# Why Bike not Bice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bike-not-bice/813725 "2018-05-06T23:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 39
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bike-not-bice/813725/39 "2018-05-09T02:46:30Z")
> [@Origins of gendered nouns](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-gendered-nouns/813635/33): > > … [Here’s a pdf which goes into much detail about gender in general and PIE in particular.](http://allegatifac.unipv.it/silvialuraghi/Gender%20FoL.pdf)… > [@Origins of gendered nouns](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-gendered-nouns/813635/39): > > > [@Originally Posted by naita](#): > > > > … [same link as septimus’] … > > Fascinating. > [@septimus](#): > > The same alternation occurs in other words pairs: medicine/medical, criticize/critical, electricity/electrical. (There is also g/j alternation as in allege/allegation.) Although it can’t be a full explanation, speakers may have a high-level model of some consonants with the sound dependent on context (especially the following vowel). > [@Kimstu](#): > > > [@Originally Posted by Ulfreida](#): > > > > … [same example] … > > Su-weet. If there was still any doubt, I’ve now confirmed that most of you have me set to Ignore. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bike-not-bice/813725)._