Question

Identify the feminine form of the noun:
Host
(a)Hostine
(b)Hostess
(c)Hostessa
(d)Lady host

Answer 1

Hint: Read the given word and understand what it means. Try to recall where it is generally used. Now go through the options and recall what each of them signifies. Choose the one which is used to refer to a female.

Complete answer: Grammatical gender is a system of noun classification. A common gender classification includes masculine and feminine categories. Masculine nouns are words for men, boys and male animals. Feminine nouns are words for women, girls and female animals.
Now, let us analyze the given options: Option(a) ‘Hostine’ is absolutely incorrect not only as an option but as a word too. There’s no such word as ‘hostine’ in the English language. So this word has no meaning and makes zero sense. Therefore, Option A is wrong.
Option(b) ‘Hostess’ is the right answer. ‘Hostess’ means a female host, which is the correct feminine form of the noun ‘host’. A host or hostess is someone who is responsible for greeting customers at a restaurant with a smile, welcoming them into the establishment, seating them, and providing them with a menu. They are the organizer, the herder, and the first and last impression of the restaurant.
Option(c) ‘Hostessa’ is again incorrect. ‘Hostessa’ is nothing but absolutely an incorrect word. There’s nothing like this word that exists in the vocabulary. Hence, option C is also wrong.
Option(d) ‘Lady host’ is incorrect. ‘Lady host’ is not a suitable feminine noun for the word ‘host’. This does not fit well grammatically. Therefore, Option D is also wrong and Option B is the appropriate answer.
Therefore, option b is the right answer.

Note: There are several endings that will clue you into a word’s gender. For example, feminine nouns typically end in the letter “e.” Consider these word endings: –esse, –enne, –euse, –orde, –anche, –ouche, etc. If you notice a word that ends in -e, most of the time that word is feminine.