightforward, Micah 3:9 ‏הַיְשָׁרָה‎. And often in the plur. Genesis 42:7 ‏קָשׁוֹת‎ harsh things, harshly, Isaiah 32:4, Isaiah 32:8
‏צָחוֹת‎ clear things, plainly, ‏נְדִיבוֹת‎ liberal things. Zephaniah 3:4. The mas. plur. is sometimes used in poetry, Psalms 16:6, Psalms 16:11, Proverbs 8:6 ‏נְגִידִים‎. Cf. Isaiah 26:10; Isaiah 28:22; Isaiah 30:10; Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 43:18; Isaiah 48:6; Isaiah 58:11; Isaiah 59:9; Isaiah 64:2, Numbers 22:18; Numbers 24:13, Joshua 2:23; Joshua 3:5, 2 Samuel 2:26, 2 Kings 8:4; 2 Kings 25:28.
2. Collectives, which are often fem. of ptcp., as ‏אֺֽרְחָה‎ a caravan (from ‏אֺרֵחַ‎ a traveller), ‏גּוֹלָה‎ captivity (‏גּוֹלֶה‎ one going captive), ‏ישֶׁבֶת‎ inhabitants, Isaiah 12:6, ‏אֺיֶבֶת‎ enemy (of a people), ‏דַּלָּה‎ the lower classes, 2 Kings 24:14, Jeremiah 40:7, plur. Jeremiah 52:15, Jeremiah 52:16. Cf. Micah 4:6, Zephaniah 3:19. Ezekiel 34:4.
3. The fem., however, sometimes is used as nomen unitatis when the mas. is collect, as ‏אֳנִי‎ fleet, 1 Kings 9:26, ‏אֳנִיָּה‎ a ship, Jonah 1:3-4; ‏שֵׂעָר‎ the hair, 2 Samuel 14:26, ‏שַֽׂעֲרָה‎ a hair, Judges 20:16, 1 Kings 1:52, but probably coll. Job 4:18; ‏שִׁירָה‎ a song, Isaiah 5:1, mas. generally coll. 1 Kings 4:32, though also singular, e.g. Isaiah 26:1. So ‏מֶרְכָּבָה‎ a chariot, Genesis 41:43 with ‏מֶרְכָּב‎ 1 Kings 4:26. Perhaps ‏פִּשְׁתָּה‎ wick, Isaiah 42:3; Isaiah 43:17, cf. Hosea 2:5, Hosea 2:11, flax.
Rem. 1. Sometimes when a parallel is seen in lifeless things to some organ or feature of living creatures the fem. is used, as ‏יָרֵךְ‎ the thigh, loins (sing. and plur.), ‏יַרְכָתַיִם‎ the sides, furthest back parts, of a locality; ‏מֵצַח‎ forehead, front, ‏מִצְחָה‎ shin-front, greave. And in a wider way, ‏יוֹנֵק‎ suckling, child, ‏יוֹנֶקֶת‎ sucker, shoot. So such words as horns, feet when transferred to things are used in plur. with fem. termination.
Rem. 2. The fem. is used where other languages would use the neut., e.g. ‏זאֹת‎ this, ‏שְׁתֵּי אֵלֶּה‎ these two things, Isaiah 47:9; ‏אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה‎ one of these things, 1 Chronicles 21:10; particularly in ref. to something previously mentioned, Isaiah 22:11; Isaiah 37:26; Isaiah 41:20; Isaiah 43:13; Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 47:7; Isaiah 48:16; Isaiah 60:22. See § 109, R. 2. Occasionally the plur. seems used as a neut., where fem. might have stood, Job 22:21 ‏בהם‎ = ‏בהּ‎ thereby. Ezekiel 33:18, Isaiah 30:6. The passages Isaiah 38:16; Isaiah 64:4 are obscure.