10 words that can be of different kinds

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Banknotes, youngsters and spasms - yes, you can say so.

1. Desman

The name of this animal can be used in both feminine and masculine terms. Although Maya Zarva's dictionary "Russian verbal accent", which is aimed at media workers, recommends the feminine gender.

2. Psalter

Lexemes ending in "b" are often difficult. Dictionaries say that the "psalter" can be both feminine and masculine. However, some of them (for example, Kuznetsov's “Big Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language”) give the label “colloquial” next to the masculine gender.

3. Shutter / shutter

"Shutters" in the singular are both "shutter" and "shutter". Accordingly, in the genitive case of the plural, two options are possible: "shutters" and "shutters".

4. Spasm / spasm

This word can also be both masculine and feminine.

5. Banknote / banknote

Another linguistic unit for which double use is allowed. The masculine variant seems quite logical, if we remember that this is an English banknote that came to us. However, in the Russian language the word got the ending "a".

6. Aviary / aviary

Both "aviary" and "open-air cage" are used as the name of the area for keeping animals and birds fenced with a net - these are equal options.

7. Youngster / Youngsters

More popular is the noun "youngster", which can be used in both the feminine and masculine gender. However, there is also a form of "youngsters", which is much less common.

8. Key / keys

Now, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the word is used in the feminine gender, but there is also an outdated version of the "keys". In the 17th century, the "Polish klawisz" was borrowed, which goes back to the Latin clavis - "key" (to the valve of the organ pipe).

9. Burr / Burr

The dictionaries say that both options are possible - both masculine and feminine.

10. Esperanto

The phonetic aspect allows this word to be attributed to the neuter gender, like many other lexemes ending in "o". However, the generic "language" has influenced. As a result, "Esperanto" can be either neuter or masculine.