(6) Aïeul, ciel, and œil, generally make aïeux, ancestors; cieux, heavens; yeux, eyes. But aïeul makes aïeuls when it means the paternal and maternal grandfathers; ciel makes ciels when it means the testers of beds, the roofs of quarries, or "skies" in painting; and in the cases when œil does not mean properly eye, it makes cils, as, des œils-de-bœuf, oval windows. (7) Foreign words, which have not yet been naturalized in France by custom, remain invariable, such as: des alibi, des errata, des infolio, des in-quarto, des post-scriptum, des fac-simile, des Te-Deum, etc.. But the following take the mark of the plural: des bravos, des duos, des trios, des numéros, des opéras, des zéros, des impromptus, des échos, des déficits, etc. (a) If the noun is composed of two nouns or an adjective and a noun, connected by a hyphen, both parts are made plural. (b) If the noun is composed of two nouns connected by a preposition and hyphens, the first noun only is made plural. le chef-d'œuvre, l'arc-en-ciel, the masterpiece, the rainbow, les chefs-d'œuvre. (c) If the noun is composed of a noun and a verb, adverb, or preposition, the noun only takes the sign of the plural. le tire-bouchon, the corkscrew, les tire-bouchons. l'arrière-grand-père, the great-grandfather, les arrière-grands-pères. Some compound nouns have a plural form when their meaning is singular: le cure-dents, the tooth-pick; le casse-noisettes, the nut-cracker; le porte-clefs, the turnkey; un essuie-mains (or main), a towel. 18 not heard. (d) If the noun is composed of two verbs or of any two invariable words, it remains unchanged in the plural. V. Formation of the feminine of adjectives. GENERAL RULE. To form the feminine of adjectives, add e mute to the masculine (Lesson 4). EXCEPTIONS. (1) Adjectives ending with e mute in the masculine are the same in the feminine (Lesson 4). (2) Adjectives ending in -el, -en, -on, -et, double the last consonant, and take an e mute after it (Lesson 56). (3) Ten other adjectives also double their last consonant in the feminine (Lesson 56). (4) Adjectives ending in -f change f into ve (Lesson 56). (5) Adjectives ending in -x change x into se (Lesson 56). (6) Adjectives ending in -eur, and derived from a present participle, change eur into euse: flatteur (from flattant), flatteuse; grondeur (from grondant), grondeuse. (7) Adjectives ending in -teur, and not derived from a present participle, change teur into trice: Profanateur, profanatrice; corrupteur, corruptrice. Adjectives ending in -érieur, not belonging to either of the above exceptions, follow the general rule: inférieur, inférieure; ultérieur, ultérieure. Add to these meilleur, majeur, and mineur. (8) Many adjectives form their feminines irregularly (see Lesson 56). The plural of adjectives is formed in the same way as that of nouns (see page 67). For the comparison of adjectives see Lesson 44. SINGULAR. This or that, PLURAL. These or those, Before a consonant. | Before a vowel Before any letter. 23. VIII. Numeral adjectives. For cardinal and ordinal numbers, see Lessons 21 and 1 Mon, ton, and son, are used instead of ma, ta, and sa before a feminine word beginning with a vowel or h mute. THE PRONOUN. Definition. A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun to avoid its repetition; while an adjective accompanies a noun to qualify it or determine it. In the sentence ma plume est bonne, la tienne est bonne aussi, ma is an adjective determining the noun plume, that is to say, expressing whose pen it is; la tienne, on the contrary, is a pronoun standing for ta plume and is used to avoid the repetition of that noun, which would be disagreeable to the ear. For use of Demonstrative pronouns, see Lessons 19 and 20; for Relative and Interrogative pronouns, see Lesson 96; for Personal pronouns, see Lesson 62. |