THE POSSESSIVE CASE. 69. Instead of the Prepositional phrase, of the Queen, we often use the word Queen's, which we call the Possessive Case of the Noun Queen. The mark', called Apostrophe (from a Greek word meaning a cutting off), denotes the omission of a vowel, e. In this form we have a remnant of an Old English case ending in es; thus Old English Nominative, fisc, a fish; scip, a ship. "Of our Anglo-Saxon cases we kept but one, the Genitive, and that only in particular constructions; for this Genitive must always precede the Noun it depends on.”—Hare. NOTE 1.-Words ending in s-sounds have frequently the apostrophe with no s added; as— Look in this place ran Cassius' dagger through. Charles' wain is over the new chimney. J. C. 3, 2, 178. H. 4. A. ; 2, 1, 2. He is as worthy for an Empress' love, And then the lover, Gent. 2, 3, 77. Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad 'Tis not well In Venice' Duke to say so.-Byron. O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly To seal love's bonds new made, than they are wont and sometimes, as in the phrase for conscience sake, the apostrophe and s are both omitted. Yet we write St. James's Square, and perhaps we ought to write for conscience' sake. NOTE 2. Plurals ending in s have the apostrophe with no s added; as Our sons their fathers' failing language see, Here feel we but the penalty of Adam, The seasons' difference.-As, 2, 1, 6. NOTE 3.-In such a phrase as The Queen of England's daughter, the words The-Queen-of-England are to be regarded as making up a single Noun. 70. There are two chief uses of the Possessive Case, in both of which it has an office like that of the Adjective— 1. To limit, as an attribute, another Noun :— These wounds I had on Crispin's day.—H. 5.; 4, 3, 48. 2. To complete, as a predicate, an assertion of possession Every subject's duty is the king's.—H. 5.; 4, 1, 186. NOTE 1. The use of the Possessive in our older writers is much more common with names of persons than with names of things. NOTE 2.1 -The Noun on which the Possessive depends is often omitted in well-known expressions; as— We went to St. Paul's (Church). Run to the doctor's (house). Here we have examples of a form of speech called Ellipsis (from a Greek word meaning leaving out), which consists in the omission of a word necessary to complete the sentence. NOTE 3.-Of and the Possessive Case are used together; for example, we say, "A friend of my brother's," meaning, "One among the number of my brother's friends ;" and, "This is a horse of my father's," meaning, "This is one of the horses belonging to my father." If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his.-J. C. 3, 2, 28. THE DATIVE CASE. 71. A Noun or Pronoun, expressing the person for whom an action is performed, not having a Preposition before it, is said to be in the Dative Case. The form of this case is the same as that of the Objective. The name Dative is selected for it, because it is usual with Verbs of giving to have an Objective Case of the thing given, and another Noun expressing the person to whom the gift is made. He brought me a letter. Answer me this question. Set me the crown upon my pillow here.-H. 4. B.; 4, 5, 5. Heat me these irons hot.-John, 4, 1, I. I thrice presented him a kingly crown.-J. C. 3, 2, ΙΟΙ. Fill me a bowl of wine. Give me a watch.-R. 3.; 5, 3, 63. Bardolph, give the soldiers coats.-H. 4. B.; 3, 2, 311. THE VOCATIVE CASE. 72. A Noun, expressing the person addressed, is said to be in the Vocative Case. The form of this case is the same as that of the Nominative :: Come hither, boy.-Twel. 2, 4, 15. Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought. H. 4. B.; 4, 5, 93. Mistress, know yourself.-As, 3, 5, 57. INFLEXION. 73. Inflexions are changes made in words to express a change of meaning. Thus the plural children and the possessive child's are formed by inflexion from the word child; and the feminine hostess is formed from the masculine host by inflexion; and the comparative livelier is formed from the positive lively by inflexion. The kinds of words that can be inflected are the Noun, the Pronoun, the Adjective, the Verb, and the Adverb. DECLENSION OF NOUNS. 74. A scheme showing the inflexions of a Noun to C express Case and Number is called the Declension of the Noun, of which the following are examples : NOTE. We have given Three Cases only of the Five specified in §§ 30, 31. The Dative is always the same in form as the Objective in Nouns, and also in Personal Pronouns. The Vocative is always the same in form as the Nominative. |