Biform nouns - peculiar traits

The knowledge revealed by grammatical studies allows us to make surprising findings at all times. And, in the midst of so many discoveries, we have the privilege of “immersing” in this fantastic and complex world that leads us to knowledge, making us increasingly improve our competence as users of this splendid language - the Portuguese language.

And, talking about such discoveries, let us direct our attention to some characteristics related to nouns, considered a grammatical class demarcated by distinct traits. One of them is restricted to inflections, whether these are gender, number or degree. Departing from this prerogative, the article in question here has as main highlight some peculiarities inherent to the genders of nouns, represented, thus, by the masculine and feminine.

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With regard to biform nouns (that is, those constituting two forms, one for each gender), these have a characteristic that differentiates them from the others: the fact that they have different radicals, in the case of the two genres. Unlike cat-cat/doctor-doctor/dwarf-dwarf, among many others.

This time, in order to get to know them better, let's check:

By Vânia Duarte
Graduated in Letters
Brazil School Team

Grammar - Brazil School

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

DUARTE, Vânia Maria do Nascimento. "The biform nouns – peculiar traits"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/os-substantivos-biformestracos-peculiares.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.

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