Return to Arnold, English Grammar
51. All animals are either male or female. In other objects there is no distinction of sex. So that all things are either masculine, feminine, or neuter,—that is, neither of the two.
52. (a) We speak, however, of some inanimate things, as if they had a sex. In other words, we may (not must) speak of some things as if they were persons, and give them a sex. We consider the Sun as masculine, the Moon as feminine. Time and Death are masculine; Religion, Virtue, and all particular Virtues, feminine; the Earth, feminine; Spring, feminine; Winter, Summer, Autumn, Love, the Winter, &c. masculine: a Ship, a State, a City, our Country, Law, the Mind, Health, &c. feminine.
(b) When we are speaking of any animal in a general way, we often use a particular sex, making the more fierce, robust, and vigorous, masculine; the more timid, quiet, and demure, feminine. Thus elephant, horse, ass, dog, fox, masculine; hare, cat, feminine.
Return to Arnold, English Grammar
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