Can a word in Greek that is masculine ever refer to a woman?

Answer 1

Yes.

One category of adjectives has three genders distinguished by three different word endings. Masculine, feminine, neuter.

Example:

catholic: καθολικός, καθολική, καθολικό (m, f, n)

energetic: ενεργητικός, ενεργητική, ενεργητικό (m, f, n)

atomic: ατομικός, ατομική, ατομικό (m, f, n)

Note also the corresponding article: ο κοσμικός, η κοσμική, το κοσμικό (= cosmic)

The other category of adjectives has three genders but only two different word endings. One ending for masc/fem and one for neuter. The article distinguishes the masculine from the feminine.

Example:

deltoid: ο δελτοειδής (masc), ηδελτοειδής (fem), το δελτοειδές (neut)

schizoid: ο / η σχιζοειδής (m / f), το σχιζοειδές (n)

schizophrenic: ο / η σχιζοφρενής (m/f), το σχιζοφρενές (n) (also σχιζοφρενικ -ός -ή -ό)

The noons have also their own gender. Nevertheless there are some feminine noons (especially professions) that have the same form with the corresponding masculine noon. Again, the article determines the gender.

Example:

pathologist: ο παθολόγος (masc), ηπαθολόγος (fem), (there is no neuter)

microbiologist: (ο / η) μικροβιολόγος (m / f)

>>every profession ending in -logist, -λόγος (archaeologist, biologist, etc...)

mathematician: (ο / η) μαθηματικός

astronomer: (ο / η) αστρονόμος

actor: ο ηθοποιός, actress: ηηθοποιός

Finally, the names of animal species have a specific gender, regardless of the physical gender of the referenced animal.

Example:

hippopotamus: ο ιπποπόταμος is a masculine noon, but may refer even to a female animal (oθηλυκός ιπποπόταμος = the femalehippopotamus).

zebra: η ζέβρα is a feminine noon, but may be used to refer even to a male zebra (η αρσενικήζέβρα = the male zebra).

jackal: το τσακάλι is a neuter word just like in English. The same word is used to refer to the male and to the female animal (το αρσενικό / τοθηλυκό τσακάλι = the male / female jackal).