Post by Rosalind MitchellPost by FennyOn Wed, 28 Jun 2017 14:25:34 +0100, Marjorie
Post by FennyOn Tue, 27 Jun 2017 22:52:30 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
Although I am bilingual and speak good German I have always had a
problem with declensions. I got A Level and did the first year of
German Honours but still get confused about them. I think you need to
have done Latin to really understand them.
Durex
Durex
Duricem
Duricis
Durici
Durice
Durices
Durices
Durices
Duricium
Duricibus
Duricibus
Silly I know but because of it I can still do Latin third declension
nouns fifty years on.
Gaelic also declines. Like Latin it has a vocative case too, which is
how one venerable Umrat, Peanaidh, becomes another venerable Umrat who I
see is still around, a Pheanaidh. Who would be Feanaidh in the
nominative and a Fheanaidh in the vocative with the initial consonant
disappearing altogether or reduced to the faintest of aspirations.
Masculine names may be mutated at both ends hence Seumas, pronounced
'shaymus' becomes a Sheumais in the vocative which sounds like, well,
work it out for yourself, a Dhubhghall (which doesn't mutate at the end,
if you follow).
Rosqb
Actually Czech has names which change for m/f. My father's surname
was Roth but his mother's name was Rothova, the female form.