Page:A Dictionary of the English language- Volume I.djvu/16

 3. Words in which nothing but the mere being of any thing is implied: This is not beer, but water; This is not brass, but teel.

The relations of Englih nouns to words going before or following are not expressed by cases, or changes of termination, but as in most of the other European languages by prepositions, unless we may be said to have a genitive case.

Our nouns are therefore only declined thus:

The plural is formed by adding s, as table, tables; flie, flies; sister, sisters; wood, woods; or es where s could not otherwise be sounded, as after ch, s, sh, x, z; after c sounded like s, and g like j; the mute c is vocal before s, as lance, lances; outrage, outrages.

Words that end in f commonly form their plural by ves, as loaf, loaves; calf, calves.

Plurals ending in s have no genitives; but we say, Womens excellencies, and Weigh the mens wits against the ladies hairs. Pope.

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