1.Neut. II.Masc. III.Fem. I.Neut. II.Masc. III.Fem.

(*) On this arrangement see Rask, Preface p. 54.

RULES FOR DECLENSION.

I. All Nouns have the nominative and accusative alike in the plural.

II. All Nouns form the ablative and dative plural in -um, often changed to -on, and sometimes again to -an. III. The ablative and dative are always alike in each number.

IV. Neuters, as in Greek, Latin, and German, have the nominative and accusative alike in each number.

V. Feminines vary the nominative and accusative singular; but form the ablative, dative, and genitive singular alike.

VI. The Simple Order forms its genitive plural in -ena, the Complex in -a. (1)

1

III.—Simple Order, or Declension I.

The First Declension contains a few neuters ending in -e, all masculines in -a, and all feminines in -e; the nominative plural is formed in -an (2). The three Classes are so much alike that they may be shown at one view.

(1) Participial nouns form it in -ra (see II. 2.) like indefinite adjectives. Complex feminines (II. 3. and III. 3.) sometimes have a Simple gen. plural.

(*) G. nouns forming their plur. in -en (-n) are Simple, all others Complex.

Examples-eáge eye, steorra star, tunge tongue.

In like manner are declined eáre ear, clíwe clew; hearra lord, guma man, wyrhta wright, workman, tíma time, draca dragon, hlísa fame; hlæfdige lady, cirice (circe) church, wuce week, eorde earth, wise wise, way(2) &c. Also some contracted nouns; as, freá lord (masc.) tá toe, beó (3) bee (fem.), making freán &c. plural tán, táum, taena; beón, beóna &c. Æ' law, sæ sea (*), and eá river (likewise fem.) are indeclinable, except sometimes gen. eás (5), nom. plural eán.

(*) Manna man and beofone heaven are much less common than man III. 2. and heofon II. 2.

(3) G. zehe, biene, not contracted.

(*) Sá is also declinable, as II. 2.

(*) All A. S. nouns originally formed the genitive in -s; see p. 70, n. 4.

C.

IV.-Complex Order. Declension II.

CLASS I.

The Second Declension, first Class, contains many neuters ending in one or more consonants.

Examples-leaf leaf, word word.

Thus are declined eár ear of corn, hús house, deór (1) beast, ge-hát promise, hors horse, spel story, spell, wif woman, wife, bearn child, bairn, lamb lamb &c.; feoh (2) fee, money, cattle makes feo, feos.

V.-CLASS II.

The Second Declension, second Class, comprises all regular masculines ending in a consonant, all complex ones in -e, and a few in -u (-0); the plural is formed in -as; some monosyllables change æ to a in the plural.

(1) Hence deer-"Rats and mice, and such small deer."

(*) Comp. L. pec-us, pec-unia; our fee is money only, G. vieh cattle only.

Examples-del part, deal, ende end, dæg day.

Thus also cyning (cing) king, smid smith, stán stone, weg way, freo-dóm freedom, munuc-hád monkhood; mete meat, rædere reader, weordscipe wor ship; stæf() staff, letter, mæg kinsman, &c. Participial nouns in -end usually have the nominative and accusative sing. and plur. alike, and make -ra in the gen. plural. Freónd friend, and feónd foe, fiend have plur. frýnd, fýnd, freónd, feónd, or freóndas &c. Dissyllables in -el (-ol), -en (-on), and -er (-or) are contracted in the oblique cases and plural; thus engel angel, dryhten lord, ealdor prince, make engle, engles, englas &c. dryhtne &c. Heofen (-on) heaven has abl. and dat. heofene, heofone, or heofne and so on. Monad (mond) month forms monde &c. Winter winter has abl. and dat. wintra, nom. pl. wintras, or winter. Feld field, ford ford, and sumer (-or) summer make abl. and dat. felda, forda, sumera.

(2) Comp. G. stah, stäbe; &c. G. buch-stab is letter.