No, "soldier" is not a common gender noun.
While soldiers can be male or female, the word "soldier" itself doesn't inherently specify a gender. It's considered a gender-neutral term in the sense that it can apply to individuals of any sex. However, it's not a common gender noun in the traditional grammatical sense.
Here's a breakdown:
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Common Gender Nouns: These are nouns that can refer to either males or females, and you often need context or a pronoun to know the specific gender. Examples include "teacher," "doctor," "student," or "parent."
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"Soldier" and Gender: While the role of a soldier can be filled by individuals of any gender, the noun itself isn't like "parent," which clearly can be a mother or a father. You can't grammatically say, "The soldier left her rifle," without implying you already know the soldier is female. You'd more likely say, "The soldier left their rifle," or "The soldier left his rifle (if male)," or "The soldier (female) left her rifle."
The reference stating soldier is a "neuter gender" is incorrect. Neuter gender nouns refer to things that are neither male nor female (e.g., "table," "chair"). "Soldier" refers to a person, and people have a gender.
In summary, while the role of "soldier" is increasingly gender-neutral, the word itself isn't grammatically classified as a "common gender" noun.
