DECLENSION OF NOUNS
Sec. 41.
MHG. nouns have two numbers: singular and plural; three genders:
masculine, feminine, and neuter, as in OHG. and NHG., from which the
gender of nouns in MHG. does not materially differ; four cases:
nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative. Traces of an old locative
occur in what is called the uninflected dative singular of {h[u]s},
_house_, beside {h[u]se}, and in proper names like {Engellant} beside
{Engellande}. The vocative is like the nominative.
In MHG., as in the older periods of the other Germanic languages, nouns
are divided into two great classes, according as the stem originally
ended in a vowel or a consonant, cp. the similar division of nouns in
Latin and Greek. Nouns whose stems originally ended in a vowel belong to
the vocalic or so-called strong declension. Those whose stems originally
ended in {-n} belong to the so-called weak or {n-}declension. All other
consonantal stems are generally put together under the general heading,
'Minor Declensions'. In OHG. nouns whose stems originally ended in a
vowel are subdivided into the {a-}declension including pure {a-}stems,
{ja-}stems, and {wa-}stems; the {[o]-}declension including pure {[o]-}stems,
{j[o]-}stems, and {w[o]-}stems; the {[)i]-}declension, and the {u-}declension.
All the nouns belonging to the {u-}declension went over into other
declensions in MHG. (cp. Secs. 43, 44, 49). But as all final vowels either
disappeared (some of them already in OHG.) or were weakened to {e} in
MHG. (see Secs. 7, 8), it is no longer practicable to retain the OHG.
subdivision fully without entering into the oldest and in many cases
into the prehistoric period of the language, which would be quite out of
place in a MHG. grammar. The old 'Minor Declensions' had begun to pass
over into the vocalic, especially into the {i-} and {a-}, declensions in
the oldest OHG. The remnants of the old inflexions preserved in MHG.
will be noted in the following paragraphs. The neuter nouns whose stems
originally ended in {-os}, {-es} (cp. Sec. 47) are in this Primer included
in the strong declension.
A. THE VOCALIC OR STRONG DECLENSION.
1. {Masculine Nouns.}
Sec. 42.
{First declension.}--To this declension belong all masculine nouns which
form their plural in {-e} only. It includes: (a) the old masculine
{a-}stems; (b) the old masculine {wa-}stems which lost their final {-w}
after long vowels in OHG., as {s[e]}, _sea_, gen. {s[e]wes}, pl. {s[e]we}, and
similarly {b[u]}, _dwelling_, {r[e]} (also neuter), _corpse_, {sn[e]}, _snow_,
see Sec. 36; and (c) the old masculine {i-}stems which could not have umlaut
in the plural (Sec. 44).
SING.
Nom. Acc. tac, _day_ kil, _quill_ engel, _angel_
Gen. tages kil(e)s engel(e)s
Dat. tage kil(e) engel(e)
PLUR.
Nom. Acc. Gen. tage kil(e) engel(e)
Dat. tagen kil(e)n engel(e)n
On the interchange between fortis and lenis, as in {tac}, _day_, {lop},
_praise_, {sant}, _sand_, {hof}, _court_, gen. {tages}, {lobes},
{sandes}, {hoves}, see Sec. 33.
Like {tac} are also declined the old consonantal stems {v[i]ent}, _enemy_,
and {vriunt}, _friend_, but pl. {vriunde} beside the old plural
{vriunt}.
Like {kil} are declined all monosyllabic masculine nouns having a short
stem-vowel and ending in {-l} or {-r} (Sec. 9, 1).
Like {engel} are declined masculine polysyllabic nouns ending in {-el},
{-em}, {-en}, {-er}, when their stem-syllable is long, as {mantel},
_mantle_, {[a]tem}, _breath_, {morgen}, _morning_, {acker}, _field_.
Those in {-em}, {-en} generally retain the {e} in the dative plural.
Polysyllabic nouns with short stem-syllables fluctuate between the
retention or loss of the {e}, as gen. sing. {vogeles} or {vogels}, dat.
sing, and nom. acc. pl. {vogele} or {vogel}, and similarly {vadem},
_thread_, {r[e:]gen}, _rain_, {sumer}, _summer_, see Sec. 9,2.
Sec. 43.
{Second declension.}--To this declension belong all masculine nouns
whose nom. and acc. singular end in {-e}, which is the only difference
between this and the first declension. It includes: (a) the old
masculine {ja-}stems; (b) many old {u-}stems with short stem-syllable,
as {fride} (OHG. {fridu}), _peace_, {site} (OHG. {situ}), _custom_, and
similarly {huge}, _thought_, {m[e:]te}, _mead_, {sige} beside {sic},
_victory_, {wite}, _wood_ (see Sec. 36); (c) the old short {i-}stem {wine},
_friend_; and (d) the old masculine {wa-}stem {schate} (gen.
{schat(e)wes} beside {schates}), _shadow_.
SING. PLUR.
Nom. Acc. hirte, _shepherd_ hirte
Gen. hirtes hirte
Dat. hirte hirten
Sec. 44.
{Third declension.}--To this declension belong all masculine nouns
which form their plural in {-e} and with umlaut of the stem-vowel.
It includes: (a) the old masculine {i-}stems; (b) the old masculine
{u-}stem {sun} (OHG. {sunu}, {sun}), _son_; and (c) the two old
consonant stems {fuo[z]}, _foot_, {zant} (gen. {zandes}), {zan}, _tooth_.
SING. PLUR.
MHG. OHG. MHG. OHG.
Nom. Acc. gast gast, _guest_ geste gesti
Gen. gastes gastes geste gesteo, -io
Dat. gaste gaste gesten gestim
The singular of nouns of this declension was inflected like the
{a-}stems (Sec. 42) already in OHG. And owing to the weakening of the
case-endings of the plural in passing from OHG. to MHG. (Sec. 7), the only
difference in the two declensions is the presence or absence of umlaut
in the plural. The old masculine {i-}stems which could not have umlaut
in the plural accordingly came to be inflected entirely like the old
masculine {a-}stems, as {schrit}, _step_, {snit}, _cut_, {bi[z]}, _bite_,
pl. {schrite}, {snite}, {bi[zz]e}. A further consequence of the singular
being inflected alike in both declensions is that the old {a-}stems
began to have umlaut in the plural after the analogy of the {i-}stems,
as {gedenke}, _thoughts_, {n[a:]gele}, _nails_, {w[a:]gene}, _wagons_, beside
{gedanke}, {nagele}, {wagene}.
Nouns ending in the fortis {p, t, c}, or {f} (= Germanic {f}) regularly
change the fortis to lenis in the inflected forms, as {korp}, _basket_,
{walt}, _wood_, {slac}, _blow_, {brief}, _letter_, gen. {korbes},
{waldes}, {stages}, {brieves}.
Sec. 45.
The old consonant stems {vater}, _father_, {bruoder}, _brother_, often
remain uninflected in the singular, as gen. {vater}, {bruoder} beside
{vaters}, {bruoders} (cp. Sec. 9, 2). In the plural they take umlaut, as
{veter}, {br[u:]eder}. The old consonant stem {man}, _man_, is either
declined like {tac} (Sec. 42) or remains uninflected throughout, as
SING. PLUR.
Nom. Acc. man manne, man
Gen. mannes, man manne, man
Dat. manne, man mannen, man
The nom. plural {man}, now written {mann}, is still preserved in
counting, as {hundert mann}, _a hundred men_.
2. {Neuter Nouns.}
Sec. 46.
{First Declension.}--To this declension belong all neuter nouns which
have their nominative case singular and plural alike. It includes three
different types of nouns: (a) The old neuter {a-}stems like {wort},
_word_, {venster}, _window_. (b) The old neuter {ja-}stems like {k[u:]nne},
_race_, _generation_, {bette}, _bed_, {netze}, _net_. The characteristic
of this type of noun is that it has umlaut in all forms of the singular
and plural when the stem-vowel is capable of it (cp. Sec. 31, 3). And (c)
the old neuter {wa-}stems (cp. Sec. 36) like {knie}, _knee_, gen. {kniewes}.
SING.
Nom. Acc. wort venster k[u:]nne knie
Gen. wortes vensters k[u:]nnes kniewes (knies)
Dat. worte venster k[u:]nne kniewe (knie)
PLUR.
Nom. Acc. wort venster k[u:]nne knie
Gen. worte venster k[u:]nne kniewe (knie)
Dat. worten venstern k[u:]nnen kniewen (knien)
(a) On the interchange between the fortes {p, t, c} and the lenes {b, d,
g}, as in {grap}, _grave_, {g[e:]lt}, _money_, {dinc}, _thing_, gen.
{grabes}, {g[e:]ldes}, {dinges}, see Sec. 33.
Like {venster} are declined the neuter polysyllabic nouns ending in
{-el}, {-em}, {-en}, {-er}, as {luoder}, _bait_, {w[a]fen}, {w[a]pen},
_weapon_; {schapel}, _garland_, {gadem}, _house_, {w[e:]ter}, _weather_. On
the endings, see Secs. 9, 42.
(b) Like {k[u:]nne} is also declined the old neuter {u-}stem {vihe} (OHG.
{fihu}), _cattle_.
(c) Like {knie} are declined {m[e:]l}, _meal_, {r[e]} (also masc.), _corpse_,
{sm[e:]r}, _fat_, {str[o]}, _straw_, {tou}, _dew_, {w[e]}, _woe_, gen.
{m[e:]lwes}, {r[e]wes}, {sm[e:]rwes}, {str[o]wes}, {touwes}, {w[e]wes},
see Sec. 36.
Sec. 47.
{Second declension.}--To this declension belong all neuter nouns which
form their plural in {-er} and by umlaut of the stem-vowel when it is
capable of it. This class of nouns corresponds to the Latin neuters in
{-us}, as {genus}, gen. {generis}, pl. {genera}. The {-er} (OHG. {-ir})
was originally a stem-forming suffix which came to be regarded as a
plural ending. In the oldest period of the language only about
half-a-dozen nouns belonged to this class, but during the MHG. period
nearly twenty neuter {a-}stems passed into this declension, and in NHG.
the number has increased to about a hundred.
SING. PLUR.
MHG. OHG. MHG. OHG.
Nom. Acc. lamp lamb, _lamb_ lember lembir
Gen. lambes lambes lember lembiro
Dat. lambe lambe lembern lembirum
On the loss of the {e} in the gen. and dat. plural, see Sec. 9, 2.
Other examples are: {ei} (pl. {eiger}, {eijer}, {eier}, Sec. 35), _egg_,
{huon}, _hen_, {kalp}, _calf_, {rat}, _wheel_, {rint}, _bullock_, {tal},
_dale_.
3. {Feminine Nouns.}
Sec. 48.
{First declension.}--To this declension belong all feminine nouns having
their nominative case singular and plural alike. It includes: (a) the
old feminine {[o]-}stems, as {g[e:]be}, _gift_, {s[e]le}, _soul_, {zal},
_number_; (b) the old feminine {j[o]-}stems, as {k[u:]neginne}, {k[u:]negin},
{k[u:]neg[i]n}, _queen_, and similarly {vriundinne}, _friend_, {g[u:]tinne},
_goddess_; (c) the old feminine {w[o]-}stems with and without {w}, as
{br[a]we}, {br[a]}, _brow_, pl. {br[a]} beside weak pl. {br[a]wen}; {diuwe},
{diu}, _servant_; (d) the old feminine abstract nouns in {-[i]}, as
{vinster} (OHG. {finstr[i]}), _darkness_, {sch[oe]ne} (OHG. {sc[o]n[i]}),
_beauty_; and (e) the old consonant stem, {swester}, {sw[e:]ster},
_sister_.
SING.
Nom. Acc. g[e:]be zal vinster
Gen. g[e:]be zal vinster
Dat. g[e:]be zal vinster
PLUR.
Nom. Acc. g[e:]be zal vinster
Gen. g[e:]ben zaln vinstern
Dat. g[e:]ben zaln vinstern
On the endings in nouns declined like {zal}, _number_, {dol}, _pain_,
{wal}, _choice_, {nar}, _food_, {schar}, _flock_, and {vinster}, see Sec. 9,
1,2.
The gen. plural had the ending of the weak declension already in the
oldest period of the language. Through the nom. singular and the gen.
and dat. plural having the same endings as the feminine weak declension
(Sec. 53), {[o]-}stems began in OHG. to be inflected after the analogy of the
weak declension, especially in the plural. This process spread
considerably in MHG. with concrete nouns, but not often with abstract
nouns.
Sec. 49.
{Second declension.}--To this declension belong all feminine nouns
which form their plural in {-e} and have umlaut in the stem-vowel. It
includes: (a) the old feminine {i-}stems; (b) the old {u-}stem {hant},
_hand_; and (c) several old consonantal stems, see below.
SING. PLUR.
MHG. OHG. MHG. OHG.
Nom. Acc. anst anst, _favour_ enste ensti
Gen. enste _or_ anst ensti enste ensteo, -io
Dat. enste _or_ anst ensti ensten enstim
In {jugent} (OHG. {jugund}, pl. {jugundi}), _youth_, gen. dat. {jugende}
beside {jugent}, pl. {jugende}, the original {-i} being in the third
syllable did not cause umlaut in the stem-syllable; and similarly
{tugent}, _valour_.
{hant}, _hand_, originally belonged to the {u-}declension, which
explains forms like gen. sing, and plural {hande} beside {hende}, dat.
pl. {handen} beside {henden}. The old gen. plural has been preserved in
NHG. {allerhand}, and the dat. plural in {abhanden}, {beihanden},
{vorhanden}, {zuhanden}.
Several old consonant stems went over partly or entirely into this
declension, viz. {maget}, {meit} (Sec. 37), _maid_, pl. {m[a:]gede} or {meide};
{kuo}, _cow_, pl. {k[u:]eje} or {k[u:]ewe} (OHG. {kuoi}), {s[u]}, _sow_, pl.
{siuwe} (OHG. {s[u]i}); both these nouns generally remained uninflected in
the gen. and dat. singular. {naht}, _night_, has gen. and dat. singular
{naht} beside {n[a:]hte}; pl. nom. acc. gen. {naht} beside {n[a:]hte}, dat.
{nahten} beside {n[a:]hten}, cp. also NHG. {weihnachten}, MHG. {z[e:]n w[i]hen
nahten}. The MHG. adverbial gen. {nahts}, {d[e:]s nahtes} was formed after
the analogy of {d[e:]s tages}. Like {naht} were also inflected {brust},
_breast_, and {burc}, _citadel_.
{muoter}, _mother_, and {tohter}, _daughter_, remain uninflected in the
singular. In the plural they have umlaut: {m[u:]eter}, {t[o:]hter}.
B. THE WEAK DECLENSION (N-STEMS).
Sec. 50.
The weak declension contains a large number of masculine and feminine
nouns, but only four neuter nouns, viz. {h[e:]rze}, _heart_, {[o]re}, _ear_,
{ouge}, _eye_, and {wange}, _cheek_; these nouns, especially {h[e:]rze},
sometimes form their nom. acc. plural after the analogy of nouns like
{k[u:]nne} (Sec. 46). The original case endings of the weak declension had
disappeared in the oldest period of the language except in the nom.
singular (masc. {-o}, fem., and neut. {-a}), the gen. pl. ({[o]no}) and
dat. pl. ({-[o]m}). Owing to the weakening of the {-o}, {-a} to {-e} in
MHG. the nom. singular became alike in all genders. And similarly the
endings {-[o]no}, {-[o]m} and the endings of the other oblique forms were
all weakened to {-en} in MHG. (Sec. 7), so that the element which originally
formed part of the stem came to be regarded as a case ending.
On the loss of the final and medial {e} in nouns like {ar}, _eagle_,
{bir} (fem.), _pear_, {gevangen(e)}, _prisoner_, beside the inflected
forms {arn}, {birn}, {gevangen} from {*gevangen-en} through the
intermediate stage {*gevangenn}, see Sec. 9, 1,2.
Sec. 51.
1. {Masculine Nouns.}
SING.
MHG. OHG.
Nom. bote boto, _messenger_
Acc. boten boton, -un
Gen. boten boten, -in
Dat. boten boten, -in
PLUR.
Nom. Acc. boten boton, -un
Gen. boten bot[o]no
Dat. boten bot[o]m
Sec. 52.
2. {Neuter Nouns.}
SING.
MHG. OHG.
Nom. Acc. h[e:]rze h[e:]rza, _heart_
Gen. h[e:]rzen h[e:]rzen, -in
Dat. h[e:]rzen h[e:]rzen, -in
PLUR.
Nom. Acc. h[e:]rzen h[e:]rzun, -on
Gen. h[e:]rzen h[e:]rz[o]no
Dat. h[e:]rzen h[e:]rz[o]m
Sec. 53.
3. {Feminine Nouns.}
SING.
MHG. OHG.
Nom. zunge zunga, _tongue_
Acc. zungen zung[u]n
Gen. zungen zung[u]n
Dat. zungen zung[u]n
PLUR.
Nom. Acc. zungen zung[u]n
Gen. zungen zung[o]no
Dat. zunge zung[o]m
C. DECLENSION OF PROPER NAMES.
Sec. 54.
Names of persons ending in {e} in the nominative follow the weak
declension. Masculine names of persons take {-es} in the genitive, {-e}
in the dative, and {-en} in the accusative after the analogy of the
strong adjectives. The accusative ending {-en} was sometimes extended to
the dative, and the dative ending {-e} to the accusative. And sometimes
both these cases were without endings. Names of countries ending in
{-lant} often have no ending in the dative, as {Engellant} beside
{Engellande}, see Sec. 41. Feminine names of persons ending in a consonant
take {-e} in the genitive, dative and accusative, but occasionally
remain uninflected throughout.
MASCULINE.
Nom. S[i]frit Hagene
Gen. S[i]frides Hagenen
Dat. Acc. S[i]frit, S[i]fride(n) Hagenen
FEMININE.
Nom. Kriemhilt Uote
Gen. Dat. Acc. Kriemhilde, Kriemhilt Uoten