1792. on the personal pronouns. 123 



deficiencies which are never perceived in practice, 

 though they would be immediately recognised had 

 ■we been in the practice of a more perfect use of lar^- 

 guage. Where I take notice of pofsible variations 

 that may take place in other languages, that do not 

 take place among those we know, let me, therefore, 

 not be accused of fanciful refinement, on the ground 

 that we do not perceive the want of them. It would 

 astonifh any person who were to consider how many 

 of the most efsential parts of language might, by this 

 mode of arguing, be annihilated. 

 Gender. 



Though no European language therefore admits of 

 more than three genders, for their pronouns of the 

 first and second persons, and few of them even of 

 more than one ; yet there is no impofsibility but 

 other languages may exist which admit of some, or 

 all of the variations that follow*. 



\stt For ths masculine gender, where the sex of the 

 animal is known to be male. 



zd. For xh.t feminine, where it is known to be 

 female. 



^d. For the indefinite, where the sex of the parties 

 is either not known, or immaterial, and therefore not 

 necefsary to be known, or where it is wifhed to be 

 concealed. 



^th, In countries where eunuchism prevails, and 

 where of course this gender of animals must fre- 

 quently occur, a variation might also be admitted for 



• The reader wiU observe 'hat I take no no jce of those accidental dis- 

 tnctions o( genders, which have been produced by the particular teimi- 

 nation 0/ words, &c. ; but refer oii'y to tl.e r.atura! d;stinct;on of sex, £/<•. 



