Chapter 15 Nouns: Minor Declensions

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Chapter 15

Nouns: Minor Declensions

15.1. The "minor" noun declensions, those which have fewer members, are in general much affected by analogical attraction of "major" declensions having more members. The former tend to adopt some of the inflectional endings of the latter, or even to "go over" completely to them, taking on the entire paradigm of inflections. Sometimes this even involves a shift of gender.

The u-Declension

15.2. Masculine: sunu, son. Feminine: hond, hand.

S.N.A.	_		_		sunu,	-a					hond
G.	_		_		~ a						~ a
D.I.	_		_		~ a,	-u					~ a
P.N.A.	_		_		~ a,	-u					~ a
G.	_		_		~ a						~ a
D.I.	_		_		~ um						~ um

This declension has been reduced to comparatively few members. The commonest are: Masc. wudu, wood; sidu, custom; medu, mead; feld, field; ford, ford; winter, winter; sumor, summer; weald, forest. Fem. duru, door. Neut. fela, much.

Feminine Abstract Nouns

15.3. Examples: wlencu, pride; strengðu, strength.

S.N.

wlencu,

-o

strengðu

-o

A.G.D.I.

~ e;

-u,

-o

~ e;

-u,

-o

P.N.A.

~ (e)a;

-u,

-o

~ e,

-a:

-u

-o

G.

~ (e)a

~ a

D.I.

~ um

~ um

Note 1: The -u of the S.N. has been obtained from the o-declension and extended to other cases so as to produce often an uninflected singular. There is always more or less conformity to the o-declension, especially by nouns in *-iðu.

The r-Declension

15.4. Nouns of relationship: fæder, mōdor, brōðor, dohtor. With these belong the collective plurals gebroðor, brethren, and gesweostor, sisters.

	MASCULINE						___	___	FEMININE
S.N.A.			fæder		brōðor				mōdor			sweostor,	-er
G.	_		~ ,	-(e)res _	~				~			~
D.I.		_	~		brēðer				mēder		__	~
P.N.A.			fæd(e)ras		brōðor	-ru			mōdru	-a		sweostor,	-ru,	-ra
G.			~ a,		~ ra				~ a			~ ra
D.I.			~ um		~ um				~ um			~ rum

Note 2: The datives mēder and brēðer, and sometimes dehter (from dohtor) are examples of i-umlaut: mēder ˂ *mōdri; brēðer ˂ *brōðri; dehter ˂ *dohtri. (These forms are sometimes transferred from D. to G. case.)

The nd-Declension

15.5. Examples: frēond, friend (loving one); hettend, enemy (hating one).

S.N.A.	_		_		frēond						hettend
G.	_		_		~ es						~ es
D.I.	_		_		~ frīend,	frēonde					~ e
P.N.A.	_		_		~ frīend,	frēond,	frēondas				~ , -as, -e
G.	_		_		frēonda						~ ra
D.I.	_		_		~ um						~ um

This declension comprises Masculine nouns of agency derived from present participles. Like frēond is declined fēond, foe; like hettend are declined āgend, owner; dēmend, judge; ēhtend, persecutor; fultum(i)end, helper; Hǣlend, Savior; wealdend, ruler; wīgend, warrior; etc.

Note 3: Some inflectional endings of this class show analogical conformity to other classes: S.G. -es, D. -e, P.N. -as follow the a-declension; P.N. -e, G. -ra are derived from the regular strong adjective declension of present participles.

The er-Declension

15.6. Neuter: lomb, lamb; cealf, calf; ǣg, egg.

S.N.A.	_		lomb				cealf			ǣg
G.	_		~ es				~ es			~ es
D.I.	_		~ e				~ e			~ e
P.N.A.	_		lombru	(lomb)			cealfru			ǣgru
G.	_		~ ra	(lomba)			~ ra			~ ra
D.I.	_		~ rum	(lombum)			~ rum			~ um

Note 4: The plurals in r just given in the paradigms, to which may be added the occasional P. cildru, children, conserve notable traces of the primitive stem-formation. These may also be recognized in dōgor, day; sigor, victory; hrȳðer, cattle; which, however, have gone over to the a-declension, often with a change of gender.

The Radical Consonant Declension¹

15.7. Masculine: monn, man; fōt, foot; tōð, tooth. Feminine: bōc, book; burg, borough, fortified town.

S.N.A.

_

monn

fōt

tōð

bōc

burg

G.

_

~ es

~ es

~ es

bēc,

bōce

byr(i)g

D.I.

_

menn

fēt

tēð

~

~

P.N.A.

_

~

~

~

~

~

G.

_

monna

fōta

tōða

bōca

burga

D.I.

_

~ um

~ um

~ um

~ um

~ um

Note 5: Some occasional analogical forms are: S.A. monnan; P.N.A. fōtas, tōðas. Other nouns of this declension are: Neut. scrūd, garment, shroud; Fem. brōc, breeches; gāt, goat; gōs, goose; lūs, louse; mūs, mouse; cū, cow. Most of these come down into MnE as the "Umlaut Plurals."

Translation: The Creation

Ealle gesceafta, heofonas and englas, sunnan and mōnan, steorran and eorðan, ealle nȳtenu and fugolas, sǣ and ealle fiscas, and ealle gesceafta God gesceōp and geworhte on six dagum; and on ðām seofoðan dæge hē geendode his weorc, and geswāc þā and gehālgode ðone seofoðan dæg, for þām þe hē on ðām dæge his weorc geendode. And hē behēold ðā ealle his weorc þe hē geworhte, and hī wǣron ealle swīð gōde.
Ealle ðing hē geworhte būton ǣlcum antimbre. Hē cwæð, "Geweorðe lēoht"; and ðǣrrihte wæs lēoht geworden. Hē cwæð eft, "Geweorðe heofon"; and ðǣrrihte wæs heofon geworht, swā swā hē mid his wīsdōme and mid his willan hit gedihte.
Hē cwæð eft, and hēt ðā eorðan þæt hēo sceolde forðlǣdan cwicu nȳtenu; and hē ðā gesceōp of ðǣre eorðan eall nȳtencynn, and dēorcynn, ealle ðā þe on fēower fōtum gāð ; ealswā eft of wætere hē gesceōp fiscas and fuglas, and sealde ðām fiscum sund, and ðām fuglum fliht; ac hē ne sealde nānum ntene ne nānum fisce nāne sāwle; ac heora blōd is heora līf, and swā hraðe swā hī bēoð dēade, swā bēoð hī mid ealle geendode.

VOCABULARY

1. ǣlc, any
2. antimber, building material, matter
3. cwicu, live, quick
4. ealswā, also
5. forðlǣdan, to bring forth
6. gedihtan, to dispose, arrange
7. gehālgian, to hallow, bless
8. gesceaft, created thing
9. gesceop, PastT of gescīeppan, to create


10. geswāc, PastT of geswīcan, to cease.
11. geweorðan, to come about
12. hraðe, quickly
13. nȳten, animal
14. sāwol, soul
15. sund, power of swimmng
16. swā, so, as
17. swīðe, very
18. ðǣrrihte, immediately

FOOTNOTES

¹This name indicates that the inflection, in this class of nouns, is added directly to the consonant of the root or base, rather than to a stem.