gender
UK[ˈdʒendə(r)]US[ˈdʒendər]
n
The fact of being male or female, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences, rather than biological ones.
n
(Grammar) A class of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives in some languages, such as Latin, German, or Russian, that is partly based on sex and partly on other factors.
Etymology
The word 'gender' originates from the Latin noun 'genus', meaning 'kind' or 'type', which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root ǵénh₁os, from ǵenh₁- meaning 'to produce, beget'. It entered English via Old French in the 14th century, initially used primarily in grammar to denote classes of nouns. The core semantic link from its ancient root is the concept of a 'category' or 'classification' based on a shared characteristic. Over centuries, its usage expanded from grammatical categories to a broader social classification, eventually becoming the primary term for distinguishing the social, cultural, and psychological attributes associated with being male, female, or another identity, as distinct from biological sex.
Analysis
The modern English word 'gender' is a simplex form derived as a whole from the Old French 'gendre' (modern French 'genre'), which itself came from the Latin 'genus', meaning 'kind, sort, type, class'. The Latin root is 'gen-' (to produce, beget).
Examples
The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or gender.
In French, nouns have either a masculine or a feminine gender.
The study explores the relationship between gender and leadership styles.