:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/gender_common.rst

.. _gender_common:

Gender Common
=============

Summary
-------

A word is classified as "common gender" if it can refer to either a
grammatically-masculine or a grammatically-feminine person/thing.

Article
-------

A word is parsed as "common" (in other systems sometimes "unmarked"),
when it has potential to refer to either a
:ref:`masculine<gender_masculine>`
or a
:ref:`feminine<gender_feminine>`
person or thing. Words classified as "common gender" are usually
pronouns or verbs.

Examples
--------

In Biblical Hebrew, :ref:`1st person<person_first>` :ref:`personal pronouns<pronoun_personal>` are "gender common".

.. csv-table:: Example: 1KI 18:22

  אֲנִ֞י נֹותַ֧רְתִּי נָבִ֛יא לַיהוָ֖ה
  **'ani** nowtharti navi layhwah
  **I** I-am-left prophet for-Yahweh
  "I, **I alone**, am left as a prophet of Yahweh"

In Biblical Hebrew, :ref:`finite verbs<verb-finite>` in 1st person conjugation are "gender common".

.. csv-table:: Example: ISA 2:5

  בֵּ֖ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב לְכ֥וּ **וְנֵלְכָ֖ה** בְּא֥וֹר יְהוָֽה
  beth ya'aqov lekhu **wenelekhah** be'or yehwah
  House-of Jacob come **and-let-us-walk** in-light-of Yahweh.
  "House of Jacob, come, **and let us walk** in the light of Yahweh."

In Biblical Hebrew, the plural :ref:`demonstrative pronoun<pronoun_demonstrative>` is "gender common".

.. csv-table:: Example: ISA 28:7

  וְגַם־\ **אֵ֨לֶּה֙** בַּיַּ֣יִן שָׁג֔וּ
  wegam-\ **'elleh** bayyayin shagu
  And-also\_\ **these** in-the-wine reel
  But even **these** reel with wine