Gesenius' Hebrew grammar: 17th ed., with numerous corrections and additions, by dr. E. Rödiger. Tr. by T. J. Conant ... With grammatical exercises and a chrestomathy, by the translator.

~ 78. THE GENDER OF NOUNS.

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The Adjective agrees entirely with the Substantive in form, though it
is manifestly only by a figure of speech that forms with an abstract signification can be treated as adjectives (~ 82, Rem. 1).
2. A regular inflexion of the noun by cases does not exist in
Hebrew, although perhaps some ancient traces of case-endings
remain (~ 88). The relation of case in a noun is either learned
simply from its position in the clause, or indicated by prepositions. In the form of the noun there is no change; and hence
the matter belongs not to this division of grammar, but to the
Syntax (~ 115). On the contrary, the connexion of the noun
with suffixes, with the Feminine, Dual, and Plural terminations,
and with a noun following in the genitive, produces numerous
changes in its form, which is all that is meant by the inflexion
of nouns in Hebrew.' Even for the Comparative and Superla
tive the Hebrew has no appropriate form, and these relations
must be expressed by circumlocution, as taught in the Syntax
(~ 117).
SECT. 79.
OF FORMS WHICH MARK THE GENDER OF NOUNS.
1. The Hebrew, like all the Shemitish languages, has but
two genders, the masculine and feminine. Inanimate objects
properly of the neuter gender, and abstract ideas, for which other
languages have a neuter form, are regarded in Hebrew as either
masculine or feminine, particularly the latter (see the Syntax
~ 105, 2-4).
2. The masculine, as being the most common and important
form of the noun, has no peculiar mark of distinction.
The ending for the feminine was originally ri, as in the 3
sing. Pret. of verbs (~ 44, 1). But when the noun stands without a genitive following [i. e. when it is not in the construct
state, ~ 87], the n- usually appears in the weakened form nT-,
or is shortened to ri_ unaccented. The original ri- is very seldom found, except when the noun is in close connexion with a
succeeding genitive, or has a pronominal suffix. Irrespective
then of these two cases (for which see ~ 87, 2, b, ~ 89, 4), we
have as feminine ending
* This has been called [by Gesenius himself and others] the declensios of
the Hebrew noun.