Page:A simplified grammar of the Danish language.djvu/28

16 Norwegians use Gut, e. g., in the place of Dreng, for 'boy'.

For an explanation of the manner in which the various articles have acquired their present form and significance, the reader is referred to Part II.

Nouns are of two genders, the Common (Fælleskön), and the Neuter, (Intetkön); as, en Seng, e. g., 'a bed;' et Bord n., 'a table.'

Some nouns are used in the singular only; as, Forstand, e. g., 'understanding;' Guld, n., 'gold.' Others are used only in the plural; as, Forældre, 'parents;' Söskende, 'brothers and sisters.'

The plural of nouns are formed in various ways:—


 * 1. By retaining the same form as the singular; as, et Dyr, 'an animal;' flere Dyr, 'various animals.'
 * 2. By the addition of e to the singular; as, Dreng, e. g., 'boy.' pl. Drenge, 'boys.' Words ending in unaccentuated er, or dom, and those of one syllable, whose radical vowel does not change in the plural, generally also take this termination; as, Rytter, e. g., 'rider,' pl. Ryttere; Sygdom, e. g., 'sickness,' pl. Sygdomme; Hus, n., 'house,' pl. Huse.
 * 3. By the addition of er. Under this head fall many nouns ending in a vowel; as, Træ, n., 'tree,' pl. Træer. Words of foreign origin, as General, 'General,' pl. Generaler, and words ending in ing, hed and skab; as,