255. Nouns having a dependence on each other are joined by the preposition de; as 256. The preposition de is used in compound substantives to unite the name of a thing with the name of the substance of which it is made (31, p. 11). 257. But if the qualifying noun expresses the use or purpose of the other, they must be united by the preposition à ; as Fire-arms. A dining-room. Des armes à feu. 258. The preposition à is also used when there is understood by means of, with, etc.; as— A steam-boat. A four-wheeled carriage. Un bateau à vapeur. Une voiture à quatre roues. 259. The definite article is added to the preposition à if the noun represents what is sold in a place, or when the first word is intended to contain the second; as— The corn-market. The letter-box. La halle au blé. La boîte aux lettres. OF COLLECTIVE NOUNS. 260. There are two sorts of collective nouns, the Collective General, and the Collective Partitive. 261. The Collective General represents a whole object or collection; such as, la nation, l'armée, la flotte, la famille, etc., and requires every word relating to it to be put in the singular; as Toute la famille va bien. All the family are well. I 262. The Collective Partitive represents only a portion of the object or collection; as, une troupe, une multitude, une foule, etc., and requires every word relating to it to be put in the plural; as A troop of janissaries surround him. Une troupe de janissaires l'entou rent. NUMBER OF PROPER NAMES. 263. In French, proper names of individuals do not take the mark of the plural, unless they denote a class; thus write without the mark of the plural La France a eu deux Corneille, deux Racine, et deux Rousseau. | France has had two Corneilles, two But write with the mark of the plural La France a eu ses Césars et ses France has had her Cæsars and her 264. The mark of the plural is also used before names of royal families, Roman names, etc.; as, les Bourbons, les Stuarts, les Horaces, les Gracques, etc. PLURAL OF COMPOUND SUBSTANTIVES. 265. Compound substantives may be considered as abbreviated locutions. To write them correctly, restore the locution to its natural form, and give the mark of the plural to the substantives as required. The only variable words in compound substantives are the substantive and the adjective. Thus write Let the pupil explain the marks of the plural in the foregoing examples, according to the rule given above. RECAPITULATORY EXERCISES ON THE SUBSTANTIVE. EXERCISE LXXXIX. Translate, read, and parse- 1. L'huile d'olive de Provence est très renommée. 2. La laine d'Espagne est trés-estimée. 3. L'inventeur de la poudre à canon était un moine allemand, nommé Schwartz. 4. La flotte entière fut détruite par les tempêtes. 5. Une troupe de jeunes nymphes courounées de fleurs nageaient derrière le char de la déesse. 6. Les Corneille, les Racine, et les Molière, ont illustré le règne de Louis XIV., non moins que les Turenne et les Condé. 7. La nature n'enfante pas tous les jours des Homères, des Virgiles, des Démosthènes, et des Cicérons. 8. Les trois Horaces combattaient pour Rome, les trois Curiaces pour Albe. 9. Les oiseauxmouches sont de véritables petits chefs-d'œuvre. 10. Il y a en France à peu près trois cent sous-préfets. 11. Les eaux-de-vie de France sont les plus estimées. EXERCISE XC. A large quantity of Burgundy wine is consumed 20 Bourgogne vin in England. consomm -(1st) grand She wore a silk dress and satin shoes. Let us go to the winter gardens. avait soie robe soulier Don Quixote fought courageously against windmills. What vent(m) moulin(m) Quichotte remains of the Pharaohs, Ptolemies, Cæsars, Plantagenets, Stuarts, rest-(1st) Pharaon Ptolémée César Plantagenêt Stuart and (of) all those names which have ruled gouvern―(1st) laurier-rose the world? The lourd avare island of Cyprus is covered with oleanders. The heavier the miser's ile (f) Chypre iron-chest, the lighter the inheritors' grief. We have seen porcucoffre-fort héritier (pl) douleur (f) pines alive, says Buffon, but never saw them, although violently en vie provoked, porc-épic darting their quills. Tell the gardener to clean excit-(1st) dard-(1st) these flower-borders. Put piquant those preserves plate-bande Mett-(4th) confiture (†) nettoy-(1st) and fruits in the pantry. SYNTAX OF THE ADJECTIVE. AGREEMENT OF ADJECTIVES. 266. An adjective qualifying two or more nouns of different genders is put in the plural masculine; as— His father and mother are French. | Son père et sa mère sont Français. 267. But if these nouns are synonymous, or joined together by the conjunction ou, the adjective agrees only with the last; as Birds construct their nests with wonderful art and address. According to your conduct, you will acquire public contempt or confidence. Les oiseaux construisent leurs nids avec un art et une addresse surprenante. D'après votre conduite vous acquerrez le mépris ou la confiance publique. PLACE OF ADJECTIVES. 268. Adjectives are in French generally placed after the substantive (see n. 58, p. 19.) 269. But when an adjective is shorter than its noun, it is generally placed before it; as The great men of antiquity. 270. Adjectives expressing Les grands hommes de l'antiquité. shape, colour, flavour, nation ality, race, or kind, are usually placed after their substan GOVERNMENT OF ADJECTIVES. 271. The English prepositions with, of, from, and by, after an adjective or a participle, are generally rendered in French by the preposition de, which must be repeated before each noun. 272. Translate also by de the prepositions by after a comparative, in after a superlative, and than before a numeral. Ex., I am satisfied with you. I am older than him by a year. Je suis content de vous. Je suis plus âgé que lui d'un an. He received more than twenty Il reçut plus de vingt blessures. wounds. de temps font plus que force ni que rage. 8. La fortune soit bonne ou mauvaise ne peut rien changer dans l'âme du sage. 9. Soit que je lise ou que j'écrive j'aime à être seul. 10. Que le ciel vous protège! EXERCISE LXXXV. Whether you be rich or poor, you will always be dependent riche pauvre dépend-(4th) on (from) some one. There is no happiness where there is no virtue. If I knew when he will return I would tell (it) you. I cannot go reven- -(2d) out because the doctor has prohibited médecin defend (4th) sort-(2d) sort-(2d) out. How curious you are! interesting book, as you cannot go of it. Whilst everything nature remains unchangeable. rest-(1st) immuable you from such a misfortune. CHAPTER X. THE INTERJECTION. 241. The Interjection is an invariable word, used to express a sudden emotion of the mind. AVERSION AND CONTEMPT, Fi! Fi donc! Pouah! |