Lectures on Language - As Particularly Connected with English Grammar. by William Stevens Balch
page 56 of 261 (21%)
page 56 of 261 (21%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
easy and harmonious. _F_ and _v_ were formerly used indiscriminately, in
singulars as well as plurals, and, in fact, in the composition of all words where they occurred. The same may be said of _i_ and _y_. "The Fader (Father) Almychty of the heven abuf (above) In the mene tyme, unto Juno his _luf_ (love) Thus spak; and sayd." _Douglas, booke 12, pag. 441._ "They lyued in ioye and in felycite For eche of hem had other lefe and dere." _Chaucer, Monks Tale, fol. 81, p. 1._ "When straite twane beefes he tooke And an the aultar layde." The reason why _y_ is changed into _i_ in the formation of plurals, and in certain other cases, is, I apprehend, accounted for from the fact that words which now end in _y_ formerly ended in _ie_, as may be seen in all old books. The regular plural was then formed by adding _s_. "And upon those members of the _bodie_, which _wee_ thinke most unhonest, put _wee_ more honestie on." "It rejoyceth not in iniquitie--diversitie of gifts--all thinges edifie not." See old bible, 1 Cor., chap. 13 and 14. Other words form their plurals still more differently, for which no other rule than habit can be given; as, man, men; foot, feet; tooth, teeth; die, dice; mouse, mice; penny, pence, and sometimes pennies, when applied to distinct pieces of money, and not to value. |
|