3) Declensions of oe Noun.

The most remarkable feature of OE Nouns was their system of declensions, which was based on a number of distinctions: stem-suffix, gender of nouns, phonetic structure of the word, phonetic changes in the final syllables.

In the first place, the morphological classification of OE Nouns is based on Indo-European nouns according to the stem-suffixes. They could consist of a vowel (a-stem, ō-stem, i-stem, u-stem, ja-, jo-, wa-, wo-stems – also called “vocalic” stems; such nouns belong to Strong declension), of consonants (n-stem – called “consonantal” stem; these nouns belong to Weak declension). Some nouns had no stem-forming suffix, so they are called ‘root”-stem nouns and belonged to Root declension. The rest (with their stems in –nd-, -r-, -s-) belonged to Minor declension.

3I. Strong declension.

The group of a-stem included nouns of Masculine and Neuter gender. About one-third of OE nouns were Masc. a-stem nouns. The difference between the 2 genders is only seen in the Nomin. & Accus., Plural (-es, -as for Masc and -u for Neuter). The nouns in ja- & wa-stems are a special type of a-stem nouns.

Masculine Neuter

Singular

Monosyllabic Disyllabic

short root-vowel long root-vowel short root-vowel long root-vowel

N. fisc N. scip N. scēap N. wæter N. hēafod (head)

G. fisces G. scipes G. scēapes G. wæteres G. hēafodes

D. fisce D. scipe D. scēape D. wætere D. hēafode

Ac. fisc Ac. scip Ac. scēap Ac. wæter Ac. hēafod

Plural

N. fisces N. scipu N. scēap N. wæter N. hēafodu

G. fiscal G. scipa G. scēapa G. wætera G. hēafoda

D. fiscum D. scipum D. scēapum D. wæterum D. hēafodum

Ac.fiscas Ac. scipu Ac.scēap Ac. wæter Ac. hēafodu

The plural neuter Nominative and Accusative inflexions depend on:

1. the number of syllables the noun contains

2. if the root-vowel short or long

Monosyllabic nouns with a short-root vowel have inflexion –u, with a long-root vowel – no inflexion at all.

On the contrary, disyllabic nouns with a short-root vowel do not take any inflexion, with long-root vowel – they take inflexion –u.

Nouns in ō-stem were all Feminine. The variants with -j- and -w- (jo- and wo-stems) declined like these nouns. The nouns with a short-root vowel had the ending –u, with long-root vowel – no ending at all.

Singular

Feminine

Monosyllabic Disyllabic

Short-root vowel Long-root vowel Short-root vowel Long-root vowel

N. talu N. wūnd ti3ol sāwol

G. tale G. wūnde ti3ole sāwole

D. tale D. wūnde ti3ole sāwole

Ac. tale Ac. wūnde ti3ole sāwole

Plural

N. tala (-e) N. wūnda (-e) ti3ola sāwola

G. tala (-ena) G. wūnda (-ena) ti3ola sāwola

D. talum D. wūndum ti3olum sāwolum

Ac. tala (-e) Ac. wūnda (-e) ti3ola sāwola

Group of i-stem included nouns of all 3 genders. The Masc. and Neut had much in common with a-stem, and Femin. – with o-stem.

Masculine Neuter Feminine Names of Germ. tribes

Singular Plural

N. mete N. spere N. wiht “thing” N. Enzle

G. metes G. speres G. wihte G. En3la

D. mete D. spere D. wihte D. En3lum

Ac. mete Ac. spere Ac. with Ac. En3le

Plural

N. mete (-as) N. speru N. wihta (-e)

G. meta G. spera G. wihta

D. metum D. sperum D. wihtum

Ac. mete (-as) Ac. speru Ac. wihta (-e)

The names of the Germanic tribes (Enzle, Seaxe, Mierce, NorÞhymbre, Dene etc.) also belong to this group and are used only in plural.

Among u-stem nouns were those of Masc. and Femin. genders. In the Nom. and Acc., sing. these nouns with short-root vowel had ending –u, with long – no ending at all.

Masculine Feminine

Singular

short root-vowel long root-vowel short root-vowel long root-vowel

N. sunu N. fēld N. nosu N. hånd

G. suna G. fēlda G. nosa G. hånda

D. suna D. fēlda D. nosa D. hånda

Ac. sunu Ac. fēld Ac. nosu Ac. hånd

Plural

N. suna N. fēlda N. nosa N. hånda

G. suna G. fēlda G. nosa G. hånda

D. sunum D. fēldum D. nosum D. håndum

Ac. suna Ac. fēld Ac. nosa Ac. hånda