The English Language Part 7

_Feminine._ _Feminine._

_Sing. Nom._ Tunge (_a tongue_). Tunga (_a tongue_).

_Acc._ Tungan Tungu.

_Dat._ Tungan Tungu.

_Gen._ Tungan Tungu.

_Plur. Nom._ Tungan Tungur.

_Acc._ Tungan Tungur.

_Dat._ Tungum Tungum.

_Gen._ Tungena Tungna.

Declension of Substantives ending with a _Consonant_.

_Saxon._ _Icelandic._

_Neuter._ _Neuter._

_Sing. Nom._ Leaf (_a leaf_). Skip (_a s.h.i.+p_).

_Acc._ Leaf Skip.

_Dat._ Leafe Skipi.

_Gen._ Leafes Skips.

_Plur. Nom._ Leaf Skip.

_Acc._ Leaf Skip.

_Dat._ Leafum Skipum.

_Gen._ Leafa Skipa.

_Masculine._ _Masculine._

_Sing. Nom._ Smi (_a smith_). Konungr (_a king_).

_Acc._ Smi Konung.

_Dat._ Smie Konungi.

_Gen._ Smies Konungs.

{40} _Plur. Nom._ Smias Konungar.

_Acc._ Smias Konunga.

_Dat._ Smium Konungum.

_Gen._ Smia Konunga.

_Feminine._ _Feminine._ _Sing. Nom._ Spr['ae]c (_a speech_). Brur (_a bride_).

_Acc._ Spr['ae]ce Brui.

_Dat._ Spr['ae]ce Brui.

_Gen._ Spr['ae]ce Bruar.

_Plur. Nom._ Spr['ae]ca Bruir.

_Acc._ Spr['ae]ca Bruir.

_Dat._ Spr['ae]c.u.m Bruum.

_Gen._ Spr['ae]ca Brua.

-- 84. The most characteristic difference between the Saxon and Icelandic lies in the peculiar position of the definite article in the latter language. In Saxon, the article corresponding with the modern word _the_, is _aet_, _se_, _seo_, for the neuter, masculine, and feminine genders respectively; and these words, regularly declined, are _prefixed_ to the words with which they agree, just as is the case with the English and with the majority of languages. In Icelandic, however, the article, instead of preceding, _follows_ its noun, _with which it coalesces_, having previously suffered a change in form. The Icelandic article corresponding to _aet_, _se_, _seo_, is _hitt_ (N.), _hinn_ (M.), _hin_ (F.): from this the _h_ is ejected, so that, instead of the regular inflection (_a_), we have the forms (_b_).

_a._ _Neut._ _Masc._ _Fem._

_Sing. Nom._ Hitt Hinn Hin.

_Acc._ Hitt Hinn Hina.

_Dat._ Hinu Hinum Hinni.

_Gen._ Hins Hins Hinnar.

_Plur. Nom._ Hin Hinir Hinar.

_Acc._ Hin Hina Hinar.

_Dat._ Hinum Hinum Hinum.

_Gen._ Hinna Hinna Hinna.

_b._

_Sing. Nom._ --it --inn --in.

_Acc._ --it --inn --ina (-na).

{41} _Dat._ --nu --num --inni (-nni).

_Gen._ --ins --ins --innar (-nnar).

_Plur. Nom._ --in --nir --nar.

_Acc._ --in --na --nar.

_Dat._ --num --num --num.

_Gen._ --nna --nna --nna.

whence, as an affix, in composition,

_Neut._ _Masc._ _Fem._

_Sing. Nom._ Augat Boginn Tungan.

_Acc._ Augat Boginn Tunguna.

_Dat._ Auganu Boganum Tungunni.

_Gen._ Augans Bogans Tungunnar.

_Plur. Nom._ Augun Bogarnir Tungurnar.

_Acc._ Augun Bogana Tungurnar.

_Dat._ Augunum Bogunum Tungunum.

_Gen._ Augnanna Boganna Tungnanna.

-- 85. In the Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish this peculiarity in the position of the definite article is preserved. Its origin, however, is concealed; and an accidental ident.i.ty with the indefinite article has led to false notions respecting its nature. In the languages in point the _i_ is changed into _e_, so that what in Icelandic is _it_ and _in_, is in Danish _et_ and _en_. _En_, however, as a separate word, is the numeral _one_, and also the indefinite article _a_; whilst in the neuter gender it is _et_--en Sol, _a sun_; et Bord, _a table_: Solen, _the sun_; Bordet, _the table_. From modern forms like those just quoted, it has been imagined that the definite is merely the indefinite article transposed. This it is not.

Reference will be made to this pa.s.sage on more occasions than one, to show how words originally distinct may, in the process of time, take the appearance of being identical. To apply an expression of Mr. Cobbett's, _en_=_a_, and _-en_=_the_, are _the same combination of letters, but not the same word_. {42}

DECLENSION OF ADJECTIVES.

_Saxon_. _Icelandic_.

_Definite_.[7] _Definite_.[7]

_Singular_. _Singular_.

_Neut_. _Masc_. _Fem_. _Neut_. _Masc_. _Fem_.

_Nom_. G.o.de G.o.da G.o.de. _Nom_. Haga Hagi Haga.

_Acc_. G.o.de G.o.dan G.o.dan. _Acc_. Haga Haga Hogu.

_Abl_. G.o.dan G.o.dan G.o.dan. _Abl_. Haga Haga Hogu.

_Dat_. G.o.dan G.o.dan G.o.dan. _Dat_. Haga Haga Hogu.