A Short Introduction to Grammar, noun

A Short Introduction to Grammar · noun

Of a Noun.

A Noun is the name of a thing that may be ſeen,A Noun. felt, heard, or underſtood: as the name of my hand in Latine, is manus; the name of an houſe, is domus; the name of goodneſs, is bonitas.

Of Nouns,A Noun two ſorts. ſome be Subſtantives, and ſome be Adjectives.

A Noun Subſtantive is that ſtandeth by himſelf,Nouns of Subſtantive. and required not another word to be joyned with him to ſhew his ſignification: as, Homo, a man: And it is declined with one article; as, Hic magiſter, a maſter: or elſe with two at the moſt: as, Hic & haec parens, a father or mother,

A Noun Adjective is that cannot ſtand by it ſelf in reaſon or ſignification,A Noun Adjective. but requireth to be joyned with another word: as, …onus, good. Pulcher, fair. And it is declined either with three terminations: as, Bonus, bona, bonum: or elſe with three articles: as, Hic, haec, & hoc Felix, happy: Hic & haec Levis, & hoc Leve, light.

A Noun Subſtantive either is proper to the thing that it betokeneth:Two kinds of Nouns ſubſtantives. as, Edvardus is my proper name: or elſe is common to more; as, …omo is a common name to all men.

Numbers of Nouns.

IN Nouns be two Numbers, the Singular and the Plural. The ſingular number ſpeaketh but of one: as, Lapis, a ſtone. The plural number ſpeaketh of more then one: as, Lapides, ſtones.

Caſes of Nouns.

NOuns be declined with ſix caſes, Singularly and Plurally: the Nominative, the Genitive, the Dative, the Accuſative, the Vocative, and the Ablative.

The Nominative caſe cometh before the Verb,Nominative caſe. and anſwereth to this queſtion, Who or What? as, Magiſter docet, the Maſter teacheth.

The Genitive caſe is known by this token Of: Genitive.and anſwereth to this queſtion, Whoſe or whereof? as, Doctrina Magiſtri, The learning of the Maſter.

The Dative caſe is known by this token To: Dative.and anſwereth to this queſtion, To whom? or To what? as, Do librum Magiſtro, I give a book to the Maſter.

The Accuſative caſe followeth the Verb,Accuſative. and anſwereth to this queſtion, Whom or what? as, Amo Magiſtrum, I love the Maſter.

The Vocative caſe is known by calling or ſpeaking to: as,Vocative. O Magiſter, O Maſter.

The Ablative caſe is commonly joyned with Prepoſitions ſerving to the Ablative caſe:Ablative. as, De Magiſtro, Of the Maſter, Coram Magiſtro, Before the Maſter.

Alſo In, With, Through, For, From, By, and Then after the Comparative degree, be ſigns of the Ablative caſe.

Articles.

ARticles are borrowed of the Pronoun, and be thus declined:

Singulariter,

Nominat. hic, haec, hoc.

Genitivo hujus.

Dativo huic.

Ac. hunc, hanc, hoc.

Vocativo caret.

Ablativo hoc, hac, hoc.

Pluraliter,

Nomin. hi, hae, haec.

Gen. horum, harum, horum.

Dativo his.

Accuſ. hos, has, haec.

Vocativo caret.

Ablativo his.

Genders of Nouns.

GEnders of Nouns be ſeven: the Maſculine, the Feminine, the Neuter, the Commune of two, the Commune of three, the Doubtful and the Epicene.

The Maſculine Gender is declined with this article Hic: as, Hic vir, a man.

The Feminine Gender is declined with this article Haec: as, Haec mulier, a woman.

The Neuter Gender is declined with this article Hoc: as, Hoc ſaxum, a ſtone.

The Commune of two is declined with Hic, and haec: as, Hic & haec parens, a father or mother.

The Commune of three is declined with Hic, haec, and hoc, as Hic, haec & hoc felix, happy.

The Doubtful Gender is declined with Hic, or haec: as, hic vel haec dies, a day.

The Epicene Gender is declined with one article; and under that one article both kinds are ſignified: as, Hic paſſer, a ſparrow. Haec aquila, an eagle, both he and ſhe.

The Declenſions of Nouns. The e be five declenſions of Nouns.

THe firſt is,I. when the Genitive & Dative caſe ſingular end in ae: The Accuſative in am: The Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in â: The Nominative plural in ae: The Genitive in arum: The Dative in is: The Accuſative in as: the Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in is:

Note that Filia and Nata, Note.do make the Dative and the Ab…ative plural in is, or in abus: Alſo dea, mula, equa, liberta, make the Dative and the Ablative caſe plural in abus onelyonly.

THe ſecond is,II. when the Genitive caſe ſingular endeth in i: The Dative in o: The Accuſative in um: The Vocative for the moſt part like t…e Nomin. The Ablative in o: The Nom. plural in i: The Genitive in orum: The Dative in is: The Accuſative in os: The Vocative like the Nominative: the ablative in is.

Here is to be noted,Note. that, when the Nominative endeth in us, the vocative ſhall end in e: as, Nominativo hic Dominus, Vocativo ô Domine. Except Deus, that maketh ô Deus; and Filius, that maketh ô Fili.

When the Nominative endeth in ius, if it be a proper name of a man, the Vocative ſhall end in i: as, Nominativo hic Georgius, Vocativo ô Georgi.

Alſo theſe Nouns following make their Vocative in e, or in us: Agnus, lucus, vulgus, populus, chorus, fluvius.

Note alſo that all Nouns of the Neuter.Note. Gender, of what declenſion ſoever they be, have the Nominative, the Accuſative, and the Vocative alike in both numbers, and in the plural number they end all in a: As in example;

Except Ambo and Duo, which make the Neuter Gender in o, and be thus declined.

THe third is,III. when the Genitive caſe ſingular endeth in is: The Dative in i: The Accuſative in em, and ſometime in im, & ſometime in both: The Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in e, or i, and ſometime in both: The Nominative plural in es: The Genitive in um, & ſometime in ium: The Dative in bus: The Accuſative in es: The Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in bus.

THe fourth is,IV. when the Genitive caſe ſingular endeth in us: The Dative in ui: The Accuſative in um: The Vocative like the Nominative: the Ablative in u. The Nominative plural in us: The Genitive in uum: The Dative in ibus: The Accuſative in us: The Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in ibus,

THe fifth is, when the Genitive and Dative caſe ſingular do end in ei: The Accuſative in em: V.The Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in e. The Nominative plural in es: The Genitive in erum: The Dative in ebus: The Accuſative in es: The Vocative like the Nominative: The Ablative in ebus.

Note that all nouns of the fifth declenſion be of the feminine gender, except meridies and dies.

The declining of Adjectives.

A Noun adjective of three terminations is thus declined,Note. after the firſt & ſecond declenſion.

There are beſides theſe,An except. certain nouns adjectives of another manner of declining, which make the Genitive caſe ſingular in ius, and the Dative in i: which be theſe that follow, with their compounds;

Note that unus, Note.una, unum, hath not the plural number, but when it is joyned with a word that lacketh the ſingular number: as, Unae literae; Una moenia.

In like manner be declined totus, Alius hath aliud neut.ſolus, & alſo ullus, alius, alter, uter and neuter: ſaving that theſe five laſt rehearſed lack the vocative caſe.

A noun adjective of three articles is thus declined after the third declenſion:

Compariſons of Nouns.

ADjectives, whoſe ſignification may increaſe or be diminiſhed, may form compariſon.

There be three degrëes of compariſon:Three degrees of compariſon. The poſitive, the comparative, and the ſuperlative,

The poſitive betokeneth the thing abſolutely without exceſſe:The poſitive. as Durus, Hard.

The comparative ſomewhat exceedeth his poſitive in ſignification:The comparative. as, Durior, hardor. And it is formed of the firſt caſe of his poſitive that endeth in i▪ by putting thereto or and us: as of Duri, hic & haec durior, & hoc durius: of Triſti, hic & haec triſtior & hoc triſtius: of Dulci, hic & haec dulcior, & hoc dulcius.

The ſuperlative exceedeth his poſitive in theThe ſuperlative. higheſt degree: as, Duriſſimus, Hardeſt. And it is formed of the firſt caſe of his poſitive that endeth in i, by putting thereto ſ and ſimus, as of Duri duriſſimus; of Triſti, triſtiſſimus; of Dulci dulciſſimus.

From theſe general rules are excepted theſe that follow; Exception.Bonus, melior, optimus: Malus, pejor, peſſimus: Magnus, major, maximus: Parvus, minor, minimus: Multus, plurimus; multa, plurima; multum plus, plurimum.

And if the poſitive end in er, Ater.the ſuperlative is formed of the nominative caſe,Teter. by putting to rimus; Acer.as, Pulcher, pulcherrimus.

Alſo theſe nouns ending in lis, make the ſuperlative by changing lis into limus, as Humilis, humillimus: ſimilis, ſimillimus: Facilis, facillimus: Gracilis, gracillimus: Agilis, agillimus: Docilis, docillimus.

All other nouns ending in lis, do follow the general rule aforegoing: as, Utilis, utiliſſimus.

Alſo if a vowel come before us,Igneus. it is compared by Magìs▪ and Maximè:Impius. as Pius, magìs pius, maximè pius:Arduus▪ Strenuus Aſſiduus, magìs aſſiduus, maximè aſſiduus.