An English Grammar Part 9

Tell me not, in mournful _numbers_.--LONGFELLOW.

_Numbers_ also means issues, or copies, of a periodical.

pain--pains: (1) suffering; (2) care, trouble,

part--parts: (1) divisions; (2) abilities, faculties.

[Sidenote: _Two cla.s.ses of compound words._]

50. Compound words may be divided into two cla.s.ses:--

(1) _Those whose parts are so closely joined as to const.i.tute one word._ These make the last part plural.

courtyard dormouse Englishman fellow-servant fisherman Frenchman forget-me-not goosequill handful mouthful cupful maidservant pianoforte stepson spoonful t.i.tmouse

(2) _Those groups in which the first part is the princ.i.p.al one, followed by a word or phrase making a modifier._ The chief member adds _-s_ in the plural.

aid-de-camp attorney at law billet-doux commander in chief court-martial cousin-german father-in-law knight-errant hanger-on

NOTE.--Some words ending in _-man_ are not compounds of the English word _man_, but add _-s_; such as _talisman_, _firman_, _Brahman_, _German_, _Norman_, _Mussulman_, _Ottoman_.

51. Some groups pluralize both parts of the group; as _man singer_, _manservant_, _woman servant_, _woman singer_.

[Sidenote: _Two methods in use for names with t.i.tles._]

52. As to plurals of names with t.i.tles, there is some disagreement among English writers. The t.i.tle may be plural, as _the Messrs.

Allen_, _the Drs. Brown_, _the Misses Rich_; or the name may be pluralized.

The former is perhaps more common in present-day use, though the latter is often found; for example,--

Then came Mr. and Mrs. Briggs, and then _the three Miss Spinneys_, then Silas Peckham.--DR. HOLMES.

Our immortal Fielding was of the younger branch of the _Earls of Denbigh_, who drew their origin from the _Counts of Hapsburgh_.--GIBBON.

The _Miss Flamboroughs_ were reckoned the best dancers in the parish.--GOLDSMITH.

The _Misses Nettengall's_ young ladies come to the Cathedral too.--d.i.c.kENS.

The _Messrs. Harper_ have done the more than generous thing by Mr. Du Maurier.--_The Critic_.

53. A number of foreign words have been adopted into English without change of form. These are said to be _domesticated_, and retain their foreign plurals.

Others have been adopted, and by long use have altered their power so as to conform to English words. They are then said to be _naturalized_, or _Anglicized_, or _Englished_.

[Sidenote: _Domesticated words._]

The domesticated words may retain the original plural. Some of them have a secondary English plural in _-s_ or _-es_.

Exercise.

Find in the dictionary the plurals of these words:--

I. FROM THE LATIN.

apparatus appendix axis datum erratum focus formula genus larva medium memorandum nebula radius series species stratum terminus vertex

II. FROM THE GREEK.

a.n.a.lysis ant.i.thesis automaton basis crisis ellipsis hypothesis parenthesis phenomenon thesis

[Sidenote: _Anglicized words._]

When the foreign words are fully naturalized, they form their plurals in the regular way; as,--

bandits cherubs dogmas encomiums enigmas focuses formulas geniuses herbariums indexes seraphs apexes

[Sidenote: _Usage varies in plurals of letters, figures, etc._]

54. Letters, figures, etc., form their plurals by adding _-s_ or _'s_. Words quoted merely as words, without reference to their meaning, also add _-s_ or _'s_; as, "His _9's_ (or _9s_) look like _7's_ (or _7s_)," "Avoid using too many _and's_ (or _ands_)," "Change the _+'s_ (or _+s_) to _-'s_ (or _-s_)."

CASE.

[Sidenote: _Definition._]

55. Case is an inflection or use of a noun (or p.r.o.noun) to show its relation to other words in the sentence.

In the sentence, "He sleeps in a felon's cell," the word _felon's_ modifies _cell_, and expresses a relation akin to possession; _cell_ has another relation, helping to express the idea of place with the word _in_.

56. In the general wearing-away of inflections, the number of case forms has been greatly reduced.

[Sidenote: _Only two_ case forms.]

There are now only two case forms of English nouns,--one for the _nominative_ and _objective_, one for the _possessive_: consequently the matter of inflection is a very easy thing to handle in learning about cases.

[Sidenote: _Reasons for speaking of_ three cases _of nouns_.]

But there are reasons why grammars treat of _three_ cases of nouns when there are only two forms:--

(1) Because the relations of all words, whether inflected or not, must be understood for purposes of a.n.a.lysis.