There’s definitely some additional nuance (like a pronouns in bio/username situation) but this should cover the broad needs of anyone who is approaching this with good faith.

  • Successful_Try543@feddit.orgEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    Unlike for girl, das Mädchen, which is a diminutive (of die Maid, a virgin young woman) as it is ending with -chen and thus, is of neutral gender, I doubt if rules for the other examples do exist:

    • Die Wurst (the sausage), female – der Durst (the thirst), male
    • Die Burg (the castle), female – der Zwerg (the dwarf), der Berg (the mountain), male
      • Successful_Try543@feddit.orgEnglish
        2·
        1 day ago

        Doesn’t matter, as you elaborated more deeply on why das Mädchen has neuter gender.

        BTW: The use of (das) Fräulein (miss), again a diminutive; ‘little woman’, in German, to refer to an unmarried woman has come out of fashion since ~50 years and now may be perceived as insulting as well.
        Mädchen is no longer perceived as a diminutive of Maid or Magd, as both terms are more used in a historic context, and thus, it stands on its own.