epicene (adj.)

A term from TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR, and now with some use in SOCIOLINGUISTICS, referring to a NOUN which can relate to either sex without changing its FORM. The term is from Greek epikoinos ‘common to many’, and was used in Latin and Greek grammar for nouns which stayed in the same GENDER regardless of the sex of the being referred to (e.g. Latin vulpes ‘fox/ vixen’). English examples include teacher and doctor. The notion is perceived to be relevant to contemporary discussion of language and gender.