Gender
/ˈdʒɛn.dər/noun
The state of being male or female, typically used in relation to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones.
Did you know?The word 'gender' originates from the Latin 'genus', meaning 'kind' or 'type', linking it to the very essence of creation and classification in ancient thought.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gene-
“To give birth, to beget, to produce.”
Latin
Latin
genus
“Kind, sort, class; origin, birth.”
Old French
Old French
gendre
“Kind, race, lineage.”
Middle English
Middle English
gendre
“Kind, gender, or class.”
Modern English
English
gender
“A grammatical category reflecting the distinction between male and female; later expanded to social constructs.”