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ACCIDENCE

CHAPTER X
DECLENSION OF NOUNS

§ 176. GOTHIC nouns have two numbers—singular and plural; three genders—masculine, feminine, and neuter, as in the other Old Germanic languages, from which the gender of nouns in Gothic does not materially differ; four cases—Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, and Dative. The Vocative is mostly like the Nominative, but in the singular of some classes of nouns it regularly fell together with the Accusative, see §§ 87-8.

NOTE.—It should be noted that what is called the dat sing, in Gothic is originally the instrumental in the a-stems (§ 179) and masc. i-stems (§ 196); locative in the fem. i- (§ 198), u- (§ 202), and all consonant-stems (§§ 207-22); and the dat. only in the ō-stems (§ 1ΘΟ).

§ 177. In Gothic, as in the oldest periods of the other Germanic languages, nouns are divided into two great classes, according as the stem originally ended in & vowel or consonant, cp. the similar division of nouns in Sanskrit, Latin and Greek. Nouns, whose stems originally ended in a vowel, belong to the vocalic or so-called Strong Declension. Those, whose stems end in -n, belong to the Weak Declension. All other consonantal stems are in this grammar put together under the general heading of ' Minor Declensions'.

The learner, who wishes to compare the Gothic case-endings with the corresponding forms of Latin, Greek, &c.,



		ACCIDENCE CHAPTER X DECLENSION OF NOUNS § 176. GOTHIC nouns have two numbers—singular and plural; three genders—masculine, feminine, and neuter, as in the other Old Germanic languages, from which the gender of nouns in Gothic does not materially differ; four cases—Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, and Dative. The Vocative is mostly like the Nominative, but in the singular of some classes of nouns it regularly fell together with the Accusative, see §§ 87-8. NOTE.—It should be noted that what is called the dat sing, in Gothic is originally the instrumental in the a-stems (§ 179) and masc. i-stems (§ 196); locative in the fem. i- (§ 198), u- (§ 202), and all consonant-stems (§§ 207-22); and the dat. only in the ō-stems (§ 1ΘΟ). § 177. In Gothic, as in the oldest periods of the other Germanic languages, nouns are divided into two great classes, according as the stem originally ended in & vowel or consonant, cp. the similar division of nouns in Sanskrit, Latin and Greek. Nouns, whose stems originally ended in a vowel, belong to the vocalic or so-called Strong Declension. Those, whose stems end in -n, belong to the Weak Declension. All other consonantal stems are in this grammar put together under the general heading of ' Minor Declensions'. The learner, who wishes to compare the Gothic case-endings with the corresponding forms of Latin, Greek, &c.,