Page:A Danish and Dano-Norwegian grammar.djvu/89

Rh cases has different words to denote the natural genders. Thus the genders can be distinguished:

1) by adding the feminine ending -inde to the masculine word: Greve count—Grevinde countess; Lœrer teacher—Lœrerinde female teacher; Löve lion—Lövinde lioness;

2) by adding the feminine ending -ske to the masculine word: Opvarter waiter—Opvarterske waitress (usually Opvartningsjomfruen); Berider riding-master, circus-rider—Beriderske female rider.

3) by adding the words -kone woman, -pige girl, -jomfru miss to the masculine words or to the corresponding verbs: Vaskerkonen, Vaskerpigen the laundress, Badekonen, Badejomfruen the woman attendant (at the bath), but Badetjeneren the man attendant.

4) in some foreign words the foreign feminine endings are retained: Baronesse, Comtesse, Prinsesse, Restauratrice woman restaurant keeper.

5) The two natural genders of animals are usually denoted by Han he and Hun she placed before the name: Hanbjörn, Hunbjörn (N. Bingse, Binne) he-bear, she-bear Hankat, Hunkat (N. Kjætte) tom-cat, tib-cat. But in some cases there are different words for the two genders Ex.: Buk—Gjed he-goat, she-goat, Vœder—Faar (N. Sau) ram—sheep, ewe.

162b. The nouns of the Danish and Dano-Norwegian language have two cases and two numbers. The cases are: nominative and possessive (genitive).