Page:A simplified grammar of the Polish language.djvu/13

 The consonants d, ł, r, t, ch are changed into dz, l, rz, c, sz when they are followed by e or i. g and k can admit i after them, but never é, e, y: in the latter case there must be interposed an i before the e.

The vowels a, o, ó in declension and conjugation are frequently changed into e. For example, biały, 'white,' bieli, nom. plur.; niosł, 'he carried,' niesli, 'they carried.'

The vowel e becomes accented 'é' when placed before the consonants b, dz, g, j, r, rz. O is accented when it is followed by b, d, g, n, z, ż, and some other letters, as nóż, 'a knife;' but in inflexion the accent is lost, as noża, 'of a knife.'

The vowel ą is changed into ę—

(1) When a substantive is turned into an adjective by the addition of ny or y; e.g., mosiądz, 'brass,' mosięzny, 'brazen;' miesiąc, 'a month,' miesięczny, 'monthly.'

(2) In adjectives of two syllables before the termination sz; e.g., skąpy, 'avaricious,' skępszy, 'more avaricious.'

(3) In the inflection of words when other syllables are added to the stem, as rząd, 'rank,' rzędu, 'of a rank.' This is by a law, by which in inflection the vowel of the stem is weakened.

The vowel ę is changed into ą when the consonant after it becomes final by the next syllable being cut off; as, gęba, 'the mouth' gąb, 'of the mouths.' In forming diminutives by the addition of ka to the stem, the letters ć, ś are changed into t, ś and the vowel ę into ą; as, gęs, 'the