Of Case.

Case is the form or state of a noun or pronoun, to express the relation which it bears to another word.

Nouns have three cases, the nominative, the possessive, and the objective.

The nominative simply expresses the name of a thing, or is the subject of the verb; as, "The boy plays;" "The girls learn."

The possessive denotes possession or property, and is distinguished by an apostrophe with the letter s coming after it; as, "John's book;" My father's house."

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When the plural ends in s the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe; as, "On eagles' wings."

The objective case expresses the object of an action or of a relation, and follows either a verb or a preposition; as, "I love Henry;" "They live in London."

Nouns are thus declined :

*Case from Casus, a fall, is so called, because ancient grammarians, it is said, represented the cases as declining or falling from the nominative, which was represented by a perpendicular, and thence called Casus rectus, or upright case, while the others were named Casus obliqui, or oblique cases.

3.-OF ADJECTIVES.

An Adjective is a word added to a substantive to express its quality, number, quantity, or any other circumstance belonging to it; as, "A good man; a bad heart; a large hill; a square table; the green grass ; twenty horses; much noise; this hat." Adjectives are of several kinds; namely, common, proper, compound, and definitive.

Common adjectives are those which indicate the quality or quantity of nouns to which they are attached.

Common adjectives admit degrees of comparison.

There are two degrees of comparison; the comparative and the superlative.

The positive state expresses the simple quality; as, good, wise, great.

The comparative degree expresses a higher or lower degree of the quality than the positive; as, greater, less wise.

The superlative expresses the highest or the lowest degree; as, greatest, least wise.

The comparative of words of one syllable is formed by adding r or er to the positive; as, wise, wiser; great, greater; and the superlative, by adding st or est ; as, wise, wisest; great, greatest. Adjective from adjectus, signifying "something added to something else."

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Adjectives of more than one syllable are generally compared by prefixing more and most ; as, generous, more generous, most generous.

Diminution of quality, whether the adjective is of one syllable or of more than one, is formed by less and least; as, less happy, least happy; or by adding to some adjectives ish; as, black, blackish. The adverb rather also expresses a small degree of the quality; as, rather little.

The words more and most, less and least, when prefixed to adjectives, are considered as forming part of the adjective, and consequently, more happy, less happy, and similar words, when taken collectively will be adjectives in the comparative degree.

Dissyllables in y change y into i before er and est; as, happy, happier, happiest.

Dissyllables ending in e are often compared by er and est; as, ample, ampler, amplest; also words accented on the last syllable have sometimes er and est; as, discreet, discreeter, discreetest. Adjectives compared irregularly.

Adjectives, whose signification does not admit extension or diminution, are not compared. Such are, 1. Words expressive of figure; as, round, square, triangular, &c. 2. Definitive adjectives; as, first, second, third, one, two, three, many, several, this, &c. 3. Words denoting the highest or lowest degree of the property or quality; as, chief, extreme, supreme, infinite, perfect, &c. 4. Certain words implying matter, time, place, or person; as, wooden, golden, daily, English, Mosaic, &c. 5. Words denoting unity and universality; as, all, sole, alone, universal, &c.

Much is applied to things weighed or measured;
Many, to things that are numbered.

Prior, superior, ulterior, exterior, and several other words having the form of the Latin comparison, are, however, considered to have in English no degrees of comparison.

Proper adjectives are such as are derived from proper names; thus, English from England; Ciceronian from Cicero.

Compound adjectives are so called, because they are composed of two primitive words; as, "Nut-brown ale;" «Party-spirit zeal."

Definitive adjectives are prefixed to substantives to define or limit their signification without expressing any quality; as, this man, any man, each country, any country.

Each, every, either, neither, denote the persons and things which make up a number, as taken separately and singly; as, "Each man in his order;" "Every vice is strengthened by indulgence."

This, that, these, and those, precisely point out the subjects to which they relate; as, "this man is virtuous;" "that man is wicked.”

This refers to the nearest person or thing, and that to the most distant; as, "This man is wiser

than that." This points out the latter or last mentioned; that, the former or first mentioned; as, "Both wealth and poverty are temptations; that tends to excite pride; this, discontent."

All, any, other, another, one, none, some, several, both, few, many, such, do not limit their subjects to any exact number.

None is used in both numbers.

Numeral adjectives, or such as distinguish the number or order of beings or things, are also included in the class of definitives.

Numeral adjectives are of two kinds, Cardinal and Ordinal. The Cardinal express a number absolutely, and are, as it were, the hinges upon which the others rest; as, one, two, three, four, five, six, &c. The Ordinal numbers denote the order or succession in which any number of persons or things is mentioned; as, "The first, second, third, fourth, fifth."

4.-OF PRONOUNS.

A Pronoun* is a word used instead of a noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition of the same

* Pronoun from pro for, and nomen a name.