Epicine is an adjective that refers to something that is related to or characteristic of both sexes or having qualities that are neither specifically feminine nor masculine. It originated from the combination of the Latin word "epicus" meaning 'common' or 'shared' and the French word "épicène" meaning 'neutral gender'.
When used in the context of language or grammar, epicine typically refers to a noun or pronoun that has only one form regardless of gender. In such cases, the word is used interchangeably for both male and female referents. This is often seen in languages that lack grammatical gender distinctions or use gender-neutral pronouns. For example, the English word "human" is epicine because it doesn't specifically indicate one gender over the other when referring to people.
However, epicine can also be used to describe things beyond language, such as clothing, styles, or appearances, that are designed to be suitable for both sexes. In this sense, it represents a gender-neutral or unisex approach. For instance, a piece of clothing that is considered epicine would be neither exclusively masculine nor feminine in its design or presentation.
Overall, epicine relates to anything that transcends traditional gender norms or explicitly represents both sexes, be it linguistically, conceptually, or aesthetically.
