# σκύλος and σκυλί



## larshgf

The word dog can be masculine or neuter.
- Which of these are most commonly used?
- Let us say that a dog  has a female name. To know the definite article: will the gender of the name be determined by the gender of the word dog or be determined by the gender of the name?


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## Perseas

Both are used very frequently and the don't reveal if the dog is male or female. But if the dog is female, it's common to use the female forms "σκύλα" and the diminutive "σκυλίτσα".


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## larshgf

Thank you. 
And if my dogs name is "Fanny". Could I then say "αυτή είναι η Φαννη" or "την λένε Φαννη". Or if it is a male dog: "αυτος είναι ο Ρουφους" or "τον λένε Ρουφους".??


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## Perseas

larshgf said:


> Thank you.
> And if my dogs name is "Fanny". Could I then say "αυτή είναι η Φαννη" or "την λένε Φαννη". Or if it is a male dog: "αυτος είναι ο Ρουφους" or "τον λένε Ρουφους".??


This the most common way to use.


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## Helleno File

larshgf said:


> The word dog can be masculine or neuter.
> - Which of these are most commonly used?
> - Let us say that a dog  has a female name. To know the definite article: will the gender of the name be determined by the gender of the word dog or be determined by the gender of the name?


Another good question larshgf! It's important for Brits where words don't have genders but dogs do! Sorry for my terrible ignorance but I don't know how genders work in Danish!

Back to your original point I assume that σκυλί is followed by neuter pronouns, whatever the gender of the dog..?  But the name is followed by its own gender..?

If I had a male dog and lived in Greece I'd call it/him by the now less common English name Gavin.


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## Perseas

Helleno File said:


> Back to your original point I assume that σκυλί is followed by neuter pronouns, whatever the gender of the dog..?  But the name is followed by its own gender..?


Yes + yes.


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## larshgf

Helleno File said:


> Another good question larshgf! It's important for Brits where words don't have genders but dogs do! Sorry for my terrible ignorance but I don't know how genders work in Danish!


In danish we have common gender with the indefinite article "en" (en dreng = a boy, en bil = a car) and neuter with the indefinite article "et" (et barn = a child, et hus = a house). We dont have genders like feminine and masculine.


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## larshgf

Thank you Perseas for clarifying this for me and my 10 months old dog Fanny 😊


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## Perseas

You’re welcome 😊


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## Helleno File

larshgf said:


> In danish we have common gender with the indefinite article "en" (en dreng = a boy, en bil = a car) and neuter with the indefinite article "et" (et barn = a child, et hus = a house). We dont have genders like feminine and masculine.


Thanks larshgf and Perseas - you can learn a lot on WR!


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