CHAPTER XV.

NOUNS.

REVIEW EXERCISE. 209.

un? 2. If a word stands as subject of a sentence, eech may it belong? 3. What if it is the object of osition? 4. What do you call a word that is modie? 5. How do you tell whether a word is a noun

of words or phrases may modify a noun? 7. Use ject of a sentence, and give it two or three modisident" as an object, and modify it by a preposi an appositive.

A. KINDS.

1. PROPER NOUNS.

not always use nouns correctly in senhaving some regard to the classes into divided according to their meaning.

EXERCISE 210.

name "gulf” always stand for the same body of ow many parts of a year may the word "month" w many does the word "April" apply?

3. (a) Which word in each of the following groups applies to the greatest number? (b) Which to the least? (c) Which are names for every one of a certain class? (d) Which are "given names"? (e) Name another individual of each class.

sent a thing as being of a certain kind or class, without showing which particular one or which part is meant. Other nouns are names given to designate a particular individual.

Thus the noun man may apply to any one of millions of persons, but the name William E. Gladstone applies to one person only. The name city is held in common by hundreds of places, because they are in some respects alike; but Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, are names given to certain cities, to be, as it were, their exclusive property.

253. A name held in common by all of a kind is called a Common noun; and a special name given to one individual for its own is called a Proper noun.

"Proper" is derived from a word meaning one's own.

254. Common nouns, such as clock, kitchen, tree, glass, putty, oysters, weight, writing, mercy, have meanings that describe things and show what they are by nature.

Proper nouns, as we use them, have no longer any meaning in themselves, and like the word Dick, which may name a horse, a man, a boy, a dog, or a bird, they serve only to designate one person, place, or thing.

We can judge by looking at an object what common nouns to apply to it; but if it has a proper name, that must be learned in some other way.

EXERCISE 211.

1. Tell which of these nouns are common and which proper:

2. Does the last word in each column show what sort of person is meant? If so, these words are common nouns.

255. A Proper Noun is a special name meant for only one individual.

All other nouns are common nouns.

256. A Common Noun is a general name for any or all of a certain kind.

formed from them must begin with capitals.

(a) When a proper name is made up of several parts, each one must begin with a capital. Thus:

John Greenleaf Whittier; the Duke of Brunswick.

EXERCISE 212.

1. Write the special or proper names of several individuals in each of the following classes :

River; town; volcano; governor; king; author; country; planet; queen; dog; historian; state; yacht; month; painter; poet; capital; president; book; inventor.

2. What are the people called who live in the following places? Thus:

"Canada," Canadians; "Genoa," Genoese.

Canada; Genoa; Cuba; Spain; Venice; Italy; Europe; Mexico; Brazil; Burmah; China; Japan; Malta; Norway; Boston.

2. GENDER-NOUNS.

258. Among the nouns that name living beings, many names show to which sex a person belongs; as,

Edward, Mary, Margaret;

and we sometimes find two nouns with no difference in meaning, except that one of them denotes a male and the other a female; as,

prince, princess; son, daughter; John, Jane.

259. All such nouns are called Gender-nouns, because they show which sex is meant. Those that by their form denote males are said to be masculine, or of the masculine gender; those that denote females are said to be feminine, or of the feminine gender.

260. (a) Sometimes the correlative gender-nouns are similar in form, the feminine ending in -ess.

Thus:

261. (b) Some words from foreign languages are changed in

262. (c) Sometimes the feminine is a wholly different word from its corresponding masculine. Thus:

stag, hind;

wizard, witch;

youth, maiden.

In widower, widow, the masculine is made from the feminine.

he-goat, she-bear, man-servant.

most nouns, however, the same form is used for rds like poet, editor, doctor, author, may refer to a just as do parent, child, friend, cousin.

EXERCISE 213.

the following nouns do not show sex? (b) Tell -nouns are masculine ́or feminine, and give the of opposite gender, if there is one.

dward; duchess; president; bridegroom; printer; peacock; child; cook; czar; lass; widow; secreant; nun; artist; spinster; aunt; goose; abbot; roe; hen; landlord; laundress.

7 general names as you can for relatives of both

it.

Her-noun is one that shows by its form

nt.

3. COLLECTIVE NOUNS.

EXERCISE 214.

Hifference between a soldier and an army? 2. A 3. A singer and a choir? 4. Of what is a jury ck? 6. A school?

ouns, even in the singular form, may be ng, and are called Collective nouns, beEe a collection of individuals.

EXERCISE 215.