bed bath, (G. bad); badu baths (G. bäder.) (1)

a into e; man, man (G. mann); men (2) men (G. männer).

á into æ; hál hale, whole, ge-hælan to heal.

ea into e or y; neah nigh, nehst nyhst nighest, next. e, o, eo, u into i or y; ren rain, rinan to rain; storm storm (G. sturm); styrman to storm (G. stürmen); weorc work (G. werk), wyrcan to work (G. wirken); hunger hunger, hyngrian to hunger.

eá, eó, ú, into ý; leás loose, (G. los); a-lýsan to re-lease (G. er-lösen); neód need (G. noth); nýdan to force (G. nöthigen); scrúd shroud, scrýdan to shroud.

ó into é; dóm doom, déman to deem, doom.

bb into f; a-hebban to exalt, a-hafen exalted (*). c and cc into h; sécan to seek, ic sóhte I sought; feccan to fetch, (ge-)freht fretcht(5).

g into h and vice versá; wrígan to cover, ic wráh 1 covered; beorh mountain, plur. beorgas().

s into r(7); freósan to freeze, (ge-)froren frozen. d into d(); sníðan to cut (G. schneiden), sniden cut (G. ge-schnitten).

Several other changes take place in the formation of imperfects I. 3. and complex; likewise in nouns II. 2., III. 1. 3. and in adjectives.

(') See Verbs II. 3., and Nouns III. 1.

See Nouns III. 2.

(*) See Verbs II. 3.

(*) See Verbs III. 1,2. Nouns II. 2. (7) See Verbs III. 3.

(3) See irregular comparison. (") See Verbs I. 2, 3.

(9) See Verbs 11. 1, and III. 2.

VI.-Correspondence of Letters.

Attention to the correspondence of A. S. with English and German letters helps not only to recognise words already known in a kindred tongue, but to settle their derivation, spelling, and quantity. Thus

á answers to Ł. long o; G. ei, l. e ; bán() bone, G bein; máre (10) more, greater, G. mehr.

eá to E. 1. e; G. 1. o, a, au: streám stream, G. strom; sceap sheep, G. schaf; ge-leáfa be-lief, G. g-laube.

ea to E. short a, 1. o; G. s. a: scearp sharp, G. scharf; ceald cold, G. kalt.

æ to E. and G. a, e: gæst guest, G. gast; fæst fast, G. fest.

a to E. 1. e, a, o; G. 1. a, ei: sad sced, G. saat; hær hair, G. haar; mást (1) most, G. meist.

é to E. 1. e; G. 1. ü, ä: céne bold, keen, G. kühn; wénan to ween, imagine, G. wähnen.

í to E. l. i; G. ei: síde side, G. seite.

eo to E. a, o, u, e; G. e, ie: deorc dark, sweord sword, G. schwert; ceorl churl, G. kerl; feoll fell, G.

fiel.

ó to E. oo; G. l. u: flór floor, G. flur.

eó, ców to E. 1. e; G. 1. ie, eu: deóp deep, G. tief'; déor dear, G. theuer; cneów knee, G. knie.

ú to E. ou, ow, oo; G. 1. au, u: mús mouse, G. maus ; cú cow, G. kuh; rúm room, space, G. raum.

(9) S. bane.

(10) S. mair.

(") S. maist.

ý to E. l. i, e; G. 1. eu, au, ö: fýr fire, G. feuer; brýd bride, G. braut; hýran to hear, G. hören.

c (before a soft vowel) to E. and G. cn, k: cyle chill, G. kühle; stician to stick, G. stechen.

cc to E. tch, ck; G. ck: streccan to stretch, G. strecken; liccian to lick, G. lecken.

sc to E. sh, sk; G. sch: scyld shield, G. schild; disc dish, table, G. tisch; tusc tusk.

g (before a soft vowel sometimes) to E. y, G. j: gear year, G. jahr; girstan-dæg yester-day.

r and s are often transposed: forst frost, G. frost : bridd (young) bird; flacse flask, G. flasche.

CHAPTER II.

I.-Nouns. Gender.

The genders, as in Greek, Latin, German, &c. are three, viz. neuter, masculine, feminine; the first two, as in those tongues, closely resembling each other, the last differing widely from both. A. S. nouns in general agree in gender with the corresponding German; as, G. weib woman, wife.

Neuter:

Swif

cild

G. kind child.

Masculine: mona G. mond moon.

Feminine: sunne G. sonne sun. The chief exceptions are :—

Neut. eár
fæsten G. feste
fyder G. feder

G. ähre

(f.) ear of corn.

(f.) fastness.

(f.) feather, wing

-scipe are masculine, while G. nouns in -thum are some ncuter, some masculine, in -heit and -schaft feminine; A. S. in -nes (-nys, -nis) feminine, G. in -niss some neuter, some feminine.

Some words are of more than one gender; thus flód (5) flood is neut. (II. 1.) and masc. (II. 2.); sa sea masc. (II. 2.) and fem. (I. 3.); bend band, bond masc. (II. 2.) and fem. (II. 3.); lác gift, office, &c. all three (II. 1. 2. 3.), but oftenest neuter.

(1) Oiv-oç masc. L. vin-um, neut.

(3) L. sal-us, fem.

(*) L. mare, neut.

(*) Kapd-ia fem. L. cor, neut.

(3) G. fluth fem.; see masc. and fem.; band neut. and masc.

FURTHER RULES FOR GENDER.

I. Nouns ending in -tl, -ed, incle, and diminutives in -en; likewise all having the nominative and accusative alike in both numbers are neuter.

II. Nouns in -a, -m, -ls, -ađ, -od, -e (from verbs) and -ling; likewise all forming the genitive singular in -a, or the nominative plural in -as are masculine.

III. Nouns in -æd, -ud, -d (after a consonant) -eo, -u (of quality from adjectives) -e (from adjectives) -ung, and -least are feminine.

IV. The gender of compound words depends on that of the last part; thus wif-man woman is masculine.(1)

II. Declension.

Nouns are divided into two Orders, the Simple and the Complex ;(2) the former having one Declension of three Classes for the three Cenders, the latter two Declensions of three Classes each (3).

The Simple Order, answering to the Greek and Latin pure nouns, contains those ending in an essential vowel; viz. -e in the neuter, -a in the masculine, and -e in the feminine. The Complex Order, answering to the Gr. and L. impure nouns, comprises all ending in a consonant, together with some in an unessential -e or -u.

(') By the same rule G. frauen-zimmer female is neut. ; manns-person man fem.

(3) In Grimm's system Simple Nouns are called weak; Complex, strong. (3) For the grounds of this division, see Rask's Grammar, pp. 26-30.