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Laurel etc.
So Laurel is another feminine plant name ending in -el. Nothing about -el is particularly feminine, but Laurel and Hazel are both considered feminine. Is it because they're plants? Do you think Laurel is more or less feminine or masculine than Hazel? Some other nouns that end in -el are Kestrel (feminine), Angel (unisex), Israel (masculine), and Jewel (database says unisex but probably more feminine)The database has 302 masculine "-el"s and 117 feminine "-el"s.
(The hazel genus is Corylus and one genus of laurel is Laurus, and those would definitely be masculine. Some other genera of laurel are Laurelia, Danae, and Daphne, which would clearly be feminine. I know I find Laurel and Hazel feminine, but I can't see why because it's not as obvious things like "-us = male" or "-ia = female".)
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