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brothers-when sons of the same parent; brethren-when of the same society. (dies-stamps for coining;

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Brother,

Die,

Index,*

little cubes used in games.

indices-exponents of algebraic quantities; indexes-tables of contents.

GENDER.

(4) GENDER is the distinction of sex.

In English, there are three genders,-the Masculine, the Feminine, and the Neuter.

The Masculine denotes the male sex; the Feminine, the female sex; the Neuter, all inanimate objects.

(1) Things naturally neuter, are sometimes rendered masculine or feminine; but, whenever this is done, we are understood to use figurative language.

* Nouns adopted without alteration from foreign languages, retain their original plurals:

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The sex of nouns is distinguished, first,- by different

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(2) Second,--by a difference of termination; as

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Third, by prefixing another word; as

A man-servant; a male child; a female child.

CASE.

(3) The Cases of nouns mark the different relations they have to other words.

In English there are three cases, the Nominative, the Possessive, and the Objective.

The NOMINATIVE Case is the agent, or the subject of discourse; as-God has created the universe; gold is the most unalterable of all bodies.

(4) The POSSESSIVE Case denotes possession or property, and generally has an apostrophe with the letter s after it; as-The moon's influence on our globe is next to that of the sun.*

The OBJECTIVE Case expresses the object of an action or of a relation, and follows a transitive verb, an

* When the noun terminates in s, ss, ce, the possessive case is formed by adding only the apostrophe; as-the holy Fathers' writings, for righteousness' sake, for conscience' sake.

active participle, or a preposition; as-The Almighty punished Heli for not reprimanding his sons with sufficient severity.

(1) Nouns are thus declined :

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(2) Adjectives may be divided into Common, Proper, Numeral, Pronominal, and Verbal.

COMMON Adjectives denote common qualities; asgood, wise, great.

PROPER Adjectives denote peculiar qualities; asEnglish, Irish, Scotch.

(3) NUMERAL Adjectives express number, and are divided into Cardinals; as-one, two, &c.; Ordinals; as-first, second, &c.; Multipliers; as-single, double, &c.; Compound, as-biennial, triennial, &c.

PRONOMINAL Adjectives, which are sometimes joined to nouns, and sometimes used alone, are divided into Distributives, Demonstratives, and Indefinites.

(4) VERBAL, or Participial Adjectives, are such as terminate like participles, in ing or ed; as-loving child, inviting prospects, charming days, animated expressions.

Adjectives which denote qualities susceptible of increase or diminution, admit of comparison.

(1) There are three degrees of comparison,-the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative.

The POSITIVE degree is the simple form of the adjective; as-wise.

The COMPARATIVE denotes a greater or less degree of the quality expressed by the positive; as-wiser, more wise; less wise.

(2) The SUPERLATIVE denotes the greatest or least degree of that quality; as-wisest or most wise; least wise.

Monosyllables are generally compared by the affixes r or er, and st or est; as-fierce, fiercer, fiercest; mild, milder, mildest.

Words of more than one syllable are generally compared by the adverbs more and most, and sometimes by less and least; as-angry, more angry, most angry; agreeable, less agreeable, least agreeable.

(3) Adjectives which do not form their degrees by any fixed rule, are said to be irregularly compared ;* as—

* The Adjectives which do not admit of comparison are-I. All words expressive of shape or figure; as, circular, square, triangular, cubical, straight, perpendicular. II. Those derived from proper names; as, English, Irish, Spanish. III. Numeral, which are divided into Cardinal; as, one, two, three, &c.; and Ordinal; as, first, second, third, &c. IV. Multiplicative; as, single, double, treble. V. All those whose simple forms imply the highest or lowest degree; as, chief, universal, perfect, eternal, immortal, omnipotent. VI. Such as cannot be increased or diminished; as, like, similar, boundless, lifeless, true, gold, polar, atmospheric, catholic, main. VII. Words which are commonly used as nouns; as, blocktin, sheet-iron, cast-iron, silver-watch, gold-chain, standard-silver, steel-wire, bell-metal, &c. VIII. Pronominal adjectives, or such as are derived from pronouns; as the distributives, each, every, either, neither; the demonstratives, this, that, with their plurals, these, those; yon, yonder, former, and latter; and the indefinites, some, other, any, one, all, such, none, both, several, sundry, divers,

same.

The demonstratives, former and latter; and the indefinites, other and one, are sometimes used as nouns, and declined as such.

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(2) A or AN, and THE, are called articles, to distinguish them from the other more emphatic words of similar import; namely, one, that, these, those, of which they are evidently but contractions.

* Much is applicable to things weighed or measured; many, to things numbered.

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