Page:A grammar of the Teloogoo language.djvu/111

Rh OF REGULAR NOUNS.

The regular nouns of this class are divided into three declensions. The first includes all masculine nouns, the nominative singular of which terminates in ; the second, all feminines or neuters of more than two syllables, having the nominative singular in or ; the third, nouns of all genders not included in either of the two foregoing declensions. The general rules, already given, explain the mode in which the different cases are formed from the nominative singular, the inflexion singular, or the nominative plural. It will be sufficient, therefore, to show how these three cases are formed in each declension.

FIRST DECLENSION IN.

Many nouns denoting masculine agents have the nominative singular in ; but, as the letter is unknown to any, except the learned, the  preceding  is usually omitted in writing, and the nominative of this declension is consequently made to terminate simply in. The obscure nasal sound of before  will notwithstanding be found in the pronunciation of even the most illiterate persons.

The singular inflexion of nouns belonging to this declension is formed by changing the final of the nominative into ; thus, nom. a husband, inflexion nom. a younger brother, inflex. . But, with the exception of a younger brother, and  a son in law, all nouns of this declension, which have the vowel  preceding  of the nominative singular, may also form the singular inflexion by merely dropping the termination ; the inflexion of a husband, is  only, never ; because  does not precede the  of the nominative case; but, with the two exceptions abovementioned, all words which have before  of the nominative have two forms in the inflexion; thus, nom. a strong man, inflex. or.

The nominative plural is formed by changing of the nominative singular into ; thus, nom. sing. a husband, nom. plu. husbands, nom. sing, a younger brother, nom. plu. younger brothers.