as, "The twelve Caesars,' 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 quality 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."

312. Gender is the distinction of sex.

313. Nouns have four genders-the masculine, the feminine, 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 of females; as, woman, girl.

What do they become when so used? 304. Give an example.

What kind of nouns are Spaniard, Americans, Spaniards? 304.

What effect does the use of articles have on common nouns? 305.

What is a noun of multitude, or a collective noun? 306. Give an example. What is an abstract noun? 307. Give an example.

What belong to nouns? 308.

XXV. When is a noun of the first person? 309. Give an example.

When is a noun of the second person 310. Give an example.

?

When is a noun of the third person? 311. Give an example.

XXVI. What does the word gender mean? 14

What is gender as applied to nouns? 312.

What does the word masculine mean? 15. What does the masculine gender of nouns denote? 314. Give an example. What does feminine mean? 19.

What does the feminine gender denote ? 315. Give an example.

* Spain is the proper name of a country, and Spaniard has, by some grammarians, been called the proper Bame of a people; but the latter is a generic term, characterizing any one of a great number of persons, by their 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," and of a ship," She sails well," &c.

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

Male.

Female.

Male.

Female.
Wife.

Queen.

Boy,

Girl.

Lad,

Brother,

Buck,

Doe.

Man,

Bull,

Milter,

Lass.
Lady.
Woman.
Mistress.
Spawner

Heifer

Nephew,

Niece.

Cock,

Hen.

Ram,

Ewe.

Dog,

Bitch.

Singer,

Songstress or

Drake,

Duck.

Singer.

Earl,

Madam.

Father,

Mother.

Sloven,

Slut.

Gander,

Goose.

Stag,

Hind.

Uncle,

Aunt.

Wizard,

Witch.

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 corresponding 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 distinguishing sex; as, abbot? abbess? 319-2

Will you spell the feminine corre sponding to abbot? actor? administrator? baron? benefactor? bridegroom? conductor? czar? 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 hen-sparrow.

A maid-servant.

A she-goat.

A she-bear.

A female child.

Male descendants,

Fenale descendants.

XXVII. NUMBER.

320. Number shows how many are meant, whether one

or more.

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

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 spe'l the masculine corresponding to abl ess? czarina? duchess? ambassadress? heroine? huntress? poetess? prophetess? widow?

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

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

What does the singular number 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 regularly 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.

320.

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 is formed regularly; as, key, keys; delay, delays; valley, valleys. But if the y does not have a vowel hefore 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 rules:

Kine.
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 noun 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 coming. (3.) Pease and fish, meaning quantities; but peas and fishes, when number is meant.

(4.) Genii, when denoting aerial or imaginary spirits; geniuses, when denoting persons of genius. (5.) In dexes when denoting pointers or tables of contents; indices, when referring to algebraic quantities.

333. Case means the different state, condition, or relation which nouns have to other words in the same sentence. 334. In English, nouns have three cases-the nominative the possessive, and the objective.

335. The nominative case is usually the agent or doer, and always the subject of the verb.

336. The subject is the thing chiefly spoken of; as, "John assists Wil liam :" here, John is the subject spoken of, or the nominative case to the verb

assists.

337. The possessive case denotes possession, ownership, property, &c.; as, "William's book." This case may be distinguished from the other cases by the apostrophe or the letter s.

338. A noun in the singular forms its possessive case by taking the apostrophe and the letter s after it; as, "John's hat."

339. Plural nouns usually form their possessive case simply by taking the apostrophe; as, "On eagles' wings."

"For

340. When the plural of nouns does not end in s, they form their possessive case by taking both the apostrophe and the letter s; as, "Men's houses." 341. When the singular ends in ss, the apostrophe only is added; as, goodness' sake:" except the noun witness; as, "The witness's deposition." 342. Nouns ending in nce form the possessive by adding the apostrophe only; as, "For conscience' sake:" because an additional s would occasion too much of the hissing sound, or increase the difficulty of pronunciation.

343. The objective case denotes the object of an action or relation.

344. In the sentence," John strikes him," him is the object of the action denoted by strikes; and in the sentence, "He went from London to York,' York is the object of the relation denoted by the preposition to.

XXVIII. What is the meaning of the word case? 47.

What is meant by the case of nouns? 333.

How many caser have nouns, and what are they? 334.

What does nominative mean? 49. What is the nominative case? 335. Give an example.

What do you understand by the subject of a verb: 336. Illustrate it by an example.

What does possessive mean? 59. What does the possessive case denote ? 937. Give an example.

How may this case be distinguished from the other cases? 337.

How do nouns in the singular form their possessive case? 338. Give an examplo.