names of things formed of matter; as, stone, book: _Immaterial
nouns_ are the names of things having no substance; as, hope,
immortality.

To nouns belong gender, person, number, and case.

GENDER.

GENDER is the distinction of sex. Nouns have three genders, the
masculine, the feminine, and the neuter.

The _masculine gender_ denotes males; as, a _man_, a _boy_.

The _feminine gender_ denotes females; as, a _woman_, a _girl_.

The _neuter gender_ denotes things without sex; as, a _hat_, a _stick_.

_Neuter_ means _neither:_ therefore neuter gender signifies neither
gender; that is, neither masculine nor feminine. Hence, neuter gender
means _no gender_. Strictly speaking, then, as there are but two sexes,
nouns have but _two_ genders; but for the sake of practical convenience,
we apply to them three genders, by calling that a gender which is _no_
gender. The English and the pure Persian, appear to be the only
languages which observe, in the distinction of sex, the natural division
of nouns.--The genders of nouns are so easily known, that a farther
explanation of them is unnecessary, except what is given in the
following

NOTES.