Anglo-Saxon Britain Part 7

(1.) _Nom._ stan (_a stone_). _Nom._ stanas.

_Gen._ stanes. _Gen._ stana.

_Dat._ stane. _Dat._ stanum.

_Acc._ stan. _Acc._ stanas.

This is the commonest declension for masculine nouns, and it has fixed the normal plural for the modern English.

SING. PLUR.

(2.) _Nom._ fot (_a foot_). _Nom._ fet.

_Gen._ fotes. _Gen._ fota.

_Dat._ fet. _Dat._ fotum.

_Acc._ fot. _Acc._ fet.

Hence our modified plurals, such as _feet_, _teeth_, and _men_.

SING. PLUR.

(3.) _Nom._ wudu (_a wood_). _Nom._ wuda.

_Gen._ wuda. _Gen._ wuda.

_Dat._ wuda. _Dat._ wudum.

_Acc._ wudu. _Acc._ wuda.

All these are for masculine nouns.

The commonest feminine declension is as follows:

SING. PLUR.

(4.) _Nom._ gifu (_a gift_). _Nom._ gifa.

_Gen._ gife. _Gen._ gifena.

_Dat._ gife. _Dat._ gifum.

_Acc._ gife. _Acc._ gifa.

Less frequent is the modified form:

SING. PLUR.

(5.) _Nom._ boc (_a book_). _Nom._ bec.

_Gen._ bec. _Gen._ boca.

_Dat._ bec. _Dat._ boc.u.m.

_Acc._ boc. _Acc._ bec.

Of neuters there are two princ.i.p.al declensions. The first has the plural in _u_; the second leaves it unchanged.

SING. PLUR.

(6.) _Nom._ scip (_a s.h.i.+p_). _Nom._ scipu.

_Gen._ scipes. _Gen._ sc.i.p.a.

_Dat._ scipe. _Dat._ scipum.

_Acc._ scip. _Acc._ scipu.

SING. PLUR.

(7.) _Nom._ hus (_a house_). _Nom._ hus.

_Gen._ huses. _Gen._ husa.

_Dat._ huse. _Dat._ husum.

_Acc._ hus. _Acc._ hus.

Hence our "collective" plurals, such as _fish_, _deer_, _sheep_, and _trout_.

There is also a weak declension, much the same for all three genders, of which the masculine form runs as follows:

SING. PLUR.

_Nom._ guma (_a man_). _Nom._ guman.

_Gen._ guman. _Gen._ gumena.

_Dat._ guman. _Dat._ guman.

_Acc._ guman. _Acc._ guman.

Adjectives are declined throughout, as in Latin, through all the cases (including an instrumental), numbers, and genders. The demonstrative p.r.o.noun or definite article _se_ (the) may stand as an example.

SING.

Masc. Fem. Neut.

_Nom._ se, seo, thaet.

_Gen._ thaes, thaere, thaes.

_Dat._ tham, thaere, tham.

_Acc._ thone, tha, thaet.

_Inst._ thy, thaere, thy.

PLUR.

Masc. Fem. Neut.

_Nom._ tha.

_Gen._ thara.

_Dat._ tham.

_Acc._ tha.

_Inst._ --