hanges of forms that words
undergo_. Whether the change arise from grammatical reasons, as _father_,
_fathers_, or from a change of language taking place in the lapse of time,
as _pater_, _father_, is a matter of indifference.

In the Latin _pater_, and in the English _father_, we have one of two
things, either two words descended or derived from each other, or two words
descended or derived from a common original source.

In _fathers_ we have a formation deduced from the radical word _father_.

With these preliminaries we may understand Dr. Johnson's explanation of the
word etymology.

"ETYMOLOGY, n. s. (_etymologia_, Lat.) [Greek: etumos] (_etymos_) _true,
and_ [Greek: logos] (_logos_) _a word_.

"1. _The descent or derivation of a word from its original; the deduction
of formations from the radical word; the analysis of compounds into
primitives._

"2. _The part of grammar which delivers the inflections of nouns and
verbs."_

* * * * *

CHAPTER II

ON GENDER.

s. 180. How far is there such a thing as _gender_ in the English language?
This depends upon the meaning that we attach to the word.

In the Latin language we have the words _taurus_ = _bull_, and _vacca_ =
_cow_. Here the natural distinction of _sex_ is expressed by _wholly_
different words. With this we have corresponding modes of expression in
English: e.g.,

_Male._ _Female._ | _Male._ _Female._
|
Bachelor Spinster. | Horse Mare.
Boar Sow. | Ram Ewe.
Boy Girl. | Son Daughter.
Brother Sister. | Uncle Aunt.
Buck Doe. | Father Mother, &c.

The mode, however, of expressing different sexes by _wholly_ different
words is not a matter of _gender_. The words _boy_ and _girl_ bear no
_etymological_ relation to each other; neither being derived from the
other, nor in any way connected with it.

s. 181. Neither are words like _cock-sparrow_, _man-servant_, _he-goat_,
&c., as compared with _hen-sparrow_, _maid-servant_, _she-goat_, &c.,
specimens of _gender_. Here a difference of sex is indicated by the
addition of a fresh term, from which is formed a compound word.

s. 182. In the Latin words _genitrix_ = _a mother_, and _genitor_ = _a
father_, we have a nearer approach to _gender_. Here the difference of sex
is expressed by a difference of te