The Loom Of Language

296

The Loom of Language

nominative and accusative singular neuter Otherwise an adjective which
follows em> kem> mem, etc s has the weak endings The following table
illustrates the partnership

MASCULINE SINGULAR
NEUTER SINGULAR
FEMININE SINGULAR
PLURAL

Nomm
mein rotER
mem rotES
meme lotE
meme rotEN

Accus
meinen rotEN

Gen
meines rotEN
mei] rot
tier EN

Dat
meinem rotEN
meinen rotEN

Accordingly we have to ;>ay

ohne das grosse Haus
ohne em grosses Haus

ohne die gate Frau
ohne eine gute Frau

Analogous to the difference between the nominative and accusative
case-forms of der> etc, and em is the difference between the possessive
pronouns meiner, memes, meme> etc (mine), and the possessive adjective
mem (my) There are (see p 127) five ways of saying it 13 mine uk German,
if the word it refers to a masculine noun such as Hut es ist meiner, es ist
der memige, es tst der metnes er ist meiny er gehort mir Some nouns derived
from adjectives and participles retain the two forms appropriate to the
definite and indefinite articles, e g

der Angestellte der Beamte der Fremde der Gelehrte der Retsende
(employee) (official) (stranger) (scholar) (traveller)
em Angestellter em Beamter em Fremder em Gelehrter em Reisender

Unlike the English adverb of manner with its suffix -ly and the French
one with the suffix -ment, most German adverbs belong to our fast class
(p in). They are identical with the urnnflected adjective as used alone
after the verb3 e g

sie hat eine entzuckende Stimme
sze singt entzuckend

she has a charming voice
she sings in a charming way

This praiseworthy feature of German accidence—or lack of accidence—
is one3 and perhaps the only one3 which we might wish to incorporate in
a world auxiliary Some German adverbs which are not equivalent to the