 Latin ' ("pear tree"), a feminine noun with a masculine-looking ending, became masculine in Italian "(il) " and Romanian '; in French and Spanish it was replaced by the masculine derivations "(le) ", "(el) "; and in Portuguese and Catalan by the feminine derivations "(a) ", "(la) ".As usual, irregularities persisted longest in frequently used forms.From the fourth declension noun "manus" ("hand"), another feminine noun with the ending "-us", Italian and Spanish derived "(la) ", Romanian "mânu>" pl (reg.