hiver, m. animal. To the winter. animal, m. Of the star.-To the eye.-The ignorance.-To the absence. The horizon. The history. horizon, m. histoire, f. absence, f. 29. IV. LES, DES, AUX, are used before any noun in the plural; as, The hands. Of the fingers. To the children. The mains. inscriptions. Of the stuffs.-To the feet.-Of the rings.-inscriptions. To the tables.-The towns.-To the pencils. Of the rejoicings. tables. crayons. réjouissances. -The festivals.—To the roads.—Of the winds.-The men. fêtes. Of the villages.-To the poor.-The rules. Of the forests. 30. LE, LA, LES, constitute the simple article. forêts. 31. Du, des, au, AUX, form the contracted or compound article; DU standing for de le, DES for de les, AU for à le, AUX for à les; which are not used. 32. RULE II.—The article, with or without a preposition, or the contracted article, is commonly repeated in French before every noun, although not always expressed in English; as, L'ignorance est la source de l'erreur, de la superstition, et des préventions de l'homme. Ignorance is the source of the errors, superstition, and prejudices of man. EXERCISE V. Peace restores to us calmness, tranquillity, and wealth. Paix, f. 2rend 'nous calme, m. tranquillité, f. et richesses, pl. He (is learning) chemistry, botany, and mathematics. Π apprend chimie, f. botanique, f. et mathématiques, pl. Gold and silver cannot make men happy.Or, m. et argent, m. ne peuvent rendre hommes, pl. heureux. The Egyptians (trained up) their children to obedience, Egyptiens, pl. formaient leurs enfants work, sobriety, disinterestedness, the love obéissance, f. of arts amour, m. arts, m.pl. Respect is due ои lettres, f. pl. désir, m. honneur, m. Respect, m. est dû and misfortune.-The fear of death is natural crainte, f. mort, f. est naturelle to rank rang, m. et malheur, m. to man. homme, m. THE DEFINITE ARTICLE USED IN A PARTITIVE SENSE. 33. Du, de la, de l', des, are also used in a partitive sense, and then correspond to the English partitive words some or any, expressed or understood; but du, de la, de l', des, must be repeated before every noun. (See Rule II., § 32.) EXAMPLES. J'ai du papier, de la cire à cacheter, de l'encre, et des plumes. Avez-vous des enveloppes? I have some paper, sealingwax, ink, and pens. Have you any envelopes? EXERCISE VI. Give me some bread and butter. I want Donnez-moi or milk. ou lait, m. some cream pain, m. beurre, m. Je voudrais crême, f. Do you take sugar with your tea? Mettez-vous sucre, m. dans votre thé? -- I generally drink water, sometimes beer, seldom wine.— Eat some cheese and monnaie, f.? Mangez fromage, m. B pommes, pl. give me? - We have apples, donner me? Have you any pears to Avez-vous poires, pl. à pears, peaches, and Nous avons pommes, pl. poires, pl. pêches, pl. apricots. Give us again some beef and potatoes. Avez-vous abricots, pl. Donnez-nous encore bœuf, m. pommes (pl.) de terre. -They put salt in (everything).—(Have you got) any Ils mettent sel, m. dans tout. oil, vinegar, mustard, and pepper ? huile, f. vinaigre, m. moutarde, f. poivre, m. ? 34. REMARK.-When the noun, taken in a partitive sense, is preceded by an adjective, or comes after the verb conjugated negatively, the preposition de alone is used before it; as, We have no bread. I want some good meat. Je voudrais You brought me bad Vous avez apporté 'm' any fine peaches in the belles pêches dans le cider in the south. cidre dans - see vu bonne viande. Nous n'avons pas pain. midi, m. mirrors in his shop. glaces dans sa boutique. pretty flowers I He has no money.-There are some in your room. There is no water in the belles fleurs dans votre chambre. Il n'y a pas eau dans jug. I have some fine pencils in my writing-desk. - J'ai beaux crayons dans mon bureau. pot, m. table, f. un livre, m. d'un cahier, m. of a copy-book. d'une pendule, f. à un libraire, m. to a bookseller. à une boutique, f. EXERCISE VIII. a watch. of a clock. to a shop. Bring me a towel. Give him a tumbler.-Have you Apportez-moi serviette, f. Donnez-lui verre, m. Avez-vous a knife? (There is) a plate. He (is in debt) to a tailor couteau, m.? Voici assiette, f. Il doit à tailleur, m. and to a hat-maker. I sold a table, an arm-chair, and a chapelier, m. J'ai vendu table, f. fauteuil, m. Give us a pencil or a pen. Donnez-nous sofa to a friend. sofa, m. ami, m. You (will have) a slate or a Vous aurez ardoise, f. ou crayon, m. plume, f. piece of paper. - I morceau, m. de papier. J'ai wrote a letter this morning to a gentleman, and another to écrit lettre, f. ce matin à a lady. dame, f. monsieur, m. et une autre à CHAPTER II. OF THE NOUN OR SUBSTANTIVE. 36. A Noun or Substantive is the name of any person, place, or thing; as, Pierre, Peter; Paris, Paris; chapeau, hat. 37. Nouns are distinguished into proper and common. 38. The noun proper is the name belonging to one person or thing only; as, Guillaume, William; la Seine, the Seine. 39. The noun common is that which relates to similar persons or things; as, maison, house; homme, man. FORMATION OF THE PLURAL. 40. GENERAL RULE. -The plural of nouns is generally formed by adding s to the singular; as, 41. REMARK.-Nouns ending in s, x, z, in the singular, remain the same in the plural; as, The stars of the firmament. étoile The fruits of our garden.firmament, m. fruit de notre jardin. The forests of America. The lions and the tigers.-The forêt de l'Amérique. lion et lakes of Scotland.-The towns of France. tigre. The clocks of the lac de l'Écosse. ville de France. horloge |