§. 10.

Observations on the difference of spelling the Greek and Roman proper Names in English and French.

1. The Greek and Roman proper names of men, ending in English in a, are the same in French; as-Agrippa, Caligula, Dolabella, Nerva, &c.

2. The proper names of women and goddesses, ending in English in a, become French by changing the final a into e mute; as-Cleopatra, Cléopatre; Matilda, Matilde; Agrippina, Agrippine; Diana, Diane, &c.

3. The greater part of proper names, ending in English in as, become French by changing as into e mute; as-Eneas, Enée; Mecenas, Mécène; Pythagoras, Pythagore, &c.

4. The proper names, ending in English in es, become French by changing that final into e mute; as-Demosthenes, Démosthène ; Ulysses, Ulysse; Socrates, Socrate, &c.

5. The proper names, ending in o in English, become French by changing o into on; as-Cicero, Cicéron; Cato, Caton; Dido, Didon; Scipio, Scipion, &c.

6. The proper names, ending in English in us or ius, are the same in French, when they consist of two syllables only; as-Brutus, Brutus; Cyrus, Cyrus; Venus, Vénus, &c. But if they are composed of three or more syllables, they generally become French by changing us or ius into e mute; as-Camillus, Camille; Esculapius, Esculape; Orpheus, Orphée, &c.

7. Most proper names, ending in English in al or is, are the same in both languages, as-Annibal, Asdrubal, Juvenal, Sésostris, &c. 8. Most proper names, ending in English in ander, become French by changing ander into andre; as-Alexander, Alexandre; Lysander, Lysandre, &c.

PART THE SECOND.

ETYMOLOGY.

A General View of the Parts of Speech.

THE Second Part of Grammar is Etymology, which treats of the different sorts of words, their various modifications, and their derivation.

There are in French nine sorts of words, or Parts of Speech, namely the Article, the Substantive, the Adjective, the Pronoun, the Verb, the Adverb, the Preposition, the Conjunction, and the Interjection.

1. An Article is a word prefixed to Substantives, to point them out, and to show how far their signification extends; as—un homme ; une femme; le roi.

2. A Substantive is the name of any thing that exists, or of which we have any notion; as-soleil; Londres; vertu; Alexandre.

3. An Adjective is a word added to a Substantive to express its quality, or manner of being; as-une belle femme; une grande ville. 4. A Pronoun is a word used instead of a Noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition of the same word; as-Mon ami est arrivé; il m'a apporté de bien jolies choses.

5. A Verb is a word of which the principal use is to express affirmation, or to signify to be, to do, or to suffer; as-je suis; j'aime ; je suis aimé.

6. An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a Verb, an Adjective, and sometimes to another Adverb, to express some quality or circumstance respecting it; as-il parle bien; un fort bon homme; il écrit très-correctement.

7. Prepositions serve to connect words with one another, and to show the relation between them; as-il alla de Londres à Paris ; il vit de rapine.

8. A Conjunction is a part of speech that is chiefly used to connect sentences, so as, out of two or more sentences, to make but one; it sometimes connects only words; as-vous et lui, vous êtes heureux ; le plaisir et la peine.

9. Interjections are words thrown in between the parts of a sentence, to express the passions or emotions of the speaker; asO ciel! que vous êtes aimable!

Observe. We shall now proceed to treat of the different sorts of words just enumerated, and their various modifications, omitting, however, to notice their derivation, as it would involve explanations much too diffuse for the limits of this work.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS,

Which must be committed to Memory.

I. OF THE ARTICLE.

THE Article in French may be divided into Indefinite, Definite, and Partitive. The Indefinite is, un, une, a or an; the Definite, le, la, les, the; the Partitive, du, de la, des, some or any.

1. Conjunctive Personal Pronouns. 2. Disjunctive Personal Pronouns.

Observe. The Possessive Pronouns are called Conjunctive when they precede a Substantive; and Disjunctive, when they refer to a Substantive going before. The Conjunctive take the Preposition de before them in French, in the sense of of or from in English, and à in the sense of at or to; whilst the Disjunctive are preceded by le, la, les, the; du, de la, des, of or from the; and au, à la, aux, at or to the, like a Substantive; as may be seen under the article of Possessive Pronouns hereafter. Both the Conjunctive and Disjunctive agree in gender and number with the Substantive to which they refer.

Observe. The above Pronouns, like the Possessive Conjunctive, take de before them in French, in the sense of of or from in English, and à in the sense of at or to. For any further explanation, see the article on Demonstrative Pronouns.

3. Interrogative Pronouns, used with reference to a Substantive

antecedent.

4. Indeterminate Interrogative Pronouns, used with reference to things in an indefinite manner.

Note.-The above Articles and Pronouns are fully explained in the following chapters.