XXII. OF SYNTAX.

296 SYNTAX teaches how to arrange or form words in sentences correctly.

297. It includes a knowledge of the rules of composi tion, formed from the practice of the best writers and speakers.

298. Syntax signifies arranging or placing together; or, as used in grammar, sentence-making.

XXIII. ETYMOLOGY AND SYNTAX COMBINED

299. The words of the English language are usually divided into nine sorts, commonly called Parts of Speech namely,

NOUN,

ARTICLE,

ADJECTIVE

PRONOUN,
VERB,
ADVERB,

PREPOSITION,
CONJUNCTION,

INTERJECTION

XXIV. OF NOUNS.

300. A noun is the name of any person, place or thing; as, man, London, knife.

301. Nouns are of two kinds, proper and common.

COMMON nouns are general names; that is, they are names common to all individuals of the same kind or sort; as, house city, river.

302. PROPER nouns are particular names; that is, they are the names of particular individuals of the same kind or sort; as, George, Boston, Mississippi.

303. When proper names have an article placed before them, they are used as common names; as, "He is the Cicero of his age."

304. When a proper noun admits of a plural, it becomes a common noun;

"The twelve Cæsars,' or, "The seven Jameses." This is obvious from the fact, that a proper name is, in its nature, descriptive of one object only, and, therefore, essentially singular. Accordingly, the nouns Spaniard, European, American, &c. are common nouns, as well as their plurals, Spaniards, Europeans, Americans, &c.*

305. Common nouns may also be used to signify individuals, by the addıtion of articles or pronouns; as "The boy is studious;" "That girl is dis

creet."

306 When a noun signifies many, it is called a noun of multitude, or a collective noun; as, "The people," "The army."

307. Abstract signifies taken from: hence an abstract noun is the name of a nality abstracted from its substance; as, knowledge, goodness, virtue, &c. 308. To nouns belong person, gender, number and case.

XXV. PERSON.

309. When any person, in speaking, introduces his own name, it is the first person; as, "I, James, of the city of Boston, do give," &c.

310. The name of the person spoken to, is the second person; as, “James, come to me."

311. The name of the person or thing spoken of, or about is the third person; as, "James has come."

XXVI. GENDER

312. Gender is the distinction of sex.

313. Nouns have four genders-the masculine, the femiaine, the common, and the neuter.

314. The masculine gender denotes the names of males; as, man, boy, &c.

315. The feminine gender denotes the name cf females; as, woman, girl.

Spain i the proper name of a country, and Spaniard has, by some grammarians, been called the proper same of a people; but the latter is a generic term, characterizing any one of a great number of persons, by Weir connection with Spain. --- Encyclopædia

316. The common gender denotes the names of such animals as may be either male or female; as, parent, bird. 317. The neuter gender denotes the names of objects which are neither males nor females; as, chair, table.

318. Some nouns, naturally neuter, do, by a figure of speech, as it is called become masculine or feminine; as when we say of the sun. "He is setting" wd of a ship," She sails well," &c.

319. The English language has three methods of distinguishing sex, viz 1 319-1. By different words; as,

Male.

Female.

Male.

Female.
Wife.
Queen.

Lass.

Brother,

Sister.

Lord,

Lady.

Man,

Woman.

Mistress.

Bullock or

Steer,

}

Milter,

Spawner

Heifer

Nephew,

Niece.

What does the common gender denote ? 316. Give an example.

What does neuter mean? 23. What does the neuter gender denote? 317. Give an example.

What is said of nouns naturally neuter, in respect to gender? 318. Give an example.

How many genders do nouns have, and what are they? 30.

How many methods are there in English of distinguishing sex? 319.

Which is the first; as, boy? girl? 319-1. Will you spell the feminine correspondtag to brother? 319-1 to boy? nephew?

wizard? friar? sir? drake? earl? gander hart? king? lad? man? master? singer sloven? son? stag? uncle?

Will you spell the masculine corre sponding to maid? girl? madam? daugh ter? niece?

What is the second method of distin guishing sex; as, abbot? abbess? 319-2

Will you spell the feminine corre sponding to abbot? actor? administrator? baron? benefactor? bridegroom? conductor? ciar? duke? emperor? executor? god? governor? heir? hero? host? hunter? instructer? Jew? lion? marquis? patron? peer? proprietor? shepherd? sor

313-3. By prefixing a noun, pronoun, or adjective; as,

A male child,

Male descendants,

A hen-sparrow.

A maid-servant.
A she-goat.
A she-bear.
A female child

Fe vale descendants

320. Number shows how many are mesut, whether one

or more.

321. Nouns have two numbers, the singular and the ulural.

322. The singular number expresses but one; as, boy. 323. The plural number implies more than one; as, boys 324. Some nouns are used in the singular number only; is, wheat, gold, sloth, pride, dutifulness.

325. Other nouns are used in the plural number only; as, bellows, scissors, lungs, riches, &c.

326. Some nouns are the same in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, swine.

327. The plural number of nouns is regularly formed by addings to the singular; as, sing. dove, plur. doves.

328. The irregular mode of forming the plural is as follows: when the noun singular ends in x, ch, sh, or ss, we add es to form the plural; as, box, boxes church, churches; lash, lashes; kiss, kisses.

329. Nouns ending in for fe, change these terminations into ves to form the plural; as, loaf, loaves; wife, wives.

serer? sultan? tiger? tutor? viscount? votary? widower?

Wil you spell the masculine correponding to abtess? czarina? duchess? imbassadress? heroine? huntress? poet 1ss? prophetess? widow?

What is the third method of distinquishing sex; as, a man-servant? a maidervant? 319-3.

Will you spell the feminine corresponding to male child? male descendants ? XXVII. What does the word number nean? 5.

What does the singular number of nouns imply? 322. Give an example. What does plural mean? 10. What does the plural number of nouns imply? 323. Give an example.

How are wheat, gold, &c. used? 324. How are bellows, lungs, &c. used? 325 What is said of deer, sheep, &c.? 326 How many numbers do nouns have, and what are they? 321.

How is the plural number rogularly formed? 327. Give an example.

When do we add es to form the plural!

What does the number of nouns show? 328. Give an example. 20.

What does singular mean? 6

What is the plural of loaf? 329.
What is the rule for it? 329.

330. When a noun singular ends in y, with a vowel before it the plural formed regularly; as, key, keys; delay, delays; valley, valleys. En if they does not have a vowel before it, the plural is formed by changing y into ies as, fly, flies; beauty, beauties.

331. The following nouns form their plurals rot according to any general

Cows or

Pence (1)

Dice. (2.)

Peas. (3.)

332. Mathematics, metaphysics, pneumatics, ethics, politics, &c. are reck oned either as singular or plural nouns. The same is equally true of means, alms, amends. Antipodes, credenda, minutia, literati, &c. are always plural. Bandit is now considered the singular of banditti. The oun news is always singular. Many nouns form their plurals according to the laws of the lan guage from which they are derived. The following are of this class :—

(1.) Pennies, when the coin is meant. (2.) Dies for coining. (8.) Pease and fish, meaning quantities! but peas and fishes, when number is meant.

(4.) Genn, when denoting serial or imaginary spirits; geniuses, when denoting persons of genius. (5.) f when daunting pointers or tables of contents; indices, when rete "ring to algebraic quantities.