Masculine and feminine nouns of different roots
Often the masculine and feminine forms of the nouns for persons and animals differ in their
endings only. There are, however, nouns whose masculine and feminine forms are derived from different (or modified)
roots. The most important examples are listed bellow:
| Masculine | Meaning | Feminine | Meaning | |
| abate (l') | abbey | badessa (la) | abbess | |
| babbo (il) | dad, daddy | mamma (la) | mum, mummy | |
| bécco (il) | he-goat | capra (la) | she-goat | |
| bue (il) | ox | mucca (la) | cow | |
| cane (il) | dog | cagna (la) | dog (she) | |
| cavalière (il) | rider | cavallerizza (la) | rider | |
| cavalière (il) | knight (title) | dama (la) | dame (title) | |
| cèlibe (il) | single | nubile (la) | single, maiden | |
| compare (il) | godfather | comare (la) | godmother | |
| dio (il) | god | dea (la) | goddess | |
| frate (il) | friar | suora (la) | nun | |
| fratèllo (il) | brother | sorella (la) | sister | |
| gènero (il) | son-in-law | nuora (la) | daughter-in-law | |
| maiale (il) | pig, swine | scrofa (la) | sow | |
| marito (il) | husband | moglie (la) | wife | |
| màschio (il) | male | femmina (la) | female | |
| messère (il) | mister | madonna (la) | madame | |
| montóne (il) | ram | pecora (la) | sheep | |
| padre (il) | father | madre (la) | mother | |
| padrino (il) | godfather | madrina (la) | godmother | |
| papero | gander | anatra | goose | |
| paperone | drake | oca | duck | |
| patròno (il) | patron | matrona (la) | matron | |
| pòrco (il) | swine, pig, hog | scrofa (la) | sow | |
| prète (il) | priest | monaca (la) | nun | |
| ré (il) | king | regina (la) | queen | |
| scàpolo (lo) | bachelor | zitella (la) | bachelor (she) | |
| stregóne (lo) | wizard, magician | strega (la) | witch | |
| tòro (il) | bull | vacca (la) | cow | |
| uòmo (l') | man | donna (la) | woman |
Lists of Nouns with particularities
General Description of the Italian noun
Descriptive Italian Grammar
Italian Language Main Page
Modern Romance Languages Main
Page
Orbis Latinus Main Page
This page is part of Orbis Latinus
© Zdravko Batzarov
