Page:A grammar of the Bohemian or Cech language.djvu/25

Rh becomes ž; ch, š; k, č; r, ř ; and in the nominative plural, before i (the nom. suffix), h becomes z; ch, š; and k, c.

In the third declension of feminine nouns in the dative and locative cases of the singular, the mutations of h, ch, k, and r into z, š, c, ř, also take place; thus učiti se uloze, to learn a lesson from uloha; Praha, Prague; v Praze, in Prague.

The consonants may be thus divided:—
 * (a) Gutturals: g, h, ch, k.
 * (b) Palatals: j.
 * (c) Liquids: l, n, ň, r, ř.
 * (d) Dentals: c, č, d, ď, s, s', t, ť, z, ž.
 * (e) Labials: b,f, m, p, v.

Or into:—
 * (a) Hard: h, ch, k, r, n, d, t.
 * (b) Soft: c, č, ď,j, ň, ř, š, ť, ž.
 * (c) Indefinite: b,f, l, m, p, s, v, z.

After the hard consonants we get y, ý; after the soft, i, í; and after the indefinite, sometimes y and sometimes i. In this way must be explained the change of h into z or ž, ch into š, k into c (or č). Thus matka, the mother; matce, of the mother: krotký pták, the tame bird; krotcí ptáci, the tame birds. So also vlk, a wolf; vlčí zub, a wolf's tooth: tele, a calf; telecí maso, veal. d becomes z in one instance; as hovězí maso, beef, from hovado, an ox. The remaining hard letters, r, n, d, t, are pronounced soft when written ř, ň, ď, ť.

The following table will be found useful for remembering the change of the consonants in Bohemian :—