.....

I'm sure it originated in the early days of Smaug and its predicessors. I don't believe it was in the original Diku code. I'm also sure the purpose was for adult-oriented role-playing muds. If you want more detail than that, I'd suggest looking the word up on a dictionary site (NOT google, or you'll probably get a lot of other things filling your screen!).

There have been VERY few examples of fiction involving a legitimate alternate gender, it's a difficult concept to grasp considering how hard-wired most mammels are for two genders, and how little most people actually understand those two that DO exist in real life.

Uh... now I may be wrong here, but are you *SURE* you're thinking of the same thing? A Hermaphrodyte being an organism containing both genders and capable of self-fertilization and reproduction, but also capable of sexual reproduction with others of its species. Now unless I got the term wrong and it means something way different.....

Yep, your definition is correct, although self-fertilization isn't a requirement (just both genders, there are humans who fit the definition, but I've never heard of any being fertile).

I was referring to the mud usage. I've seen this "third" gender present, but never actually utilized for much, and since 99.9% of all muds make very little distinction between male and female, that doesn't surprise me.