OLD ENGLISH GRAMMAR: THE NOUN, THE PRONOUN

THE NOUN
Gender: Masculine, Feminine and Neuter.
Number: Singular and Plural:
fisc – fiscas; tōð – tēð
Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative.
(Genitive) OE thæs cyninges brōðor - “that king’s brother”.

NOUN DECLENSIONS (STEMS)
Strong (vowel) declension: a-stem, ō-stem, u-stem and i-stem.
Weak (consonant) declension: n-stem, r-stem, s-stem.
Root-stems: the root was equal to the stem.

STRONG (VOWEL) DECLENSION

WEAK (CONSONANT) DECLENSION

ROOT-STEM DECLENSION

THE PRONOUN
personal,
demonstrative,
interrogative,
possessive,
indefinite,
relative.

PERSONAL PRONOUN
1st pers.: Ic, wē;
2nd pers.: ðu, gē;
3rd pers.: hē, hēo, hit; hī /hīe.

CATEGORY OF NUMBER

DECLENSION
OF THE PERSONAL PRONOUN IC

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUN
Masculine: sē,
Feminine: sēo,
Neuter: thæt
Plural: thæt

DECLENSION OF THE DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
A separate class of pronouns:
OE his mōdor - ModE his mother;
OE sunu mīn “my son” – ModE son mine (literally)

THE ADJECTIVE
Case,
Number,
Gender,
Two types of declensions:
weak and strong.

DECLENSION OF ADJECTIVES

DEGREES OF COMPARISON
The Comparative degree: the suffix –ra,
The Superlative degree: the suffix -est/-ost
Vowel alternations due to palatal mutation
Suppletive forms