S. What difference is there between qui and lequel? M. 1. Qui is of both genders and numbers, and lequel agrees in gender and number with its noun. 2. Qui, not acted upon by a preposition, relates to persons and things; as in the following examples: Un homme qui aime la vertu. A man who loves virtue. On such occasions, it would be highly improper to use lequel, &c. But qui, governed by a preposition, applies to persons only. The following sentences therefore are incorrect: Voilà la maison de qui j'ai fait l'acqui- There is the house of which I have made a purchase. The money on which I depend. sition. L'argent sur qui je compte. In the first instance, we should use de laquelle or dont, instead of de qui; and in the next, sur lequel, instead of sur qui. In speaking of persons, we often indifferently make use of de qui, duquel, or de laquelle, &c. The ear, however, is the chief guide in the choice of either; but dont should not be used in such cases. Polite custom, and the attentive perusal of approved authors, will form your judgment, and direct you best when to adopt the one and reject the other. We now proceed to the other articles. S. Which are the determinative-numerical articles or determinative adjectives of number? M. Un, une, one; deux, two, &c. (of both genders); and quelque, one (among many) or some; as, quelque traître vous dénoncera; some traitor will inform against you. Certain, certain; J'ai oui dire à certain, ou à un certain, bel esprit que; I heard a certain virtuoso say that. As you have already met with these articles or adjectives, in the practical part of this work, there is no occasion for presenting you a list of them; it is sufficient that you should now be informed to what part of speech we think they belong. S. Why do you call them determinative? M. Because, when they are expressed before nouns, we know how often the object represented by the noun is repeated: I call them determinative, in contradistinction to other terms, which convey an idea of number indeterminative; such as, plusieurs (of both genders,) many, several: quelques, some. From this mode of expression, you cannot determine how many pretty women I met, nor how many peaches I presented. S. Which are the remaining articles or adjectives of number? M. First, the negative, as nul, m. nulle, f. aucun, m. aucune, f. signifying, in English, nobody, not one, none, not any. They are called negatives, as requiring to be preceded or followed by the negative ne, not, and implying a denial of the circumstance expressed.-EXAMPLES: Aucun, ou nul, ne le sait. Nobody, or not one, knows it. De toutes les grammaires je ne m'a- Of all grammars I am a slave to ttache à aucune. Je n'en ai vu aucunc. none. I did not see any of them. Second, the collective article or adjective tout, m. toute, f. singular, every.-EXAMPLES: Toute peine mérite salaire. Tous les hommes sont mortels. Every labourer is worthy of his hire. All the women were magnificently Remark that, when tout or toute, in the singular, is followed by the article le or la, it is then no longer an article, but an adjective, and means the totality of the species, not the integral parts which constitute an individual or thing.-EXAMPLES: Tout le bœuf fut mangé. Toute la maison fut brûlée. The whole ox was eaten. The whole house was burnt. When it means every thing, it is invariably tout.-EXAMPLE: Dicu a tout créé. God has created all, or every thing. Third, the distributive article or adjective chaque, each or every, is of both genders, but without the plural number.-EXAMPLES: Chaque pays a ses coutumes. Every country has its customs. CONVERSATION VI. ON PRONOUNS. Scholar. What is a pronoun? Master. A word which represents persons performing certain parts in the mutual communication of their sentiments. We have divided them into three classes, viz. the active, the passive, and the disjunc tive. S. I find that the pronouns of the first and second persons, singular and plural, are equally used in both genders; why, therefore, should the pronouns of the third person, in both numbers, admit of two genders? M. Because, the person of whom we speak being absent, and not coming under the notice of our senses, we are reduced to the neces sity of making this distinction of gender: the first and second persons being always, present, there is no. occasion to distinguish the sex to which they belong. S. Why do you call those pronouns active? M. Because they represent individuals as subjects of the action expressed by the verb, and are therefore distinct from other pronouns, which, on account of receiving the action of the verb, may be called passive. S. Which are the passive pronouns ? M. The following, viz. S. What difference is there between me and moi; te and toi; and se (which you call reflective) and soi? M. The pronouns passive, me, te, le, la, les, have a fixed place, which in French is immediately before the verb; but moi, toi, soi, may be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, without that close connexion with the verb, on which they seem independent. These latter also admit of prepositions before them which the former entirely reject. Me, te, nous, vous, and se, coming between the verb and the active pronouns je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils, which precede them, render the verb reflective; that is to say, they reflect the action of the agent back on itself; Je m'habille, &c. I dress myself, &c. Moi, toi, soi, can never render a verb reflective. These distinctions have induced to subdivide those pronouns into two classes: the passive, as me, te, se, &c. and the disjunctive, so called, because they are often disjointed or separated from the verb. These disjunctive pronouns are sometimes active, as may be seen in some of the following phrases. The following tables of the two classes of passive pronouns will merit your attention, and give you a clear idea of their use in speech. Me, me. PASSIVE PRONOUNS EXEMPLIFIED. Il me connaît. He knows me. He does not know me. (Il me donna ce qu'il m'a- He gave me what he had promised vait promis. Elle nous aime. Elle nous l'envoya. Je te connais parfaitement. Je vous en préviens. Le, him. Il le ou la reçut avec amitié. me; that is, He gave to me what he had promised to me. She loves us. She sent it to us. I know thee perfectly. I inform you of it. I speak to you of it. He received him or her with friendship. She sent some to him or her. Les, them. Je les ai vus, m. or vues, f. I have seen them. I will give some to them. Nous, ourselves. Nous nous connaissons. Se, We know ourselves. themselves. Ils or elles se connaissent. They know themselves. thou. Į Toi et lui, vous serez punis. Thou and he will be punished. Toi{thee. Pour toi; avec toi; par toi. For thee; with thee; by thee. Fous, you. Malgré vous; contre vous, &c. In spite of you; against you. He and she will go to town. |