Here's how it works:
* It's usually added to a masculine noun to create the corresponding female term.
* Some examples include: actor (male) - actress (female), prince (male) - princess (female), waiter (male) - waitress (female).
Important Notes:
* The "-ess" suffix is not always used in modern English. Some words have evolved to use other suffixes, such as "woman" instead of "womankind".
* It's not always used to denote a person's gender, but can also be used to differentiate between male and female versions of animals (e.g., lion - lioness).
* The "-ess" suffix can sometimes have connotations of sexism or discrimination, as it implies that the female version is somehow less important or less powerful than the male version.
For this reason, many people are moving away from using "-ess" and opting for more gender-neutral terms.