From the OED, sense 3a of gender (the first sense is the grammatical one):
"Males or females viewed as a group; = sex n.1 1. Also: the property or fact of belonging to one of these groups.
Originally extended from the grammatical use at sense 1   (sometimes humorously), as also in Anglo-Norman and Old French. In the 20th cent., as sex came increasingly to mean sexual intercourse (see sex n.1 4b), gender began to replace it (in early use euphemistically) as the usual word for the biological grouping of males and females. It is now often merged with or coloured by sense 3b."

------------------------------------------
John Hostage
Authorities and Database Integrity Librarian
Harvard Library--Information and Technical Services
Langdell Hall 194
Cambridge, MA 02138
[log in to unmask]
+(1)(617) 495-3974 (voice)
+(1)(617) 496-4409 (fax)


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hall, Jack
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 15:42
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Enough? : terms for gender in 375
> 
> I don't know why RDA has adopted the newspeak "gender" when it is
> exactly sex that is intended. Gender refers to grammatical gender, etc.
> Masculine, feminine, neuter, when it is surely male and female that is
> intended by RDA. Look in any dictionary. Using gender for sex is some
> sort of hyperpolitical correctness.
>