nounced like gz. Ex. xylon, cotton-plant; Xavier, Xénophon, Xante, Xantippe. Xerxès is pronounced gzercess. x following an initial e, and preceding a vowel or an h, is also sounded like gz. Ex. exil, exile; examiner, to examine; exhiber, to exhibit. x not following an sounds like ks. initial e, but coming between two vowels, Ex. axe, axis; luxe, luxury; Alexandre, Alexander; maxime, maxim; sexe, sex. x sounds like ss in the following words: six, six; dix, ten; soixante, sixty; Bruxelles, Brussels; Auxonne, Auxerre, Aixen-Provence. In sixième, dixième, deuxième, dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, it is pronounced like z in zone. x final is generally silent. Ex. prix, price; croix, cross; voix, voice. Exceptions: x is sounded like ks at the end of names of The x of deux, six, dix, coming before a consonant is silent, x when carried to the next word, sounds like z. 23. Z sounds as in the English words zinc, zone. zénith, zenith. Ex. zèle, zeal; z final is generally silent. Ex. nez, nose; chez, with, &c., allez, go. Exceptions: gaz, gas. In Metz, Suez, &c., it sounds like ss. z final is generally carried to the next word when that word commences with a vowel, or an h mute. EXERCISE 4. 5. (b) baume, balsam; blessure, wound; brun, brown; absolution, absolution; abstrait, abstract; abbaye, abbey; Jacob, Jacob. 6. (c) cacher, to conceal; coin, corner; décuple, decuple; cire, wax; cinq, five; chercher, to seek ; je cache, I conceal; patriarche, patriarch; patriarchat, patriarchate; chambre, chamber; arche, arch; changer, to change; orchestre, orchestra; charbon, coal; sac, bag; suc, juice; clerc, clerk; banc, bench; flanc, flank; second, second; fécond, fruitful; façon, fashion; reçu, received. 7. (d) daim, deer; don, gift; admirer, to admire; bord, border; nord, north; sud, south; Obed, Obed; Talmud, Talmud; grand âge, advanced age; rend-il, does he render? prend-il, does he take? 8. (f) foin, hay; faim, hunger; froid, cold; bref, short; soif, thirst; suif, tallow; clef, key; chef, chief; chef-d'œuvre, masterpiece; œuf, egg; œufs, eggs; œuf frais, fresh egg; bœuf, ox, beef; bœufs, oxen; neuf maisons, nine houses; neuf chevaux, nine horses; neuf amis, nine friends. 9. (g) gager, to bet; gosier, throat; gibier, game; guide, guide; ligue, league; il ligua, he leagued; nous liguons, we league; aiguille, needle; aiguillon, goad; ciguë, hemlock; digne, worthy; règne, reign; Espagne, Spain; Pologne, Poland; brugnon, nectarine; soignant, taking care; joignant, joining; stagnant, stugnant; rang honorable, honorable rank. 10. (h) hâte, haste; honte, shame; haut, high; herbe, herbage: almanach, almanac. 11. (j) jujube, jujube; jeune, young; juger, to judge; jurer, to swear; jonc, rush; joindre, to join; déjeûner, to breakfast; Juif, Jew; jeu, play. 12. (1) lame, blade; loi, law; illégal, illegal; illicite, unlawful; paille, straw; soleil, sun; pareil, similar; bail, lease; railler, to rail; souiller, to soil; caille, quail; canaille, rabble; ville, town; village, village; mille, mile, thousand; péril, peril; pointilleux, punctilious; baril, barrel; fusil, gun; gentilhomme, nobleman; gentilshommes, noblemen; bouteille, bottle. 13. (m n) mon, my; marge, margin; nom, name; champ, field ; moine, monk; prompt, quick; condamner, to condemn; faim, hunger; son argent, his money; bon appétit, good appetite; lien étroit, close connection. 15. (p) partir, to go away; coup, blow; temps, weather; drap, cloth; sept, seven; baptême, baptism; cap, cape; Alep, Aleppo. 16. (q) quérir, to fetch; quitter, to leave; musique, music; logique, logic; quarante, forty; quoi, what; aquatique, aquatic; Quintilien, Quintilian; cinq, five; cinq livres, five books. 17. (r) ranger, to arrange; errer, to err; arriver, to arrive; verser, to pour; je courrai, I will run; je courais, I was running; jouir, to enjoy; car, for; plaisir, pleasure; amer, bitter; parler, to speak; changer, to change; fer, iron; hiver, winter. 18. (s) silence, silence; soin, care: sans, without; base, base; rose, rose; chose, thing; observer, to observe; rasoir, razor; parasol, parasol; science, science; schisme, schism; scie, saw; schème, scheme; gras, fat; pas, step; lambris, wainscot; Barras, Barras; Romulus, Samos; vous avez, you have; nous aimons, we love. 19. (t) tiers, third; tiare, tiara; tort, wrong; portion, portion; sanction, sunction; essential, essential; partialité, partiality; section, section; question, question; bastion, bastion; observation, observation; minutie, minutia; démocratie, demo cracy; amitié, friendship; initiation, initiation; mot, word; lot, lot; sept, seven; sept livres, seven books; et, and; vingt livres, twenty books. 20. (v) voir, to see; va, go; lèvc, raise; lever, to raise; visage, face; vive, f. lively. 21. (w) Westphalie, Weimar, Wurms, Wurtemberg. 22. (x) xylon, cotton plant; Xénophon; exiler, to exile; excuser, to excuse; luxe, luxury; Alexandre, Alexander; maxime, maxim; soixantième, sixtieth; six, six, sixième, sixth, six livres, six books; Bruxelles, Brussels; Aix-la-Chapelle ; dix, ten; Phénix; Ajax; deux hommes, two men; dix amis, ten friends. 23. (z) zèle, zeal; zone, zone; zoologie, zoology; vous lisez, you read; nez, nose; Metz; allez-y, go there; venez ici, come here. For the division of words into syllables, see READING LESSONS, page 474. LEÇON IV. LESSON IV. THE ARTICLE LE, LA. GENDER. 1. In French the article [§ 13, (2.)] has, in the singular, a distinct form for each gender. Le fils, the son; Le frère, the brother; La fille, the daughter, the girl; La soeur, the sister. 2. Before a word commencing with a vowel or an h mute, [L. 3, 10,] the article is the same for both genders. [§ 13, (7.)] Ex. L'aïeul, the grandfather; L'hôte, the landlord; L'aïeule, the grandmother; L'hôtesse, the landlady. 3. There are in French only two genders, the masculine and the feminine. [§ 4.] Every noun, whether denoting an animate or an inanimate object, belongs to one of these two genders. MASC. L'homme, the man; Le livre, the book; FEM. La femme, the woman; Le lion, the lion; La lionne, the lioness; 4. AVOIR, TO HAVE, IN THE PRESENT OF THE INDICATIVE. 5. The e of the pronoun je is elided, when that pronoun comes before a vowel or an h mute. [§ 146.] 6. In interrogative sentences, when the third person singular of a verb ends with a vowel, and is immediately followed by a pronoun, a t, called euphonic, must be placed between the verb and the pronoun. A-t-il? Has he? A-t-elle ? RESUME OF EXAMPLES. Le père a la viande, vous avez lo café, et j'ai l'eau. L'homme a le pain, l'enfant a le sel, et nous avons le poivre. Avoine, f. oats; Has she? The father has the meat, you have the coffee, and I have the water. The man has the bread, the child has the salt, and we have the pepper. EXERCISE 5. Frère, m. brother; Oui, yes; Fille, f. girl, daughter; Pain, m. bread; Plume, f. pen; Viande, f. meat; Vinaigre, m. vinegar. 1. Qui a le pain? 2. Le boulanger a le pain. 3. A-t-il la farine? 4. Oui, monsieur; il a la farine. 5. Avons-nous la viande? 6. Oui, monsieur; vous avez la viande et le pain. 7. Le meunier a la farine. 8. Le boulanger a la farine et le blé. 9. Avons-nous le livre et la plume? 10. Oui, mademoiselle; vous avez le livre et la plume. 11. Le boucher a la viande. 12. Le meunier a la viande, et j'ai le café. 13. Avezvous l'eau et le sel? 14. Oui, monsieur; nous avons l'eau, le sel, et l'avoine. 15. Avons-nous le thé? 16. Non, monsieur; la fille a le thé, le vinaigre et le sel. 17. Ai-je le vin? 18. Non, madame; vous avez seulement le vinaigre et la viande. 19. Avez-vous la table? 20. Oui, madame; j'ai la table. EXERCISE 6. 1. Have you the wheat? 2. Yes, sir; I have the wheat. 3. Who has the meat? 4. The butcher has the meat and the salt. 5. Has he the oats? 6. No, madam; the horse has the oats. 7. Have we the wheat? 8. You have the wheat and the flour. 9. Who has the salt? 10. I have the salt and the meat. 11. Have we the vinegar, the tea, and the coffee? 12. No, sir; the brother has the vinegar. 13. Who has the horse? 14. The baker has the horse. 15. Have we the book and the pen? the miller has the book. 16. No, miss; the girl has the pen, and 17. Have you the table, sir? 18. No, sir; I have only the book. 19. Who has the table? 20. We have the table, the pen, and the book. LEÇON V. LESSON V. CONTRACTION OF THE ARTICLE, &C. 1. The article le, with the preposition de preceding, must be contracted into du, when it comes before a word in the masculine singular, commencing with a consonant or an h aspirated. [L. 3, 10; § 13, (8.) (9.)] Du frère, of the brother; Du château, of the castle; 2. Before feminine words, and before masculine words commencing with a vowel, or an h mute, the article le is not blended with the preposition. De la dame, f. of the lady; De l'argent, m. of the money; De l'amie, f. of the female friend; De l'honneur, m. of the honor. 3. In French, the name of the possessor follows the name of the object possessed. [§ 76, (10.)] La maison du médecin, L'arbre du jardin, La lettre de la sœur, The physician's house; The sister's letter. |