*This word is masculine in the singular, according to the French Academy.

équivoque, an equivocation.

CHAPTER III.

Of the formation of the Feminine Gender of Adjectives.

GENERAL RULE.

ADJECTIVES take an e mute for the formation of their feminine; as, aimé, aimée; écrit, écrite; constant, constante. Adjectives ending with an e mute have no variation in their feminine, without exception, as, admirable, m. admirable, f. amiable, m. aimable, f.

Other adjectives form their feminine according to their termination, as in the following Concise Table.

+ Favori, favourite; benin, benigne; malin, maligne; frais, fraiche; épais, épaisse.

1. Grec, Grecque; Turc, Turque; public, publique; caduc, caduque. 2. Civil, civile; subtil, subtile; puéril, puérile.

3. Vieux, vieille; antérieur, postérieur, citérieur, ultérieur, intérieur, extérieur, majeur, mineur, supérieur, inferieur, meilleur, follow the general rule.

4. Ras, rase; clos, close.

5. Secret, Secrète; complet, complète; discret, discrète; inquiet, inquiète; replet, replète; dévot, dévote.

6. Jaloux, jalouse; roux, rousse.

N.B. The FRENCH ACADEMY write, first, cru, raw; nu, naked; vert, green; and not crud, nud, verd. Secondly, bénit, and béni, blessed, holy, both follow the general rule. Thirdly, tors, and not tort, twisted, wrung. The adjective makes in its feminine both torte and torse; for we say, une colonne torse, de la soie torse; and popularly we say, une jambe tort, une bouche torte, une gueule torte.

CHAPTER IV.

Of the formation of Plural Nouns.

GENERAL RULE.

NOUNS in general form their plural by adding an s to the singular; as, homme, hommes.*

POLYSYLLABLES ending in nt, in the singular, form their plural by changing the final t into s; as, enfant, enfans; but monosyllables follow the general rule.

NOUNS ending in s, x, or z, are alike in both numbers. NOUNS ending in ail or al change ail and al into aux, in the plural: as, travail, travaux; cheval, chevaux.† NOUNS ending in au, eu, eau, ieu, and ou, have their plural by adding an x to their singular.‡

EXCEPTIONS.

*Tout makes tous.

+ Ail, aulx.

Bal, carnaval, local, pal, régal, and proper names ending in al, likewise these nouns, attirrail, camail, détail, éventail, mail, épouvantail, gouvernail, portail, serail, follow the general rule.

Bleu, trou, clou, cou, matou, libou, biêou, fou, and loup garou follow the general rule.

N. B. Eil makes yeux; aïeul, aieux! gentilhomme, gentilshommes; monsieur, messieurs; madame mesdames; monseigneur, messeigneurs; mon, mes; ton, tes; son, ses; notre, nos; votre, vos; ciel, heaven, makes cieux. However, we say des ciels de lit; testers of beds; les ciels d'un tableau, the top of a picture; des arcs-en ciel, rainbow.

CHAPTER V.

On the Declension of Nouns.

As I have hinted before, the nominative of nouns is like the accusative, the genitive is like the ablative; so we shall call the nominative the first case, the genitive the second case, and the dative the third case.

Nouns substantive of the masculine gender, and beginning with a consonant are thus declined.

SINGULAR.

1st. le livre, the book.

2d. du livre, of or from the book.
3d. au livre, to the book.

PLURAL.

les livres, the books.

des livres, of or from the books.
aux livres, to the books.

SINGULAR.

1st. la table, the table.

2d. de la table, of or from the table.
3d. à la table, to the table.

PLURAL.

les tables, the tables.

des tables, of or from the tables.

aux tables, to the tables.

Nouns substantive of either gender beginning with a vowel, or an h mute, are thus declined:

SINGULAR.

1st. l'homme, the man.

2d. de l'homme, of or from the man.
3d. à l'homme, to the man.

PLURAL.

les hommes, the men.

des hommes, of or from the men.
aux hommes, to the men.

Nouns substantive of the masculine gender, and beginning with a consonant, are thus declined with the indefi

nite article:

SINGULAR.

1st. un miroir, a looking-glass.

2d. d'un miroir, of or from a looking-glass.
3d. à un miroir, to a looking-glass.

PLURAL.

des miroirs, some looking-glasses.

de miroirs, of or from some looking-glasses.
à des miroirs, to some looking-glasses.

Nouns substantive of the masculine gender, and beginning with a vowel, or an h mute, are thus declined:

SINGULAR.

1st. un accident, an accident.

2d. d'un accident, of or from an accident.
3d. à un accident, to an accident.

PLURAL.

des accidens, some accidents.
d'accidens, of or from accidents.

à des accidens, to some accidents.

Nouns substantive of the feminine gender, and beginning with a consonant, thus:

SINGULAR.

1st. une peine, a pain.

2d. d'une peine, of or from a pain.

3d. à une peine, to a pain.

PLURAL.

des peines, some pains.

de peines, of or from some pains.
à des peines, to some pains.

Nouns substantive, beginning with a vowel, or an A mute and of the feminine gender, thus:

SINGULAR.

1st. une aiguille, a needle.

2d. d'une aiguille, of or from a neeale.
3d. à une aiguille, to a needle.

PLURAL.

des aiguilles, some needles.
d'aiguilles, of or from some needles.
à des aiguille, to some needles.

But in the plural number, when a noun substantive of either gender is preceded by an adjective, beginning with a consonant, it is thus declined:

PLURAL.

1st. de malheureux accidens, some unhappy accidents. 2d. de malheureux accidens, of some unhappy accidents. 3d. à de malheureux accidens, to some unhappy accidents.

Before an adjective beginning with a vowel or an h mute, thus:

1st. d'indignes amis, some unworthy friends.

2d. d'indignes amis, of or from some unworthy friends. 3d. à d'indignes amis, to some unworthy friends.

Proper names of men, women, cities, villages, &c. take no articles before them; but in the second and third cases they take the preposition de and a thus:

1st. Jean, John.

2d. de Jean, of or from John

3d. à Jean, to John.

When they begin with a vowel, or an h mute, thus:

1st. Alexandre, Alexander.

2d. d'Alexandre, of or from Alexander.

3d. à Alexandre, to Alexander.