Page:A simplified grammar of the Roumanian language.djvu/22

10 But there are greater difficulties than these with which we have to deal. There are in the Roumanian language nouns which though masculine in the singular become feminine in the plural. This plural ends in e or urĭ:

Many nouns belong to this class, and they can be learnt only by long practice.

To sum up what has already been said:—Masculine nouns generally end with a consonant; there are a few exceptions which end in e, ŭ, ĭ, and ă. All masculine nouns end in ĭ in the plural.

Feminine nouns end for the most part in ă, which in the plural is changed to e. A few end in e short, which in the plural becomes ĭ. Those nouns which end in a long, e long, and i long, form their plural by the addition of le to the final letter.

There are also nouns masculine in the singular, and feminine in the plural, this plural ending in e or urĭ.

Having treated of the terminations of masculine and feminine nouns, we come next to speak of the different particles affixed to nouns, which vary according to the gender and the ending of the nouns.

But before showing systematically these variations of the particles, we most apprise the student that for the sake of euphony a vowel will sometimes be placed between the noun