Question

Identify the feminine form of the noun: aviator
a. Aviatoress
b. Aviatrix
c. Aviatrina
d. Lady aviator

Answer 1

Hint: Nouns ending with the suffix tor change into the suffix Trix.

Complete step-by-step answer:

Every noun has a gender. There are three types of genders in the
English Language. They are Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter. If a person or animal is male, his gender is masculine. Similarly, if a person or animal is female, her gender is feminine. Objects are neither masculine nor feminine. The gender of such objects is neuter.
 Let us look at some examples.
She goes to school.
Here, she stands for a girl. Female persons are feminine in gender.
Matt plays hockey well.
Here, Matt is a boy. Male persons are masculine in gender.
When it comes to nouns like persons and animals, they can be of either gender. As per the instructions given, we can change a masculine noun into a feminine noun and vice versa. One of the methods of making a masculine noun feminine is by adding the suffix “ess” at its end. E.g. Lion- lioness.
Similarly, another method of making a masculine noun ending with ‘tor’ feminine is by changing its suffix into “Trix” E.g. Gladiator- gladiatrix.

The given question follows the same rule as specified above. As aviator end withs the suffix ‘tor’, you can change it into its feminine form by changing its suffix. Therefore, the answer is Option ‘b’ Aviatrix.

Note: The rules mentioned above are one of many when it comes to gender. There are always exceptions to the rule.