Page:The Comic English Grammar.djvu/37

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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

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