3. A Verb must always be of the same Number and Person with the Noun or Pronoun going before it; as, "I love you." "Christians love one another." SECTION VIII. OF ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS. 1. AN Adverb is a sort of word which is added to a Verb to perfect, explain, or enlarge its sense. 2. Adverbs are compared like Noun Adjectives. 3. Among these may be reckoned those words expressing some sudden passion, which are commonly called Interjections; "ah! oh!" as, 4. A Preposition is a sort of word which is commonly set before another, or compounded with it; as, "I go to London." 5. A Conjunction is a sort of word which joins words or sentences together; as, and, or. I cannot but subscribe to the remark of a late eminent writer, that, "in the simplicity of its structure, the English far exceeds all modern tongues ;" and, I verily believe, all ancient too; at least, all that I have any acquaintance with; the Greek and Latin in particular. A SHORT FRENCH GRAMMAR. [PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1751.] SECTION I. OF LETTERS. 1. THE letters in French are twenty-two: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, ij, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, aw, bã, sã, da, a, ef, ja, aush, e, el, em, en, o, pa, kŭ, ar, es, ta, V, U, X, y, Z. va, ŭ, ix, egrec, zed. 2. A sounds like a in all. 3. But before ï or y, like a in face. 5. Am, like om; an, like ong in song. 6. Aim, em, ain, in, like ang in hãng; but ine like een; aine, as in English. 7. In ao the o is not sounded. So paon, read paung. 9. E commonly sounds like a in face; so does 11. E final unmarked is not sounded. 13. Em, like em or om; en, like ong in song. 14. Eu, eui, ieu, oei, oeu, uei, ueu, u, ue, ui, yeu, sound almost alike. 15. Le sounds very short; les, like lay. 16. I and ie final sound like e in he. 17. Ien like eang. But in client, convenient, expedient, fient, orient, patient, like ẽong. 18. I before ll is sounded after it; except in words beginning with il; and in Achille, camomille, imbecille, pupille, mille, ville, tranquille, argille, distiller. 19. Im, with a consonant following, sounds like ěm or im; with a vowel following, like im. 20. O sounds like o in post. 21. Oi, oy, oye, eoi, in the first syllable of a word, before 1, m, r, and in proper names, sound like waw: 22. Elsewhere, like a in face. 23. But oi before gn sounds almost like wo. 26. Oui like we. 27. Om like ōm; on like ung. 28. U almost like u in surprise. 29. U is not sounded after q; nor between g and e, or g i; except in carquois, and foreign words. and 30. No final consonant, beside, c, f, l, m, n, q, r, is sounded before an initial consonant; except in foreign proper names. 31. A final consonant preceding the initial vowel of a Substantive is sounded as in one word: 32. And so is the final consonant of an Adverb preceding the initial vowel of an Adjective. 33. C final is always sounded; except in almanac, arsenic, estomac. 34. A final c following n sounds like g; and so in second, secret. 35. C marked thus ç, sounds like s. 36. Ch like sh; except in foreign words. 37. Ce la is read slaw; est ce, ess. 38. D final before an initial vowel sounds like t. 39. F final is not sounded in baillif, clef, eteuf, chef d'œuvre ; neuf, new. 40. F before an initial vowel sounds like v. 41. A vowel before gn sounds as if an i followed it. 42. H is rarely sounded in the beginning of a word, never in th. 43. L final is not sounded in barril, chenil, fils, filleul, fusil, gentil, il, nombril, outil, sourcil. 44. Ol final sounds like oo in fool; as does ouil in genouil, verrouil. 45. N final, or in the end of a syllable before a consonant, sounds as if a g followed. 46. R final is not sounded in the Infinitive Mood of the First and Second Conjugation, nor in Nouns of two or more syllables ; except enfer, fier, hyver, leger. 47. S between two vowels sounds like z. 48. T before i sounds like s; except in Aristocratie, Dalmatie, Galatie, minutie, primatie, prophetie. 49. Ent in the Third Person Plural of Verbs is not sounded. 50. Est before a consonant sounds like a; before a vowel like ate. 51. Notre and votre sound note and vote; except in the end of a sentence. 52. X in dix and sia, and between two vowels, sounds like s; in soixante and Bruxelles like ss. 53. X before co, cu, sounds like s. 54. X in Latin words between two vowels sounds like gz. SECTION II. OF NOUNS. 1. UN (a) or le (the) is prefixed to every Masculine Noun ; une or la to every Feminine; except Dieu, and proper names. 2. Nouns ending in ion, in e mute, or derived from the Latin, are generally of the Feminine Gender. 3. Most other nouns are of the Masculine. 4. The French have no Cases. They supply the place of them by varying the Article thus: 5. A Feminine Noun has la, de la, à la, instead of le, du, au. 6. The Plural Number is formed by adding s to the Singular. 7. But Nouns ending in s, x, or z, are not altered. So, le palais, Plu. les palais. 8. Nouns ending in ail or al form the Plural in aux. 9. Nouns ending in au or eu form the Plural in x. 10. Nouns ending in é form the Plural in z. 11. Nouns ending in t change it into s. So, enfant, enfans. 12. Ayeul has in the Plural ayeux; ciel, cieux; œil, yeux. 13. The Comparative Degree is formed by prefixing plus to the Positive. So, plus sage, wiser. 14. The Superlative, by prefixing le or la to the Comparative. So, le plus sage, wisest. 15. But in the following words thus: 16. In comparing Numbers de is used for que. SECTION III. OF PRONOUNS. 1. THERE are eighteen Pronouns, which are declined thus: 3. Ce, cet, or cette, with là subjoined, signifies that. So, ce garçon-là, that boy. 4. Sing. Mon, M. ma, F. ton, M. |