5. Gent = 'race,' 'tribe,' has the plural gens = 'people,' etc. NOTE. A similar omission of t in the plural of nouns in -ant, -ent, now archaic, is maintained in the Revue des deux Mondes, e. g., 'enfans' for 'enfants.' 309. Double Plurals. The following have two plural forms, mostly with varying meaning: ter, etc.), brake (for horse-shoeing). Obs.: The -x plural regularly has the literal meaning of the word. 310. Foreign Nouns. Nouns of foreign origin take -S usually only when fully naturalized, but usage varies greatly (see dictionary): a. Partial list of variable foreign nouns : accessit(s), honourable men- bill(s), bill. tion. duo(s), duo. jury(s), jury. pensum(s), task. toast(s), toast. tramway(8), street-railway. vivat(8), hurrah. etc. post-scriptum. vade mecum. c. A few Italian nouns retain their plural in i : dilletante(-i), dilletante. soprano(-i), soprano. libretto(-i), libretto. lazzaronė(-i), beggar. quintetto(-i), quintette. etc. 311. Compound Nouns. The only components which take a plural sign are nouns and adjectives. The following are special rules :— 1. Compounds without hyphen are treated as one word, and follow the general rules: Portemanteau(x); grand'mère(s). Valise(s); grandmother(s). a. Exceptions are: bon(s)homme(s), goodman, etc. gentil(s)homme(s), nobleman. monsieur (messieurs), Mr., sir, etc. madame (mesdames), madam, Mrs. 2. When placed in juxtaposition and connected by a hyphen, nouns and adjectives are variable: 3. Of two nouns joined by preposition and hyphens, the first only is variable: Arc(s)-en-ciel; chef(s)-d'œuvre. a. The preposition de is sometimes understood: bain(s)-marie, water-bath. hôtel(s)-dieu, hospital. Rainbow; masterpiece. timbre(s)-poste, postage-stamp. etc. b. The following are invariable, since the idea conveyed by their plural does not properly belong to the first component simply: a. But the final noun remains invariable when the plural idea does b. On the other hand, a final noun of clearly plural sense retains -s in the singular: un (des) casse-noisettes, nut-cracker. un (des) cure-dents, tooth-pick. un (des) porte-clefs, turnkey. etc. 5. Invariable words, such as verb, adverb, preposition, etc., are invariable in compounds : Des on dit; des passe-partout. Rumours; master-keys. a. Garde- is usually variable in compounds denoting persons, and invariable in those denoting things: Des gardes-malades. But: Des garde-robes. Sick-nurses. Wardrobes. 1. Names of persons 312. Plural of Proper Nouns. or families are usually invariable in the plural: Les deux Racine. Les Corneille et les Racine de la scène. Les Duval sont arrivés. The two Racines. The Corneilles and Racines of the stage (i.e., Corneille, Racine, and others like them). (The) Duvals have come. a. A few Latin names, originally plural in form, and certain wellknown historical names of families and dynasties, take -s : b. Names of persons used as common nouns to denote 'persons like ' or 'works by' those named are often variable, but usage is not fixed: Les Corneilles sont rares. J'ai vu deux Raphaëls. Corneilles are rare. I saw two Raphaels. But: Les Hamlet; les La Fontaine; les Goethe; les Washington, etc. 2. Names of places take -s when the idea is plural : Les Indes; les Vosges. Les deux Romes. The Indies; the Vosges. The two Romes (i.e., the old and new). CASE RELATION AND AGREEMENT OF NOUNS. 313. Case Relations. The noun in French does not vary in form to denote case; it is used as follows: 1. With verbs, as subject, object, predicate: Le père aime son fils. The father loves his son. John has become a soldier. 2. In appositions, and with adjectival force: Henri IV, roi de France. Un roi enfant. 3. After prepositions : J'ai parlé à son père. Henry IV., King of France. I have spoken to his father. 4. Absolutely, generally with adverbial force: Le dîner fini, il partit. The dinner ended, he set out. Il était là, le chapeau à la main. He was there, (with) his hat in his Je suis venu samedi. Il est resté trois heures. J'ai marché dix milles. Nous l'avons acheté dix francs. 5. Vocatively: Bonjour, mes amis. hand. I came on Saturday. He stayed three hours. I walked ten miles. We bought it for ten francs. Good morning, my friends. 314. Agreement. A predicate noun, or a noun used adjectivally, usually agrees like an adjective with the word referred to, see agreement of the Adjective: 317. Contractions. The prepositions de and à +le and les, are always contracted as follows: de + le = du. à + le=au. à + les=aux. NOTES.-1. No contraction takes place with la, l'. 2. Formerly en+les was contracted to ès, a form still used in academical titles, e.g., 'Bachelier ès lettres,' 'Bachelor of Arts.' 318. Agreement and Repetition. The article agrees in gender and number with its noun, and is regularly repeated (as also de, à) before each noun or adjective denoting a distinctive object: Une maison et un jardin. Au bon et au mauvais côté. Le delta ou basse Égypte. A house and garden. On the good and bad side. The kind and pious priest. The Delta or Lower Egypt. a. The definite article is not repeated when a single adjective precedes nouns joined by et: Les principales villes et provinces The principal towns and provinces de la France. of France. b. Singular adjectives in apposition to a plural noun omit the article: Les langues française et anglaise. The French and English languages. Or: La langue française et la langue anglaise. La langue française et l'anglaise. c. A few expressions of collective force, like the following, are permissible, but are either not obligatory or are confined to set expressions: Les père et mère. Les lundi et mardi. Les trois et quatre avril. École des ponts et chaussées. The parents. (On) Mondays and Tuesdays. The officers and soldiers. d. For the repetition of le, la, les with the superlative, see Comparison of Adjectives. |