ABSTRACT
In the flexion of substantives and adjectives we see phenomena corresponding to those we have just been considering in the verbs. The ancient languages of our family have several forms where modern languages content themselves with fewer; forms originally kept distinct are in course of time confused, either through a phonetic obliteration of differences in the endings or through analogical extension of the functions of one form. The single form good is now used where OE. used the forms god, godne, gode, godum, godes, godre, godra, goda, godan, godena; Ital. uomo or French homme is used for Lat. homo, hominem, homini, homine —nay, if we take the spoken form into consideration, Fr. [om] corresponds not only to these Latin forms, but also to homines, hominibus. Where the modern language has one or two cases, in an earlier stage it had three or four, and still earlier seven or eight. The difficulties inherent in the older system cannot, however, be measured adequately by the number of forms each word is susceptible of, but are multiplied by the numerous differences in the formation of the same case in different classes of declension; sometimes we even find anomalies which affect one word only.
