Additional reading

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2. стр. 25-27

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4. стр. 70-82

5. стр. 111-112, 124-127, 130-132

X. Noun. The category of gender.

The problem of gender in English is disputable. Linguistic scholars as a rule deny the existence of gender in English as a grammatical category and stress its purely semantic character. The actual gender distinctions of nouns are not denied by anyone, what is disputable is the character of the gender classification: whether it is purely semantic or semantico-grammatical.

In fact, the category of gender in English is expressed with the help of the correlation of nouns with the personal pronouns of the 3^rd person. Here English gender distinctions display their grammatical nature.

The category of gender is based on two hierarchically based oppositions. The first opposition functions on the whole set of nouns, dividing them into human and non-human nouns. The other opposition functions in the subset of person nouns only, dividing them into masculine nouns and feminine nouns. As the result of the double oppositional correlation, a specific system of three genders arises: neuter, masculine and feminine. The strong member of the upper opposition is the human subclass of nouns, the week member of the opposition comprises both inanimate and animate non-person nouns.

In English there are many person nouns capable of expressing both feminine and masculine genders by way of the pronominal correlation. These nouns comprise a group of the so-called “common gender nouns: person, friend, еtc.

In the plural all the gender distinctions are neutralized but they are rendered through the correlation with the singular. The category of gender can undergo the process of oppositional reduction. It can be neutralized (with the group of “common gender” nouns) and transponized (the process of personification). “A family is spouses and siblings, who live in one household”, “ The old man was soon asleep and dreamed of the ocean and his golden beaches.”

Glossary of Linguistic Terms

1. semantic/semantico-grammatical – семантический (по значению)/семантико-грамматический

2. hierarchical - иерархический

3. masculine - мужской

4. feminine - женский

5. neuter - средний

6. common – общий

7. personification – персонификация, придавание черт одушевленности неодушевленным предметам

Additional reading

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