Chapter IX: THE i-DECLENSION AND THE u-DECLENSION

#The _i-_Declension.# (See § 58.)

43. The i-Declension, corresponding to the group of _i-_stems in the classical Third Declension, contains chiefly (_a_) masculine and (_b_) feminine nouns. The N.A. plural of these nouns ended originally in -e (from older i).

(_a_) #Masculine _i-_Stems.#

44. These stems have almost completely gone over to the a-Declension, so that -as is more common than -e as the N.A. plural ending, whether the stem is long or short. The short stems all have -e in the N.A. singular.

45. Paradigms of #sê wyrm#, _worm_; #sê wine#, _friend_.

_Sing. N.A._ wyrm win-e
_G._ wyrm-es win-es
_D.I._ wyrm-e win-e

_Plur. N.A._ wyrm-as win-as (e)
_G._ wyrm-a win-a
_D.I._ wyrm-um win-um

#Names of Peoples.#

46. The only i-stems that regularly retain -e of the N.A. plural are certain names of tribes or peoples used only in the plural.

47. Paradigms of #ðâ Engle#, _Angles_; #ðâ Norðymbre#, _Northumbrians_; #ðâ lêode#, _people_:

_Plur. N.A._ Engle Norðymbre lêode
_G._ Engla Norðymbra lêoda
_D.I._ Englum Norðymbrum lêodum

(_b_) #Feminine _i-_Stems.#

48. The short stems (#frem-u#) conform entirely to the declension of short ô-stems; long stems (#cwên#, #wyrt#) differ from long ô-stems in having no ending for the A. singular. They show, also, a preference for -e rather than -a in the N.A. plural.

49. Paradigms of #sêo frem-u#, _benefit_; #sêo cwên#, _woman, queen_ [quean]; #sêo wyrt#, _root_ [wort]:

_Sing. N._ frem-u cwên wyrt
_G._ frem-e cwên-e wyrt-e
_D.I._ frem-e cwên-e wyrt-e
_A._ frem-e cwên wyrt

_Plur. N.A._ frem-a cwên-e (a) wyrt-e (a)
_G._ frem-a cwên-a wyrt-a
_D.I._ frem-um cwên-um wyrt-um

#The _u-_Declension.#

50. The u-Declension, corresponding to the group of u-stems in the classical Third Declension, contains no neuters, and but few (_a_) masculines and (_b_) feminines. The short-stemmed nouns of both genders (#sun-u#, #dur-u#) retain the final u of the N.A. singular, while the long stems (#feld#, #hond#) drop it. The influence of the masculine a-stems is most clearly seen in the long-stemmed masculines of the u-Declension (#feld#, #feld-es#, etc.).

NOTE.--Note the general aversion of all O.E. long stems to final
-u: _cf._ N.A. plural #hof-u#, but #bearn#, #bân#; N. singular
#gief-u#, but #wund#, #rôd#; N. singular #frem-u#, but #cwên#,
#wyrt#; N.A. singular #sun-u#, #dur-u#, but #feld#, #hond#.

(_a_) #Masculine _u-_Stems.#

51. Paradigms of #sê sun-u#, _son_; #sê feld#, _field_:

_Sing. N.A._ sun-u feld
_G._ sun-a feld-a (es)
_D.I._ sun-a feld-a (e)

_Plur. N.A._ sun-a feld-a (as)
_G._ sun-a feld-a
_D.I._ sun-um feld-um

(b) #Feminine _u-_Stems.#

52. Paradigms of #sêo dur-u#, _door_; #sêo hond#, _hand_:

_Sing. N.A._ dur-u hond
_G._ dur-a hond-a
_D.I._ dur-a hond-a

_Plur. N.A._ dur-a hond-a
_G._ dur-a hond-a
_D.I._ dur-um hond-um

53. Paradigm of the Third Personal Pronoun, #hê#, #hêo#, #hit# = _he_, _she_, _it_:

_Masculine._ _Feminine._ _Neuter._
_Sing. N._ hê hêo hit
_G._ his hiere his
_D._ him hiere him
_A._ hine, hiene hîe hit

_All Genders._
_Plur. N.A._ hîe
_G._ hiera
_D._ him

54. VOCABULARY.

(i-STEMS.)

sê cierr, _turn, time_ [char, chare, chore].
sêo dæ:d, _deed_.
sê dæ:l, _part_ [a great deal].
ðâ Dene, _Danes_.
sê frêondscipe, _friendship_.
sêo hy:d, _skin, hide_.
ðâ londlêode, _natives_.
ðâ Mierce, _Mercians_.
ðâ Rômware, _Romans_.
ðâ Seaxe, _Saxons_.
sê stede, _place_ [in-stead of].

(u-STEMS.)

sêo flôr, _floor_.
sêo nosu, _nose_.
sê sumor (_G._ sumeres, _D._ sumera), _summer_.
sê winter (_G._ wintres, _D._ wintra), _winter_.
sê wudu, _wood, forest_.

NOTE.--The numerous masculine nouns ending in -hâd,--#cildhâd#
(_childhood_), #wîfhâd# (_womanhood_),--belong to the u-stems
historically; but they have all passed over to the a-Declension.

55. EXERCISES.

I. 1. Ðâ Seaxe habbað ðæs dêores hy:d on ðæ:m wuda. 2. Hwâ hæfð ðâ giefa? 3. Ðâ Mierce hîe[1] habbað. 4. Hwæ:r is ðæs Wêales fugol? 5. Ðâ Dene hiene habbað. 6. Hwæ:r sindon hiera winas? 7. Hîe sindon on ðæs cyninges wuda. 8. Ðâ Rômware ond ðâ Seaxe hæfdon ðâ gâras ond ðâ geocu. 9. Hêo is on ðæ:m hûse on wintra, ond on ðæ:m feldum on sumera. 10. Hwæ:r is ðæs hofes duru? 11. Hêo[2] (= sêo duru) nis hêr.

II. 1. His friends have the bones of the seals and the bodies of the Danes. 2. Art thou the king's son? 3. Has she her[3] gifts in her[3] hands? 4. Here are the fields of the natives. 5. Who had the bird? 6. I had it.[2] 7. The child had the worm in his[3] fingers. 8. The Mercians were here during (the) summer (#on# + dat.).

[Footnote 1: See § 21, (1).]

[Footnote 2: Pronouns agree in gender with the nouns for which
they stand. #Hit#, however, sometimes stands for inanimate
things of both masculine and feminine genders. See Wülfing
(_l.c._) I, § 238.]

[Footnote 3: See § 76 (last sentence).]