The English Language Part 9

_Subjunctive. Present._ _Sing._ 1. S Se.

2. S Ser.

3. S Se.

_Plur._ 1. Sn Seum.

2. Sn Seu.

3. Sn Seu.

_Subjunctive. Past._ _Sing._ 1. W['ae]re Vaeri.

2. W['ae]re Vaerir.

3. W['ae]re Vaeri.

_Plur._ 1. W['ae]ron Vaerum.

2. W['ae]ron Vaeru.

3. W['ae]ron Vaeru.

_Infinitive._ Wesan Vera.

_Participle._ Wesende Verandi.

-- 90. Recapitulating, we find that the characteristic differences of the greatest importance between the Icelandic and Saxon are three in number:--

1st. The peculiar nature of the definite article.

2nd. The neuter form of the adjectives in _-t_.

3rd. The existence of a pa.s.sive voice in _-sc_, _-st_, or _-s_.

-- 91. In the previous comparison the substantives were divided as follows:--1st. into those ending with a vowel; 2ndly, into those ending with a consonant. In respect to the substantives ending with a vowel (_eage_, _nama_, _tunge_), it may have been observed that their cases were in A. S. almost {46} exclusively formed in _-n_, as _eagan_, _tungan_, &c.; whilst words like _skip_ and _smi_ had, throughout their whole declension, no case formed in _-n_; no case indeed wherein the sound of _-n_ entered.

This enables us (at least with the A. S.) to make a general a.s.sertion concerning the substantives ending in a _vowel_ in contrast to those ending in a _consonant_, viz. that they take an inflection in _-n_.

In Icelandic this inflection in _-n_ is concealed by the fact of _-an_ having been changed into _-a_. However, as this _-a_ represents _-an_, and as fragments or rudiments of _-n_ are found in the genitive plurals of the neuter and feminine genders (_augna_, _tungna_), we may make the same general a.s.sertion in Icelandic that we make in A. S., _viz._ that substantives ending in a vowel take an inflection in _-n_.

-- 92. The points of likeness and difference between two languages, belonging to different _divisions_ of the same Germanic _branch_, may be partially collected from the following comparison between certain Moeso-Gothic and certain Anglo-Saxon inflections.

-- 93. It must, however, be premised, that, although the distinction between nouns taking an inflection in _-n_, and nouns not so inflected, exists equally in the Moeso-Gothic and the Icelandic, the form in which the difference shows itself is different; and along with the indication of this difference may be introduced the important terms _weak_ and _strong_, as applied to the declension of nouns.

_Weak_ nouns end in a vowel; or, if in a consonant, in a consonant that has become final from the loss of the vowel that originally followed it. They also form a certain proportion of their oblique cases in _-n_, or an equivalent to _-n_--Nom. _augo_, gen. _aug-in-s_.

_Strong_ nouns end in a consonant; or, if in a vowel, in one of the vowels allied to the semivowels _y_ or _w_, and through them to the consonants.

They also form their oblique cases by the addition of a simple inflection, without the insertion of _n_.

Furthermore, be it observed that _nouns_ in general are _weak_ and _strong_, in other words, that adjectives are _weak_ or {47} _strong_, as well as substantives. Between substantives and adjectives, however, there is this difference:--

1. A substantive is _either_ weak or strong, _i.e._, it has one of the two inflections, but not both. _Augo_=_an eye_, is weak under all circ.u.mstances; _waurd_=_a word_, is strong under all circ.u.mstances.

2. An adjective is _both_ weak and strong. The Anglo-Saxon for _good_ is sometimes _G.o.d_ (strong), sometimes _G.o.de_ (weak). Which of the two forms is used depends not on the word itself, but on the state of its construction.

In this respect the following two rules are important:--

1. The definite sense is generally expressed by the weak form, as _se blinde man_=_the blind man_.

2. The indefinite sense is generally expressed by the strong form, as _sum blind man_=_a blind man_.

Hence, as far as adjectives are concerned, the words _definite_ and _indefinite_ coincide with the words _weak_ and _strong_ respectively, except that the former are terms based on the syntax, the latter terms based on the etymology of the word to which they apply.

_Declension of Weak Substantives in Moeso-Gothic._

_Neuter._

_Singular._ _Plural._

_Nom._ augo (_an eye_) augona.

_Acc._ augo augona.

_Dat._ augin augam.

_Gen._ augins augone.

_Masculine._

_Nom._ Manna (_a man_) Mannans.

_Acc._ Mannan Mannans.

_Dat._ Mannin Mannam.

_Gen._ Mannins Mannane.

_Feminine._

_Nom._ Tuggo (_a tongue_) Tuggons.

_Acc._ Tuggon Tuggons.

_Dat._ Tuggon Tuggom.

_Gen._ Tuggons Tuggono.

{48}

_Declension of Strong Substantives in Moeso-Gothic._

_Neuter._

_Singular._ _Plural._

_Nom._ Vaurd (_a word_) Vaurda.

_Acc._ Vaurd Vaurda.

_Dat._ Vaurda Vaurdam.

_Gen._ Vaurdis Vaurde.

_Masculine._

_Nom._ Fisks (_a fish_) Fiskos.

_Acc._ Fisk Fiskans.

_Dat._ Fiska Fiskam.

_Gen._ Fiskis Fiske.