The Loom Of Language

Btrdys-Eye View of Teutonic Grammar 293

e g by vowel mutation, the noun is usually feminine, e g geben—die
Gabe (give—gift), helfen—die Hilfe (help), schreiben—die Schnft
(write—script)

CONCORD OF THE GERMAN ADJECTIVE

The most difficult thing about German for the beginner is the
elaborate flexion of the adjective Its behaviour depends on (i) whether
it is predicative, i.e separated from its noun by the verb be, (11) whether it
stands before a noun without any pointer-word or possessive adjective
in front of it, (in) whether it stands between a noun and a pointer-word
or possessive adjective.

These remarks apply to ordinary adjectives. Numerals (other than
etn*) do not change. Demonstratives (table on p. 274), the articles and
possessives (table on p. 127) always behave in the same way in accord-
ance with the number of the noun, its gender class and its case The
demonstratives (dieser> jeder, jener, sokher, mancher, welcher) behave
like the definite article (der, die, das, etc ) In the singular the possessives
(mezn, etc ) behave like the indefinite article (ein)y as also does kein (no).
In the plural they take the same endings as demonstratives

MASC' SING
NEUTER SING
FEMIN SING
PLURAL
MASC
NEUTER
FEMIN

Nonun
DER
DAS
DIE
EIN
EINE

Ace
DEN
EINEN

Gen
DES
DI
,R
EINES
EINER

Dat
DEM
DEN
EINEM

In the preceding table the nominative case-form is the one which goes
with a noun, if subject of the verb The genitive is the one which goes
with a noun used in a possessive sense The accusative case-form goes
with a noun which is the direct object, and the dative with a noun which
is the indirect object If a preposition comes before the determinative
(demonstrative, possessive or article) we have to choose between the
accusative and dative case-forms in accordance with the recipe on
p. 262 Thus the accusative case-form goes with ohne (without), fur (for),
and durch (through) The dative goes with mit (with), von (of or from),
* Zwei and drei have genitive forms, zweier, dreier, still in use