Some substantives naturally neuter, are, by a Figure of Speech,* converted into the masculine or feminine gender; as, when we say of the sun, he is setting, and of a ship, she sails well, &c.

The English language has three methods of distinguishing the sex, viz.

1. By different words; as,

*This Figure of Speech is called Personification or Prosopopeia, and is that figure by which we attribute life and action to inanimate objects.

Editor.

3. By a noun, pronoun, or adjective, being prefixed to the substantive; as,

Number is the consideration of an object, as one

or more.

Substantives are of two numbers, the singular and the plural.

The singular number expresses but one object; as, a chair, a table.

The plural number signifies more objects than one; as, chairs, tables.

Some nouns, from the nature of the things which they express, are used only in the singular form; as, wheat, pitch, gold, sloth, pride, &c. others, only in the plural form; as, bellows, scissors, ashes, lungs, riches, &c.

Some words are the same in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, swine, &c.

The plural number of nouns is generally formed by adding s to the singular; as, dove, doves; face, faces; thought, thoughts. But when the substantive singular ends in x, ch, sh, or ss, we add es in the plural; as, box, boxes; church, churches; lash, lashes; kiss, kisses.

Nouns ending in f or fe, are generally rendered

plural by the change of those terminations into ves, as, loaf, loaves; wife, wives. Those which end in ff, have the regular plural; as, ruff, ruffs.

*

Such as have y in the singular, with no other vowel in the same syllable, change it into ies in the plural; as, beauty, beauties; fly, flies; but the y is not changed, when there is another vowel in the syllable; as, key, keys; delay, delays.

The following words which have been adopted from the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages, are thus distinguished, with respect

"The change of y into ies, to form the plural number, may seem, to a foreigner, an odd irregularity; but the cause is very obvious. Formerly the singular number of this class of words, ended with ie; as, glorie, vanitie, energie; and the addition of s made the plural, glories. But from caprice, negligence, or a desire to simplify the orthography, the termination ie was laid aside for y in the singular number, while the old plural ies was retained; a strange inconsistency, but by no means the only one which the progress of our language exhibits."

+ Genii, when denoting ærial spirits: Geniuses, when signifying persons of genius.

Indexes, when it signifies pointers, or Tables of contents: Indices, when referring to Algebraick quantities.

CASE.

In English, substantives have three cases, the Nominative, the Possessive, and the Objective.* The nominative case simply expresses the name of a thing, or the subject of the verb; as, "The boy plays;""The girls learn."

The possessive case expresses the relation of property or possession; and has an apostrophe, with the letters coming after it; as, "The scholar's duty;""My father's house."

When the plural ends in s, the other s is omitted, but the apostrophe is retained; as, "On eagles' wings;" "The drapers' company."

Sometimes also, when the singular terminates in ss, the apostrophick s is not added; as, "For goodness' sake;"For righteousness' sake."

The objective case expressess the object of an action, or of a relation; and generally follows a verb active, or a preposition; as, John assists Charles;" "They live in London."

An Adjective is a word added to a substantive, to express its quality; as, "An industrious man;" "A virtuous woman;' ""A benevolent mind." In English the adjective is not varied on account of gender, number, or case. Thus we say, a careless boy; careless girls."

* On the propriety of this objective case, see the larger grammar, twelfth, or any subsequent edition.

The only variation which it admits, is that of the degrees of comparison.

There are commonly reckoned three aegrees of comparison; the positive, comparative, and superlative.

The positive state expresses the quality of an object, without any increase or diminution; as, good, wise, great.

The comparative degree increases or lessens the positive in signification; as, wiser, greater, less wise. The superlative degree increases or lessens the positive to the highest or lowest degree; as, wisest, greatest, least wise.

The simple word, or positive, becomes the comparative, by adding r or er; and the superlative, by adding st or est, to the end of it; as, wise, wiser, wisest; great, greater, greatest. And the adverbs more and most, placed before the adjective, have the same effect; as, wise, more wise, most wise.

The termination ish may be accounted in some sort a degree of comparison, by which the signification is diminished below the positive; as, black, blackish, or tending to black ness; salt, saltish, or having a little taste of salt.

The word rather is very properly used to express a small degree or excess of a quality; as," she is rather profuse in her expenses."

Monosyllables, for the most part, are compared by er and est; and dissyllables by more and most; as, mild, milder, mildest; frugal, more frugal, most frugal.

Some words of very common use are irregularly formed; as, good, better, best; bad, ill, or evil, worse, worst; little, less, least; much or many, more, most; near, nearer, nearest or next; late, later, latest or last; old, older or elder, oldest or eldest;" and a few others.

An adjective without a substantive, with the definite article before it, becomes a substantive, in