If two or more words be united, so that one be determined by the other, that by which the idea is determined is the radical one, and always constitutes the last part of the compound word; as, Bauholz, timber; Rathhaus, town-house'; Straszenräuber, highwaymen; grüngelb, yellow colour, that tends to green. All these have a different signification, as soon as the words which constitute the composition are placed otherwise; as, Holzbau, plantation of wood; Hausrath, furniture; die Räuberstrasze, the road for highwaymen; gelbgrün, green colour, that tends to yellow. Substantives may be compounded, 1st. With a substantive; as, der Taubenhals, the neck of a pigeon; der Reisehut, the travelling-bat; das Kopfweh, the head-ache; die Zahnschmerzen, the tooth-ache; die Halsbinde, the cravat; das Hutband, the hat-band; das Hausbrod, household-bread. 2d. With an adjective; as, der Groszvater, the grandfather; der Freyherr, the baron; die Langeweile, tediousness; der Trübsinn, melancholy; der Rothgieszer, the brazier. 3d. With a verb: as, Brennöl, lamp-oil; Grabstichel, a graver; ein Reitpferd, a saddle-horse; das Brechmittel, a vomit; ein Trinklied, a jovial song. 4th. With a preposition, or an adverb; as, der Vortheil, the advantage; der Vorderarm, the fore part of the arm; die Niederlande, the Netherlands; das Ebenmaas, the proportion; der Nach theil, the disadvantage; die Hinterlist, artifice; das Gegentheil, the contrary; das Gegengewicht, the counterbalance. 5th. With different parts of speech; as, ein Taugenichts, a good for nothing fellow; ein Nimmersatt, a glutton; das Daseyn, existence; Zutrauen, confidence. das 6th. With a substantive and one of the following prefixed particles, erz, ur, un, mis; as, der Erzvater, the patriarch; der Erzherzog, the archduke; ein Erzlügner, an arch liar; ein Erznarr, an arch rogue; eine Urkunde, a document ; eine Ursache, a cause or reason; der Ursprung, the origin; der Urheber, the author; der Urgroszvater, the great grandfather; der Urenkel, the great grandson; uralt, very ancient; die Urältern, the ancestors. The syllables un and mis have a peculiar signification in German as well as in English; as, der Mensch, the man; der Unmensch, an inhuman das Glück, fortune; möglich, possible; der Stern, the star das Thier, animal; hold, kindly; höflich, civil; werth, worthy; person. das Unglück, misfortune. The The same with mis; as, der Laut, the sound; der Mislaut, dissonance. die Gunst, the favour; die Misgunst, envy. das Geschick, destiny; das Misgeschick, inaptitude. die Geburt, the birth; die Misgeburt, an abortion. de Handlung, demeanor; die Mishandlung, misdemeanor. der Verstand, understanding; der Misverstand, misunderstanding. da: Verständnisz, intelligence; das Misverständnisz, misintelligence. OBSERVATION. When the last part of the composition is common to two or more words following, ve retrench in the first, and replace the retrenched part with an hyphen (-), which signifies that the word has the same termination as that which follovs; as, der Ein- und Ausgang, the entrance and going out, instead of Eingang und Ausgang; Er ist ein guter Sprach- Screib- Fecht- und TanzMeister, he is a good linguist, writer, fencer, and dancing master. 3. Their Genders. It is an unfortunate circumstance, that this pirt of grammar, which is of the highest importance, should have been hitherto so indifferently treated by former authors; many of whom, instead of rendering it clear and simple to the student, have per perplexed it more, and led him into a labyrinth of numerous irregularities and difficulties, from which I hope to extricate him, by a plain and easy progression. The German substantives are divided into two principal genders, viz. the personal and neuter. Thẹ first is likewise masculine or feminine. General Remarks. Masculine are those which express strength, vigour, energy, or activity. Feminine are those nouns which express what is soft, agreeable, pleasant, or affectionate. Neuter are such as cannot express any of the above objects. Although this comprehends, in an existing manner, all the genders of nouns; I shall, notwithstanding, exhibit each class individually, and at the same time point out the three genders of the German language separately, together with the small number of exceptions which each of them possess; at the conclusion I shall add some peculiarities, under the title of "General Observations on the Genders." Rules for the Genders. The masculine genders are: 1st. All proper names of male persons, gods, angels, and demons, as well as all names expressing an an office, dignity, quality, station, or instrument, peculiar to the male. EXCEPT, diminutives which are neuters; and a few compound words, in which the last component is of a different gender; as, die Mannsperson, and das Mannsbild, both denoting à male; die Person, the person, being a feminine } das Bild, the figure, neuter. 2d. The names of stones, winds, birds, fishes, trees, seasons, months, days, and the elementary productions.* 3d. All derivatives ending in er, expressing a station, and those denoting an instrument peculiar to the male. EXCEPT, das Messer, the knife; das Ruder, the oar; die Klammer, a cramp-iron; die Klapper, a rattle; die Halfter, a halter; die Leiter, a ladder, die Leyer, a hurdy-gurdy. 4th. Most derivatives ending in en. EXCEPT the infinitives, and some other single nouns, which are neuter; as, das Almosen, alms; das Becken, the basin; das Küssen, the cushion; das Lehen, the fife; das Wapen, the coat of arms; das Zeichen, the sign; das Eisen, the iron. 5th. All derivatives ending in ing and ling. EXCEPT, das Messing, brass. Femi * This rule contains, comparatively speaking, very few exceptions, the principal of which are: das Jahr, the year, which is neuter; and die Mittwoche, Wednesday, feminine; and a few others. |