Chapter 15: Minor Declension Nouns

Chapter 15: Minor Declension Nouns "Minor" declensions are so called because there are many fewer words that follow these patterns than follow the strong and weak declensions (declensions 1 through 4). Nevertheless, several important and common words follow these minor declensions, and you need to be able to recognize them. There are three important minor declensions: the u-declension, the r-declension ("family words") and the radical consonant declension. u-declension Nouns Most u-declension nouns end in u, although the u-declension does contain some other nouns that end in consonants but nevertheless follow the same paradigm as those that end in u. Remember that not all nouns that end in u fall into the u-declension, some are third-declension nouns such as giefu. Some u-declension Nouns: Old English sunu hond wudu weald medu fela Modern English son (masculine) hand (feminine) wood (masculine) forest (masculine) field (masculine) many (neuter) The endings for these nouns are given in the table below (a dash - indicates that the stem gets no additional ending) u-Declension Nouns Paradigm Case Singular - or a a - or a a or u Nominative Genitive Accusative Dative and Instrumental Plural a or u a a or u um u-Declension Singular Nouns: Examples Case Old English Translation Nominative sunu son (subject) Genitive suna of the son Accusative sunu son (direct object) with the son Dative and Instrumental suna son (indirect object) u-Declension Plural Nouns: Examples Case Old English Translation Nominative sunu sons (subject) Genitive suna of the sons Accusative sunu sons (direct object) with the sons sunum Dative and Instrumental sons (indirect object) r-declension Nouns ("family words") These nouns included the "family words," such as "mother," and "father." Some r-Declension Nouns Old English fæder broðor modor sweostor Modern English father brother mother sister The endings for these nouns are given in the table below (the dash - indicates that the stem gets no additional ending) r-Declension Nouns Paradigm Case Singular Plural Nominative - ru or ra or ras Genitive - or res ra Accusative - ru or ra or ras Dative and Instrumental - or er um or rum r-Declension Singular Nouns: Examples Case Old English Translation Nominative fæder father (subject) Genitive fæderes of the father fæder Accusative father (direct object) with the father Dative and Instrumental fæder father (indirect object) r-Declension Plural Nouns: Examples Old English Case Translation Nominative fæderas fathers (subject) Genitive fædera of the fathers Accusative fæderas fathers (direct object) with the fathers Dative and Instrumental fæderum fathers (indirect object) Radical Consonant Declension Nouns Radical Consonant Declension nouns are nouns where vowels in the noun change (the way that Modern English "foot" changes to "feet" in the plural) either in addition to, or in place of, adding an ending to the stem. Some Radical Consonant Declension Nouns: Old English monn fot to boc Modern English man foot tooth book The endings for these nouns are given in the table below. (the dash - indicates that the stem gets no additional ending) Radical Consonant Declension Nouns Paradigm Case Singular Plural Nominative - - Genitive es a Accusative - - vowel changes from "o" to "e" Dative and Instrumental monn ==> menn um Radical Consonant Declension Singular Nouns: Examples Case Old English Translation Nominative fot foot (subject) Genitive fotes of the foot Accusative fot foot (direct object) with the foot Dative and Instrumental fet foot (indirect object) Radical Consonant Declension Plural Nouns: Examples Case Old English Translation Nominative fot feet (subject) Genitive fota of the feet Accusative fot feet (direct object) with the feet Dative and Instrumental fotum feet (indirect object)