waBKB mm I. TOUCHSTONE, THE FRENCH SCHOLAR <&$itt Bfficultie* OF THAT PREVAILING LANGUAGE: COMPRISING NEAR 400 QUESTIONS, WITH THEIR CORRES- PONDING SOLUTIONS; IN WHICH ARE GIVEN RULES ON THE UNITING OF FINAL CONSONANTS TO SUCCEEDING VOWELS, HITHERTO UNEXPLAINED TO ENGLISHMEN" ; AND THE ARCANA OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE IN GENERAL CLEARLY DEVELOPED. BY JOHN LAYC0tK LEEDS: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY EDWARD BAINE.Sj AND SOLD BY THOMAS BOOSEY & SONS, LONDON; JOHN HEATON, LEEDS; AND OTHER BOOKSELLERS. 1825. 40°! &ttterrijr at £tatt0ttm , H«1L PREFACE, It is much to be regretted, that while the British press annually teems with Grammars com- posed for the use of persons commencing the study of the French language, no work should: hitherto have appeared adapted expressly for such as have already attained to a tolerable proficiency in it, by means of which they might extend, or rather perfect, their knowledge of this fashionable language. To this class of learners, it has been thought that an epitome of the difficulties, or what are termed the finesses of the language, would prove acceptable, by enabling them to arrive at the more abstruse and delicate parts of it, without being obliged, in order to unfold these, to wade through the mass of ele- mentary matter which every Grammar necessarily contains, and which the more advanced student generally finds prolix, though the judicious arrange- ment of it in some Grammars may render it less tedious than in others. The prosodical part of the French Grammars hitherto published, not comprehending the super- venient pronunciation of words, or that variation proceeding from their different combinations in a sentence, one of the principal objects of the fol- lowing pages, which have been compiled from the latest French authors (for every similar work must iv PREFACE. be a compilation) will be to treat of this particular, and to lay down some positive and satisfactory rules for suppressing, or pronouncing final consonants be- fore words beginning with a consonant, or for the uniting of them to consecutive vowels. However little this essential part of the French orthoepy has as yet been attended to, it is ne- vertheless certain that the French language owes much of its perspicuity, as well as the whole of its harmony, to the last-mentioned circumstance alone — much of its perspicuity, because, as several letters are frequently dropped in pronunciation at the end of words, it would, but for this union, in many cases be difficult to distinguish, in conversation, the plural form of a verb, noun, or adjective, from that of the singular ; or to point Out with sufficient pre- cision the grammatical-connexion existing between two words, or the manner in which one word quali- fies or affects another. That the union of final consonants, in cases where the laws of the French pronunciation autho- rize it, tends to harmonize the language, is evident from the very nature of the consonants themselves, which can never be fully or clearly articulated with- out the aid of a vowel ; but must, if pronounced alone, produce an imperfect as well as harsh and discordant sound, which, of all things, should be most carefully avoided; for, as M. Tabbe' d^LivET justly observes : " Une cacophonie a toujours ete jugee chez les fran^ois pire qu'une irregularite. 1 * The beauties resulting from an accurate arti- culation of French words, especially as regards the connecting of final consonants with succeeding PBEFACE. V vowels, cannot be better described than in the words of a modern French writer : — " La langue franeoise, quand elle est bien parlee, est, sans contredit, la plus belle et la plug harmonieuse des langues modernes. Seche, aride, inflexible, dans la bouche de celui qui ne connoit ni son genie, ni son caractere, ni les lois de sa pro- nonciation ; elle devient majestueuse et brillante, flexible et douce, nombreuse et riche en inflexions melodieuses, quand elle est enoncee avec les con- ditions qu'elle prescrit. Nulle langue ne s'adapte . plus qu'elle aux divers sentimens du cceur humain, et ne les peint avec plus d'energie ; autant elle est pleine de grace, et d'une aimable liberte dans la conversation des gens polis, autant elle s'eleve et s'ennoblit dans les sujets qui demandent de la pompe et de la dignite. Elle suffit a tous les genres : a celui qui proclame les droits de Tinnocence, comme a celui qui traite des grands interets des peuples. Voyez comme, sous le pinceau de Racine, elle de- vient Tinterprete sublime des sentimens les plus deli- cats du cceur humain ; comme, sous celui de Buffon, elle decrit magnifiquement les merveilles de la na- ture : voyez avec quelle majeste noble et imposante elle s'eleve jusqu'au trone de la divinite, dans la bouche de Bossuet, et avec quelle flexibilite elle se plie aux charmes de la plus aimable naivete, sous la plume de la Fontaine, et de Madame Sevigne. ,> ' In order to render the perusal of the subse- quent rules less irksome to the student, and the more strongly to impress them on his memory, the whole has been disposed in the form of questions ; to each of which a corresponding solution will be found in another part of the work. A similar vi PREFACE. arrangement has been made of the examples of bad Frencn, which are superadded with a view to cor- rect some very common mistakes, and to point out those errors which Englishmen are most apt to be led into by the peculiar genius of their own Lan- guage. A TOUCHSTONE. QUESTION 1. WHAT difference is there between : fapprendrai le frangois en six mois, and fapprendrai le frangois dans six mois ? The letter x, in French, is pronounced as k, z, s, cs, or gz. Which of these sounds has it in the fol- lowing words ? Alexandre, Alexander. Xavier, Xavier. Mexique, Mexico. Xenophon, Xenophon. Xantippe, Xantippe. Xerxes, Xerxes. Ximenes, Ximenez. (a town in Spain) 3. Uorgue de notre eglise The organ of our church est excellent ; mais les is an excellent one ; orgues de I' eglise ca- but that of the cathe- thedrale sont bien rneil- dral church is much leures. better. Why is the first adjective in the preceding sentence put in the masculine, and the last in the feminine gender, both having reference to the noun orgue or orgues ? What is the difference between : un honnele homme, and un homme honnete ? % A TOUCHSTONE. 5. How do you pronounce the words : recors, a bailiff's man ; retors, crafty ; remords, remorse ; and mors, a horse-bit ; before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, and before a consonant ? What is the infinitive mood of the participle tissu, woven? How is ch sounded in the following words ? Achelous, Achelous. archange, archangel. archetype, archetype. archonte, archon. catechumene, catechumen. Chalcedoine, Chalcedony. Chaldeen, Chaldean. chersonese peninsula. chiragre, gout in the hand. chirographaire, a creditor in virtue of a bond. chiromancie, palmistry. chorographie, chorogra- phy. Machiavel, Mach.-avel. Melchior, Melchior. Melchisedec, Melchizedek. Michel- Ange, Michael An- gelo. Nabuchodonosor, Nebu- chadnezzar. orchestre, orchestra. What difference is there between : un gentilhomme, and un homme gentil ? How is the final t of the following words pro- nounced, before another word beginning with a con- sonant, and before a vowel or h mute : assaut, an assault ; defiant, a defect ; haut, high : hermit, a herald ; levraut, a leveret ; vaut, it is worth ; prevaut, he prevails ; saut, a leap ? 10. Why is the adjective feu put in the feminine gender in the two first of the following examples, and not in the two last ? A TOUCHSTONE. 3 Lafeue reine. The late or deceased queen. Ma Jeue mere. My late mother. Feu la reine. The late or deceased queen. Feu ma mere. My late mother. 11. Why is the acute accent placed on the first e of the words : deposseder, to dispossess; denicher, to dis- lodge ; deposer, to depose ; denoncer, to denounce ; and not on the same vowel in demeurer, to stay ; and devancer, to go before ? 12. What is the difference between : un galant homme, and un homme galant ? 13. How is the gs in legs, a legacy ; and the g in fau- bourg, a suburb ; and bourg, a country town, to be pi-onounced ? 14. Why do we say : Un fruit mur, ripe fruit ; and, une mure deliberation, a mature deliberation. Un homme maigre, a lean man ; and, une maigre chere, poor fare. Une femme vive, a lively woman ; and, une vive dou- leur, an acute pain : placing the adjective after the noun in the first in- stance, and before it in the last ? 15. How do you write the first person singular of the present indicative of verbs ending in ayer, oyer, and uyer ; as, payer, to pay ; employer, to employ ; es- suyer, to experience, &c. ; and all the other persons in which the y has not the value of two i's ? a2 4 A TOUCHSTONE. 16. How do you pronounce the final n of words end- ing in ion, before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute? 17. What pronunciation is given to the final I of the following words ? Ail, garlick. Bresil, Brasil. beril, beryl. babil, prattle. beiail, cattle. coulil, ticking. chenil, dog-kennel. Chaulnes, (a proper name.) cil, eye-lash. civil, civil. deuil, mourning. detail, detail. exil, exile. Jil, thread. fusil, a gun. fenouil, fennel. gresil, small hail. mail, mall. Nil, Nile. nombril, navel. outil, tool. ceil, eye. orgueil, pride. persil, parsley. pareil, such. peril, peril. profil, profile. pueril, childish. pouls, pulse. reveil, awaking. sammeil, sleep. subtil, subtile. soul, fuddled. soleil, sun. sourcil, eye-brow. travail, work. Vesoul, a town. vil, vile. viril, virile. vermeil, bright red. 18. Why is the verb savoir attended only by one negative in the following examples ? Je ne saurois faire ce que I cannot do what you tell vous me dites. me. II ne sauroit marcher He cannot walk so far. jusque Id. 19. What difference is there between un homme pauvre, and un pauvre homme ? A TOUCHSTONE. 20. How are the two following sentences to be trans- lated into English ? Les planchers de cet appartement sont plqfonnes ; mais Us sont trop has. Les planchers de ce logis ne sont que de pldtre. 21. What is the difference between : il nefait que sor- iir, and il ne fait que de sortir ? 22. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the fol- lowing words, before another word beginning with a vowel or h mute ? Accompagnement , accom- couvent, convent. paniment. argent, money. adolescent, youth. argument, argument. agrement, consent ; plea- arpent, acre. sure. avent, advent. aliment, aliment. campement, encampment. continent, continent. dent, tooth. 23. II m'a dit quelque chose He has told me something qui est tfres-plaisant. very humorous. Un bon ami est une chose It is a precious thing to precieuse. have a good friend. Why is the adjective in the last of these examples put in the feminine., and in the first in the masculine gender ? 24. Of what gender are the following nouns ? Incendie, conflagration. ongle, nail. cimetiere, churchyard. legumes, vegetables. episode, episode. horloge, clock. A 3 6 A TOUCHSTONE. pantomime, pantomime. atmosphere, atmosphere. parafe, a flourish to one's signature. interligne, a space between two lines. Colisee, Colisaeum. mausolee, mausoleum. interligne, distance used by printers. genie, genius. perigee, perigee. pigmee, dwarf. globule, globule. dialecte, dialect. acte, act. 25. t What difference is there between : tin vilain homme, and un homme vilain ? Dieu appela Saint Paul a I'Apostolat. II appelle mauvais, ce que vous appelez bon. God called St. Paul to the Apostleship. What you call good, he calls bad. Why is the I of the verb appeler doubled in one instance, and not in the two others ? 27. How is gn pronounced in the following words i Gnome, gnoma. Agnus, Agnus Dei. gnostiques, heretics. incognito, incognito. igne, fiery. Progne, Progne. magnetisme, magnetism. inexpugnable, impregnable. stagna?it, stagnant. regnicole, denizen. 28. Why do we always say : le haut style, and le style sublime, placing the adjective before the substan- tive in the first instance, and after it in the last ? 29. What difference is there between de moi, and voila mon portrait ? voila tin portrait A TOUCHSTONE. 30. II y a des chutes d'eau en Italie, et dans le Canada. II sen trouve meme en Suede, quoiqu'en tres- petit nombre. Les cas- cades d' Italie et de Suede, ne sont que de foibles echantillons de celles daCanada. Celles- ci sont vraiment magni- Jiques. Je ne crois pas que le Saut de Niagara dans le Haut- Canada, ait son pareil dans tout Vunivers. •There are waterfalls in Italy, in Canada, and in Sweden ; though they are less numerous in the latter country, than in the two former. The cascades of Italy and Sweden, are but poor specimens of those in Canada. I do not be- lieve that there is *a cascade in the whole world to be compared to the Falls of Niagara in Upper-Canada. Why do we say : dans le Canada, and du Canada, in the above example ; and not dans Y Italie, dans la Suede ; nor de Y Italie, de la Suede ? 31. Quelques amis que vous ayez, je ne les crains point. Quel que belles que soient ses actions. Whatever friends you have, I do not fear them. However fine his actions may be. Why is quelque in the plural in the first of these examples, and not in the second ? 32. How do you pronounce the following words ? Aoriste, aorist. aimable, lovely. affres, great fright. Abruzze, (province of Ita- iy). // a, he has. bague, ring. Caennois, inhabitant of Caen. carquois, quiver. cave, cave. Dunkerque, Dunkirk. ennui, weariness. emmener, to carry away. » A TOUCHSTONE. fade, insipid. Mallois, Maltese. Gallois, Welsh.. Nantois, inhabitant of Gaulois, Gaul. Nantes. geole, jail, gaol. Rouennois, inhabitant of geolier, jailer, gaoler. Rouen. Hibernois, Hibernian. Rome, Rome. Hongrois, Hungarian. Sin, Sin. homtnage, homage. Saone, (a river in France). Japonois, Japanese. volage, fickle. 33. What difference is there between : tin brave homme, and un homme brave ? 34. Le peu d' exactitude quefai The little exactness I have trouve dans cet ouvrage. found in this work. Le peu de nonnes que j'ai The few nuns I have vues. seen. Why is the participle in the first example put in the masculine singular ; and in the feminine plural in the second ? 35. How do you pronounce : Jesus, Jesus ; Christ, Christ ; Jesus-Christ, Jesus Christ ; and Antechrist, Antechrist ? 36. What is the difference between : il se loue soi-meme, and il se loue lui-mcme f 37. H y a quelque chose de There is something mys- mysterieux dans celte terious in this business. affaire. II n'y a rien de nouveau There is nothing new un- sous le soleil. der the sun. A TOUCHSTONE. \) Why are the adjectives mysterieux and nouveau pre- ceded by the preposition de ; and why is mysterieux put in the masculine gender ? 38. How is the plural of the following words formed ? Hotel-Dieu, hospital. chasse-mouche, fly-flapper. Fete-Dieu, Corpus-Chris- pie-grieche, termagant. ti day. franc-alleu, freehold. garde -marine, midship- chef -lieu, chief manor- man, house. Bain - Marie, Balneum casse-noisette, nutcracker. Mariae. * vasistas, postern. * Derived from the German : was ist das ? 39. What difference is there between : ilfaut que celui qui parle se mette a. la portee de ceux qui Vecoutent, and ilfaut que celui qui parle se mette a portee de ceux qui Vecoutent ? 40. Des ckeveux chatains. Nut-brown hair. Des cheveux chatain clair. Auburn hair. Why is the adjective chatain put in the plural in the first example ; and in the singular in the second ? 41. How do you pronounce the words : pont, a bridge; dont, whose, of which ; mont, a mount ; and the ter- mination ont in many of the tenses of verbs ; before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute ? 42. Why is the pronoun ce, and not il or elle used in the following phrases ? Son Spouse est Men aima- His wife is very amiable ; hie ; c'est un tresor. she is a treasure. 10 A TOUCHSTONE. Boire, manger, dormir, The lot of a brute is to c'est le partage de eat, drink, and sleep. la brute. Lisez Homere et Virgile, Read Homer and Virgil, ce sont deux des plus they are two of the grands poetes de Van- greatest poets of ancient tiquite. times. 43. How are the words secours, succour ; recours, re- course ; and rebours, wrong side ; pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel, or h mute ? 44. What difference is there between : prenez garde de tomber, and prenez garde a tomber ? 45. All the months of the year are of the masculine gender in French, and are used without article. But there is a certain particle which, on being prefixed to the names of these months, obliges them to take a feminine article ? What particle is it ? 46. How do you translate into French : Hungary water, Dutch cheese , fine Dutch ware, Holland cloth, Hungarian wine, Gulick, or Isingham Holland, Hungarian lace, I come from Holland ? 47. What difference of meaning is there between : fau- rois Jait votre affaire, si vous men aviez parle ; and j'eussefait voire affaire, si vous men eussiez parle ? How are the words broc, a jug ; croc, a hook ; and riz, rice ; pronounced before a word beginning with a A TOUCHSTONE. 11 consonant, before a vowel or h mute, and at the end of a sentence ? 49. Caton fut envoye par le peuple Romain dans Vile de Cypre. Les Turcs prirenl Vile de Chypre surles Venitiens, en 1570. Cato was sent by the Ro- man people into the island of Cyprus. The Turks took the island of Cyprus from the Venetians, in 1570. Why is the word Cyprus spelled in two different ways in the above examples ? 50. How are the following words pronounced Architecte, architect. agnat, father's male issue in another line. agnation, agnation. asthme, asthma. asthmatique, asthmatic. Agamemnon, Agamemnon. baguenauder, to trifle. casse, cassia, casser, to break. cognat, kinsman. cognation, cognation. chantent, (they) sing. decorum, decorum. diagnostique, diagnostic. encoignure, corner. Empedocle, Empedocles. factotum, factotum. factum, case (in a plea). fosse, ditch. fouet, whip. gageure, wager. [ble. inexpugnable, impregna- junte, junto. magnetisme, magnetism. opium, opium. passer, to pass. pallium, pall. rapt, rape. rassasier, to satisfy. schisme, schism. Te Deum, Te Deum. 51. What difference is there between un homme cruel, and un cruel homme ; unefemme cruelle, and unc cruelle femme ? 52. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the 12 A TOUCHSTONE. words agonisant, a dying man ; aimant, a loadstone ; aspirant, a candidate ; assaillant, an assailant ; and battant, a bell-clapper ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel, or h mute ? 53. How must the word qualre be pronounced in : entre quatre yeux, signifying tete-a-tete, or cheek by jole ? 54. The word gentilhomme makes in the plural gentils- hommes. How are these two words pronounced ? 55. Why are the verbs in Roman characters in the fol- lowing sentences, put in the imperfect, and not in the preterit tense ? (a) Le docteur Sangrado avoit I'exterieur grave ; il pesoit ses discours, et donnoit de la noblesse a ses expressions. Palmire et Persepolis etoient de grandes et de belles villes. (b) Je lisois quand vous ecrivites, (ou quand vous ecriviez ; ou quand vous avez ecrit). (c) Quand je passois par cette maison, je pensois toujours a vous. (d) J' aurois Jini hier, s'il m'avoit aide. (e) S'il avoit beaucoup d'argent, il n'en donnoit guere aux pauvres. Doctor Sangrado had a very solemn appear- ance ; he weighed his discourse, and gave an emphasis to his ex- pressions. Palmyra and Persepolis were very large and fine cities. I was reading when you wrote, or were writing. I always thought of you when I passed by that house. I should have finished yesterday, if he had helped me. If he had plenty of money, he gave little of it to the poor. A TOUCHSTONE. 56. 13 What difference is there between : manquer de faire une chose, and manquer a faire une chose ? 57. How do you express in French : take it and give it to your brother. Lead him out of the stable and walk him ? (meaning a horse) 58. Personal pronouns precede the verb in affirmative phrases : as, je parle, I speak ; je romps, I break ; je perds, I lose, &c. When a question is asked, they come after the verb. — How must I express the follow- ing interrogations in French : do I speak ? do I break? do I lie ? do I feel ? do I sleep ? do I run ? do I laugh ? 59. How is the last syllable of the following words pronounced ? Adonis, Adonis. Anubis, Anubis. Apis, Apis. Amos, Amos. Anvers, Antwerp. aloes, aloes. Argus, Argus. Agnus, Agnus Dei. Angelus, Angelus. ambesas, ambs-ace. anus, anus. as, ace. atlas, atlas. Adonias, Adonias. Agesilas, Agesilaus. Arras (a town). Argos, Argos. Atropos, Atropos. bis, encore. bris, a breaking open. Briseis, Briseis. Busiris, Busiris. blocus, blockade. Bacchus, Bacchus, bibus, of no value. Brutus, Brutus. bolus, pill. Cypris, Cytheris. calus, callus. chorus, chorus, Cresus, Croesus. Calchas, Calchas. colera - morbus, cholera- morbus. committimus, committi- mus. Ceres, Ceres. cens, census. devis, plan for building. dervis, dervise. 14 A TOUCHSTONE. Delos, Delos. Daphnis, Daphnis. Epaminondas, Epaminon- das. Eurotas, Eurotas. Ezekias, Ezekias. Esdras, Esdras. fetus or foetus, fetus. faire fores, to make a figure. Fabius, Fabius. gratis, gratis. garus, garus. hiatus, hiatus. helas! alas! Humerus, Humerus. Isis, Isis. Itys, Itys. Iris, Iris. jadis, of old. Jacobus, Jacobus (a coin). Janus, Janus. Jonas, Jonas. Josias, Josias. Lachesis, Lachesis. Lais, Lais. las, alas! Lapis, Lapis, Lapideus. lapis, lapis-lazuli. laps, lapse. la Lys, (a river). Lemnos, Lemnos. Lesbos, Lesbos. Memphis, Memphis. Momus, Momus. Marsyas, Marsyas. Menelas, Menelaus. Midas, Midas. Mars, Mars. mats, maize. Minos, Minos. Nemesis, Nemesit. ours, bear. Osiris, Osiris. obtus, obtuse. obus, howitzer. Ops, Ops. oremus, collect. palus, marsh. prospectus, prospectus. Picumnus, Picumnus. Plutus, Plutus. Pallas, Pallas. Pelops, Pelops. sou Parisis, Parisian pen- pis, dug. Phebus, Phoebus. Picus, Picus. Paphos, Paphos. pathos, energy. Paros, Paros. picpus (pique-puce), Fran- ciscan friar. Rubens, Rubens. rebus, rebus. radius, radius. Romulus, Romulus. rasibus, close. relaps, relapse. rhinoceros, rhinoceros. Rheims, (a town). en sus, over and above. Sethos, Sethos. Scyros, Scyros. Samos, Samos. sinus, sine. Senlis, (a town). Sens, (a town). Themis, Themis. Thetis, Thetis. Tunis, Tunis. Titus, Titus. les us, the customs. Venus, Venus. virus, virulence. vis, screw. Zeuxis, Zeuxis. A TOUCHSTONE. 15 60. Why is the pronoun it rendered by il, and not by ce, in the following examples ? Quelle keure croyez-vous What o'clock do you think qu'il soit ? it is ? • II est keure de diner. It is dinner time. II est tres-tard. It is very late. 61. What sound do you give to the letter x in the following words : borax, borax ; larynx, larynx ; sphinx, sphinx ; syrinx, syrinx ; prefix, prefixed ; Ajax, Ajax ; Pollux, Pollux ; deuxieme, second ; Dom Quixotte, Don Quixote ? What difference is there between : un furieux ani- mal, and un animal furieux ? 63. There are ten monosyllables, the last letter of which is retrenched before a word beginning with a vowel ; and one monosyllable which is never curtailed, but before the pronouns il and ils. Which are these eleven monosyllables ? 64. How must I spell the verbs ending in ger ; as, alleger, to alleviate, &c, in those tenses in which the g is followed by an a, or an o ? 65. How is qu sounded in the following words ? Aquatique, marshy. equidistant, equidistant. equestre, equestrian. iquilaleral, equilateral. equateur, equator. liquation, eliquation. equation, equation. liquefaction, liquefaction. equiangle, equiangular. a quia, at a stand. 16 A TOUCHSTONE. quinquagenaire, fifty years quadrupede, quadruped. old. quirinales, quirinalia. in quarto, in quarto. questeur, questor. quinquagesime, quinqua- quadruple, fourfold. gesima. quadragesime, first Sun- quadragenaire, forty years day in Lent. old. quaere or quaker, quaker. quinquennium, five years' quaterne, quatern. study. quesiure, questorship. quinquerce, quinquertium. quadrangulaire, quadran- quinquereme, quinquere- gular. mis. quadrat, printer's quad- quadrature, clock-work. rate. quadrature, quadrature. quadratrice, quadratrix. quintuple, quintuple. ubiquiste, ubiquitarian. 66. Ellesfurent toutes decon- They were quite non- certees. plused. Elle est toute reveuse. She is quite pensive. Elle etoit toute honteuse. She was quite ashamed. Why, in the above examples, is the adverb tout made to agree in gender and number with the ad- jective that follows it, the adverb being an indeclina- ble part of speech ? 67. In the conjugation of the verb Jeter, to throw, the t is doubled in some of the persons ; in others it remains single. What rule is to be observed in this respect ? What difference is there between : unefemme grosse, and une grosse femme ? Why do we retrench the last vowel of the preposi- tion entre, in entr'acte, an interlude ; entr'ouvrir, to open in part, &c. ; and not in entre aulres, entre eux, entre elles, &c. ? A TOUCHSTONE. 17 70. How do you form the plural of the following words ? garde-fen, fender. garde-manger, larder. garde - meuble, lumber- room. garde-robe, wardrobe. hors-d'osuvre, by-dish. laissez-passer, permit. ou'i-dire, hearsay. passe-droit, indulgence. prele-nom, one who lends his name. pont-neuf, ballad. passe-partout, master-key. passe-parole, pass-word. parte - aiguille, needle- bearer. rabat-joie, sad balk. rez - de - chaussee, ground- floor. va-tout, sweepstakes. Apres-midi, afternoon. appui-main, maulstick. abat-jour, sky-light. abal-vent, shed. boute-feu, incendiary. boule-hors, boom. boute-selle, signal to mount. boute - tout - cuire, spend- thrift. blanc-bec, novice. chaasse-pied, shoeing- horn. creve-cceur, heart-break- ing. coupe - gorge, cut-throat place. entresol, room between two floors. essuie-main, towel. 71. What difference is there between : je dinerai au- jourd'kui en ville, and je dinerai aujourd'hui dans la ville ? 72. C'est un pur delice. It en fait ses plus cheres delices. It is a real pleasure. He takes the greatest de- light in it. Why is one of the above adjectives in the mascu- line, and the other in the feminine gender ? 73. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the fol- lowing words, before another word beginning with, a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 18 A TOUCHSTONE. Ether, ether. etranger, foreigner. leger, light. menager, sparing. mensonger, false. messager, messenger. oreiller, pillow. passager, passenger. pecker, peach-tree. potager, kitchen-garden. rocker, rock. souper, supper. verger, orchard. viager, annuity. 74. How do you express in French : a pair of bellotvs, and a pair of breeches or small-clothes ? 75. Why, in the following sentence : ily eut cent homines lues, et deux cents de blesses, there were a hundred men killed, and two hundred wounded, is the preposition de joined to the last participle, and not to the first ? 76. How do you pronounce the following words : bloc, a block ; un bloc de marbre, a block of marble ; accroc, a rent ; choc, a shock ; escroc, a sharper ; froc, a monk's habit ; roc, a rock ; troc, an exchange ; soc, a ploughshare ; coq, a cock ; and estoc, a long rapier ? 77. Why is the word tout, in the following examples, not made to agree in gender and number with the adjective that follows it ? lis etoient autrefois tout autres. Ces gens sont tout pleins de ca>nr. Vos domestiques sont tout aussi paresseux que les miens. They were formerly quite different. These people are quite full of courage. Your servants are full as lazy as mine. 78. What difference is there between : une nouvelle cer- iaine, and une certaine nouvelle ? A TOUCHSTONE. 19 79. How are the following expressions to be turned into French? Give (thou) some. I will send them to you there. Get thee gone, (s'en aller) Take (thou) us thither. Repair (thou) thither, (se transporter) He would have sent us none there. Send (you) us thither. Go (thou) thither. Consider (thou) in what situation I am. Take (thou) me thither. Conduct (you) me thither. He will send you some there. Do not (thou) give him any. Seek (thou) a book. 80. Any part of speech may be used substantively : as, un quand, a when ; un comment, a how ; un que, a that, &c. How is the plural of these words formed in this case ; and what is the plural of un a, an a ; un b, a b ; un re, un mi, (in music) ; un neuf, a nine ; un quatre, a four, &c. 81. Madame Recamier est la plus belle dame que je connoisse. Madame Recamier est la plus belle des dames que je connois. Madame Recamier is the finest woman I know. Madame Recamier is the finest of the women I know. Why is the verb connoitre put in the subjunctive in e first of the above examples, and not in the second ? the first 82. Elles sont toutes soulagees, may signify : they are mu'h relieved, as well as : they are all relieved. What turn must I give to the phrase to obviate this ambiguity ? 83. How do you pronounce these words : Claude, 20 A TOUCHSTONE. Claudius ; second, second ; vermicelle, vermicelli ; vio- loncelle, violoncello? 84. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the fol- lowing nouns, before a word beginning with a conso- nant, and before a vowel or /* mute? Brillant, lustre; precious stone. calmant, calming remedy. celebrant, officiating priest at mass. chant, canto; singing. commandant, commander. commengant, beginner. commercant, trader. commettant, employer. concertant, one who plays or sings at a concert. conquerant, conquerer. consultant, counsellor. correspondent, correspon- dent. Couchant, West. croissant, crescent. diamant, diamond. desservant, curate. ettgant, fop. elephant, elephant. enfant, child. fabriquant, manufacturer. gant, glove. garant, guarantee. ignorant, ignorant person. instant, instant. intempe'rant, disorderly man. intriguant, intriguer. inlendant, steward. Levant, East. lieutenant, lieutenant. luisant, gloss. manant, clown. mechant, wicked man, medisant, slanderer. montant, amount. mordant, pigment. mourant, dying man, octant, octant. opinant, voter. opposanl, opponent, passant, traveller, payant, payer. pedatit, pedant. penchant, inclination. pendant, pendant. plaignant, plaintiff. plaisant, wag. plant, sprig. pretendant, candidate. postulant, candidate. prolestant, protestant. restant, remainder. revenant, ghost. suffisant, conceited person. surveillant, overseer. trailant, farmer of the revenues. tranchant, the edge of an instrument. Quelques auteurs savans que vous consu/tiez. 85. Whatever learned authors you consult. A TOUCHSTONE. 21 Quel que puissans amis que vous ayez,je ne lescrains point. Though you have ever so powerful friends, I do not fear them. Why is the first quelque in the above examples in the plural, and the other in the singular number ? 86. What difference is there between and un homme grand ? 87. un grand homme, How is gui pronounced in the following words ? Aiguiere, ewer. aiguieree, ewerful. aiguillade, goad. aiguille, needle. aiguillee, needleful. aiguillette, tag. aiguilletier, trimming-ma- ker. aiguillier, needle-case. aiguillon, sting. aiguillonner, to spur on. aiguiser, to whet. aiguisement, sharpening. Guillaume, William. due de Guise, duke of Guise. 88. The word before may be rendered in French by devant, avant, and auparavant. Which of these words must be employed in translating the following sen- tence : he is arrived before us ? Why are the verbs in Roman characters in the fol- lowing examples, put in the preterit, and not in the imperfect tense ? Alexandre, avec quarante mille hommes, attaqua Darius qui en avoit six cent mille. II lui livra bataille deux fois, le defit, et fit sa mere, sa femme, et sesjilles prison- nieres de guerre. Alexander, with forty thousand men, attacked Darius, who had six hundred thousand. He gave him battle twice, defeated him, and made his mother, wife, and daughters prisoners. 22 A TOUCHSTONE. J'allai hier mi soir a I'ope- I went last night to the ra, o^'entendis chanter opera, where I heard Madame Catalani. Madame Catalan! sing. 90. What is the English of: je ne me doutois pas qu'il vint, and je vie doutois qu'il viendroit ? 91. What is the masculine plural of. the following words : canonial, conjugal, litteral, nasal, nuptial, pascal, pastoral, pectoral, special, total, trivial, venal? 92. How do you pronounce the words gens and suspens, before a word beginning with a consonant, before a vowel or h mute, and when standing alone ? De grands evenemens ont Great events have often souvent de petites causes. little causes. Heureux, si de son temps, pour de bonnes raisons, La Macedoine eut eu des yetites-maisotis. It would have been fortunate, for good reasons, had there been a mad-house in Macedonia in his time. Why are the three first adjectives in the above examples preceded by de, and the last one by des? 94. What difference is there between : il a sorli, and il est sorli : il a demeure d Paris, and il est demeure a Paris ? 95. Of what gender are the words foudre, a thunder- bolt, and ceuvre, a work. — Leitre, a letter ; prison, a A TOUCHSTONE. prison; and ordonnance, an ordinance, though femi- nine nouns, have sometimes an adjective in the mas- culine gender coming after them. In what instances does this take place ? 96. How are the following Words pronounced ? Amasser, to heap up. quej'aimasse, that I might love. aurore, dawn. automne, autumn. basse, bass. chdsse, shrine. classe, class. campagne, country. croitre, to grow. il desosse, he takes out the bones. il delasse, he refreshes. drole, droll. ecole, school. echasses, stilts. endosse, trouble. 'il evapore, it evaporates. quejefasse, that I may do. Jlamme, flame. grosse, big. grasse, fat. flobe, globe. lumbert, (a proper name). Jacques, James. lasse, tired. lobe, lobe. manne, manna. Munster, fa town). masse, billiard-spoon. oignon, onion. passe, pass, &c. post-scriptum, post- script. quanquan, bustle. quanquam, quanquam. roide, stiff. roideur, stiftness. roidir, to stiffen. redarguer, to reprove. tope ! done ! tasse, cup. tambour, drum. voler, to rob ; to fly. Young, (a proper name). 97. What difference is there between : un enfant cruel, and un cruel enfant ? 98. Madame, eles-vous la mere Are you the mother of de cet enfant? — Oui, je this child, Ma'am? — la suis. Yes, I am. Madame, etes-vous mere Oui,je le suis. Are you a mother, Ma'am? Yes, I am. 24 A TOUCHSTONE. Why does the lady answer in the first of the above examples, je la suis ; and in the last, je le stds ? 99. How do you form the plural of proper names ; as Alexandre, Moliere, Corneille, &c. 100. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the words: a?iis, anise-seed; bis, brown; brebis, a sheep ; cadis, a kind of serge; commis, a clerk; bandit, a robber ; conflit, a conflict ; deficit, a deficit ; rit, a rite ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or k mute? 101. The feminine adjective grande often loses its final e before certain nouns, both in conversation and in writing, though those words begin with a consonant. Which nouns are they ? 102. How do you pronounce the following words before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a a vowel or h mute : doigt, finger ; adjoint, associate ; appoint, odd money ; embonpoint, plumpness ; joint, joint ; point, stitch ; point, not at all ? 103. Je ne sais si votes cornpre- I do not know whether nez bien ma pensee. you understand my meaning rightly. II ne suit pas que le courier He does not know that est arrive. the post is arrived. Why is the verb savoir used with one negative only in the first example, and with two in the last ? A TOUCHSTONE. 25 104. How do you pronounce the words : paon, a peacock ; faon, a fawn; Laon, (a town in France); taon, a gadfly; Caen, (a town in France)? 105. H, at the beginning of words, is either aspirate or mute in French; that is, it is either pronounced with a strong aspiration or breathing, or not heard at all. Which are the words in the French lan- guage in which k is aspirated? 106. How is the h of the following words pronounced : chat-huant, a screech-owl ; enhardir, to embolden ; rehausser, to raise ; s'aheurter, to be obstinate ; en- harnacker, to harness? 107. Of what gender are the words : exemple, an exam- ple ; hymne, a hymn ; and loutre, a beaver ? 108. How is some (expressed or understood), to be ren- dered in French, when it precedes an adjective joined to a noun in the singular number. For example, ought I to say : du bon temps, or de bon temps, fine weather ? 109. What sound has the letter x in the following words ? Auxerre, i Bruxelles, Brussels. Auxonne, £ phenix, phoenix. Flexelle, | Styx, Styx, Uxell, or Uxelles, Z soixante, sixty. St. Maixent, ^ soixantieme. sixtieth. Luxeuil, I Xerxes, Xerxes, (the Xaintes, g ; second x). Aix, j La Xaintonge, a province Cadix, Cadiz. of France. 26 A TOUCHSTONE, 110. How da you pronounce : dot, a dowry ; mot, a word ; and sot, a fool ; before a word beginning with a con- sonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 111. What difference is there between : Mademoiselle ne marche pas droit, and Mademoiselle ne marchepas droite ? 112. Quels que soient vos amis, Whoever your friends are, je ne les crains point. I do not fear them. II y a quelque soixante It is about sixty years ans que cet usage s'est since that custom pre- perdu. vailed. Why is quelque in the singular, in the last example ; and why do we write it in two words, in the first example, giving to quels the plural form ? 113. How do you pronounce the word dix, ten, before a word beginning with a consonant, before a vowel or h mute, and at the end of a sentence ? 114. What is the plural of the following nouns ? Ave", or Ave-Maria, Ave- etcoetera, et coetera. mary. errata, list of errors. aline" a, new paragraph. exeat , leave to go out. auto dafe, auto-de-fe. ergo, a therefore. aparte, what is spoken factotum, factotum. aside. item, item. alibi, alibi. in-folio, folio. alleluia, allelujah. impromptu, or in-promptu, accessit, certificate. impromptu. acacia, acacia. in-quarto, quarto. duo, duet. in-octavo, octavo. duplicata, duplicate. in-douze a duodecimo. in-seize, a sixteen. oremus, collect. in dix-kuit, an eighteen. opera, opera. A TOUCHSTONE. 27 in-vingt-quatre, a twenty- pater, pater-noster. four. quiproquo, mistake. libera, libera. quatuor, a four. mezzo-termine, medium. trio, trio. mezzo-tinto, mezzo-tinto. Te Deum, Te Deum. numero, number. zero, cipher. 115. How do you form the comparative and superlative degree of the following adjectives : mortel, mortal ; immortel, immortal; parfait, perfect; universel, uni- versal; eternel, eternal; essentiel, essential; divin, divine; immense, immense; supreme, supreme? 116. What difference is there between : unejemme hm- nete, and une honnetefemme f 117. How is the termination ier pronounced, in the names of trades : as, barbier, a barber ; cordonnier, a shoe-maker ifermier, a farmer, &c. ; and in the names of animals : as, sanglier, a wild boar ; belier, a ram, &c, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 118. Je n'ignore pas qu'il est I am aware that he is venu. come. J'ignore qu'il ait fait cela. I do not know that he has done it. Why is the verb put in the indicative in the first sentence, and in the subjunctive in the second ?. 119. How do you pronounce the following word*? Absent, absent. annales, annals. addition, addition. anarchie, anarchy. attique, attic. argutie, cavil. atticisme, atticism. amid, amice, eg 28 A TOUCHSTONE. anabaptiste, anabaptist. baptismal, baptismal. anabaptisme, anabaptism. ennemi, enemy. appellation, appellation. obtenir, to obtain. baptistere, baptistry. pignoratif, pignorative. baccalaureat, degree of tombac, pinchbeck, bachelor. 120. What difference is there between : imaginer quelque chose, and s' imaginer quelque chose ? 121. How is the termination eil pronounced, in such words as reveil, awaking ; par eil, such, &c, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 122. The adjective furieux is sometimes placed before the noun, and sometimes after it : as, un furieux poisson, r un lion furieux. What difference does this occasion in its signification ? 123. // avoit les yeux et la His eyes and mouth were bouche ouverte. open. L'etang etla riviere etoient The pond and river were glaces. frozen. Why is the participle in the first example put in the feminine gender and singular number, and in the last example in the masculine plural? 124. How do you pronounce the following words, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? Acier, steel. armurier, gunsmith. altier, haughty. banquier, banker. aventurier, adventurer. bouclier, buckler. atelier, workshop. baudrier, shoulder-belt. A TOUCHSTONE. 29 brasier, coal-fire. chevalier, knight. coursier, courser. cavalier, gentleman. cotirrier, courier. canonnier, gunner. 125. We sometimes meet with the adverb presque, almost, having its final e retrenched before a word beginning with a vowel. Is this syncope correct ? — and in what eases ought it to take place ? 126. How is the word sept, seven, pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant ; before a vowel or h mute ; and at the end of a sentence ? — and how do you pronounce the words septante, seventy ; cep, a vine ; and ceps, fetters ? 127. How are the following words pronounced ? A'ieul, grandfather. Milhaut, -\ catechisme, catechism. Pardalhac, t '. j , . „t ,i > (PROPER H AMBS). choeur, choir. JSully, ( Charon, Charon. Sully, J curiosite, curiosity. mode, fashion. faience, delft-ware. paten, pagan. generosite, generosity. quolibet, quibble. jambon, ham. symptdme, symptom. millesime, date of a coin, or tillac, deck. medal. tranquille, quiet. millet, millet. 128. What difference is there between : une sage-femme, and unefemme sage ? 129. Personne n'est plus heu- Nobody is happier than reux qu'elle. she. c3 SO A TOUCHSTONE. Per sonne a-t-\\ jamais sur- Did ever any body surpass passe Racine en elegance? Racine in elegance ? Cette personne est tres-in- That person is very learn- struite. ed. Why are the adjective and pronoun in the mascu- line gender in the two first examples ; and the adjec- tive in the last example, in the feminine gender ? 130. How do you pronounce the final m of nom, a name ; parfum, a perfume ; hem ! hem ! item, item ; Ibrahim, Ibrahim ; Selim, Selim ; Matusalem, Methuselah ; Stockholm, Stockholm ; Adam, Adam ; Absalom, Ab- salom ; and the n in Salomon, Solomon ? 131. What difference is there between : j'aime mieux I' etude quelejeu, and j'aime plus V etude que lejeu ? What is the plural of ml, an eye ; ceil de boeuf, an oval window ; and ail, garlick ? 133. How do you pronounce the words : froid, cold ; poids, a weight ; and soif, thirst ; before a word be- ginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 134. II a dix mille livres de He has an income of ten revenu, y compris les thousand pounds, in- prqfits de sa charge; eluding the emoluments ■non compris la maison of his office, besides the ou il loge. house he lives in. II donne tous les ans mille He gives a thousand ecusaux pauvres, les au- crowns annually to the mones extraordinaires y poor, including (or ex- comprises (pu non com- elusive of) special do- prises), nations. A TOUCHSTONE. 31 Why is compris declined in the last example, and not in. the first? 135. How is the masculine plural of the following ad- jectives formed? Amical, friendly. frugal, frugal, adverbial, adverbial. glacial, frozen. austral, southern. ideal, ideal. automnal, autumnal. filial, filial. boreal, northerly. jovial, jovial. colossal, colossean. natal, native. fatal, fatal. naval, naval. final, final. oral, oral. 136. How do you pronounce the final ien of the follow- ing nouns, before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute : academicien, an academician ; chien, a dog ; bien, property ; chirurgien, a surgeon ; chretien, a christian ; entretien, a discourse ; grammairien, a gram- marian ; historien, an historian ; lien, a bond ; main- tien, carriage ; le mien, mine ; le tien, thine ; musicien, a musician ; pa'ien, a pagan ; paroissien, a parishioner ? 137. Why is the pronoun it rendered by ce, and not by il, in the following expressions ? Cest voire faute. It is, your fault. A moins que ce ne soit par' Unless it be among the mi les Turcs. Turks. 138. How do you pronounce the final ct of aspect, an aspect ; respect, respect ; and suspect, suspicious ; in the singular and plural number, before a word begin- ning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute? 32 A TOUCHSTONE. 139. What is the difference between : le vin nouveau, and le nouveau vin ; de nouveaux livres, and des livres nouveaax ? 140. How do you pronounce the words: cap, a cape; Gap, (a town) ; jalap, jalap ; julep, julep ; hanap, a mug ; laps, a lapse ; relaps, a relapse ? 141. How must I express in French : the lion roars, the lark sings ; and the other sounds of birds, and cries of animals ? 142. How is the termination ourg, in the names of towns pronounced: as, Augsbourg; Augsburg; Brandebourg, Brandenburg ; Edimbourg, Edinburgh ; Fribourg, Friburg ; Hambourg, Hamburgh ; Petersbourg, Peters- burgh ; Strasbourg, Strasburg, &c. 143. What difference is therebetween : oublier afaireune chose, and oublier dcfaire tine chose ? 144. How do you pronounce the following words, before a consonant, and before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute : drap, cloth ; trop, too much ; galop, a gallop ; sirop, syrop ; Ops, Ops ; Pelops, Pelops ? 145. Ce sont les mechans qui Wicked men have misled I'ont tgari. him. Cest V avarice et V ambition Avarice and ambition are qui troublent le monde. a plague to the world. Why is the verb elre in the plural, in the first exam- ple, and in the singular in the last ? A TOUCHSTONE. 33 146. How do you pronounce the d of the termination ord, as in : accord, an agreement ; abord, access ; &c, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 147. How is the plural of the following words formed ? Boute-en-irain, decoy-bird, casse-cou, unsafe place. brise-glace, starling (ice- casse-cul, hind fall. breaker). casse-tete, puzzle-brain. brise-scelle, letter-breaker. dame-jeanne, demi-john. brise - cou, break - neck pied-a-terre, house of call. stairs. reine-Claude, greengage. brise-vent, fence. rose-croix, rosicrucian. brise-raison, random-talk- tete-d-tete, tete-a-tete. er. 148. What difference is there between : le bois mort, and le mort bois ? 149. How do you pronounce the words : rum, rum ; and rumb, rhumb : and how is the article un, a or an, arti- culated before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 150. What difference is there between : une couple de pigeons, and une paire de pigeons ? 151. Ilfaui distinguer la bien- A distinction must be faisance de la charite. made between benefi- cence and charity. // ne saii pas distinguer sa He cannot distinguish his main gauche, d'avec sa right hand from his main droite. left. 34 A TOUCHSTONE. Why is the verb distitiguer here followed by de, in the first example, and by d'avcc in the last ? 152. How do you pronounce : corridor, a corridor ; or, gold ; and the last syllable of all other words ending in or ? 153. What is the difference between : prier quelqu'un a diner, and prier quelqu'un de diner ? 154. What sound has x, in the words execrable, execra- ble ; exit, exile ; exhumer, to disinter ; exhausser, to raise ; exhorter, to exhort : examen, examination ; exercice, exercise ? 155. How do you pronounce the final consonant of the following words : talc, isinglass ; Abraham, Abra- ham ; dam, cost ; Priam, Priamus ; quidam, a cer- tain person ; Amsterdam, Amsterdam ; Adam, Adam ; Roterdam, Rotterdam ; Siam, Siam ; Ephra'im,- Ephraim ? 156. What difference is there between : chasser le liivre, and chasser au lievre ? 157. J'aime mieux danser, que I like to dance better than chanter. to sing. J'aime mieux lui pardon- I would forgive him, ra- wer, que de le rcduire an ther than throw him desespoir. into despondency. Why is aimer mieux followed by que only, in the first instance, and by que de in the latter ? A TOUCHSTONE. 35 158. What is the feminine gender of the following ad- jectives : caduc, frail ; benin, benign ; malin, mis- chievous ; doux, sweet ; tiers, third ; jrais, fresh ; Javori, favourite ; public, public ; sec, dry ; Grec, Greek ; Turc, Turk ; beni, blessed ; benit, hallowed, or holy ; iraitre, treacherous ? 159- How is qu pronounced in : Quintilien, Quintilian ; Quinte-Curce, Quintus Curtius ; Sixte-quint, Sixtus the fifth ; Charles-quint, Charles the fifth. 160. How is the last syllable of the following words pro- nounced, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : bigot, a bigot ; apricot, an apricot ; ballot, a bale ; billot, a block ; fagot, a faggot j cahot, a jolt ; gigot, a leg of mutton ; goulot, the neck of a bottle ; grelot, a little bell ; javelot, a javelin ; lot, a prize ; paquebol, a packet ; pivot, a pivot ; brul6t, a fire-ship ? 161. What difference is there between : un nouvel habit, tin habit nouveau, and un habit neuf? 162. How are the following sentences to be rendered in English : j'apprehende qu'il n 'arrive ; je n'appre- hende pas qu'il arrive ; j'apprehende qu'il n arrive pas ; n'apprehendez-vous pas qu'il n' arrive ; je riappre- hende pas qu'il n arrive pas ? 163. How is the termination ier in sentier, a path ; and in the names of trees ; as, amandier, an almond-tree ; cajier, a coffee-tree, &c. ; pronounced before a woid 36 A TOUCHSTONE. beginning with a consonant, and before a vqwel or h mute ? 164. The word fori, when an adverb, signifies very ; when an adjective, strong, &c. ; and when a noun, a fort. How is it pronounced in each case, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 165. La moitie de son discours Half of his discourse was ne valoit rien. good for nothing. Le tiers des vignes est A third part of the vines gele. are frozen. La moitie de ces bouteilles Half of these bottles are sont vides. empty. Plus de la moitie de ses The best part of his bread depens sont payes. is eaten. Why does the verb in the two first examples, agree with the collective noun partitive in the singular number ; and in the two last, in the plural ? " 166. How do you pronounce the final syllable of the words: ciment, cement ; compliment, a compliment ; contre- vent, an outside shutter ; element, an element ; en- gouement, a prepossession ; enjouement, gaiety ; en- tetement, obstinacy ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 167. What is the past participle of the verbs : repaitre, to feed ; resoudrc, to reduce, or turn into ; traire, to milk : and what is the infinitive mood of the parti- ciple issu, descended from ? 168. Celoit hicr Dimanche. Yesterday was Sunday. Cest la mon cheval. That is my horse. . Why is ce used in these sentences, and not il ? A TOUCHSTONE. 37 169. What difference is there between : ce paraveni ne vous sert de rien, and ce paraveni ne vous sert d rien ? 170. What pronunciation do you give to the last syllable of the following words, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : dernier, last ; fier, proud ; ecolier, a scholar ; entier, entire ; familier, familiar ; grenier, a granary ; grossier, rude ? 171. Why is tout, in the following example, not made to agree with the nouns yeux and oreilles ? Cette femme est tout yeux, This woman sees and et tout oreilles. hears every thing. 172. How is gn pronounced in signet, the register or tassel of a book ; and in the proper names Regnard, Regnaud, and Clugtiy ? 173. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the fol- lowing words, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel, or k mute : guer- rier, a warrior ; heritier, an heir ,• ouvrier, a work- man ; hospitalier, hospitable ; qfficier, an officer ; huissier, a door-keeper ; meurtrier, a murderer ; . laurier, a laurel ; manufacturier, a manufacturer ; papier, paper ; prisonnier, a prisoner ; parliculier, peculiar ; a private person ? 174 Ce sont de savantes gens, They are learned, but maisfort dangereux. very dangerous people. Les vieilles gens sont Old people are suspicious, soup^ormeux. 88 A TOUCHSTONE. Why, in each of the preceding sentences, are the two adjectives put in different genders, though re- ferring to the same substantive ? 175. Of what gender are duche-pairie, a duchy-peerage ; garde, a guard ; and automne, autumn ? 176. How do you pronounce the words : arc, an arch j arc-en-ciel, a rainbow; arc-de-triomphe, a triumphal arch ; arc-boutant, a buttress ; arc-bouter, t6 prop ? 177. What difference is there between : aider quelqu'uti, and aider d quelqu'un ? 178. How are the following words pronounced, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : lo?ig, long ; affront, an affront ; front, a forehead. 179. Voyez comment il travaille. 7 gee how he workg Voyez comme il travaille. $ Why is the word how translated by comment in the first example, and by comme in the last ? 180. What is the difference between : Hre en campagne, and etre a. la campagne ? 181. What sound is given to gua in lingual, lingual ; la Guadaloupe, Guadaloupe ; and la Guadiane, the Guadiana. (a river) A TOUCHSTONE. 39 182. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the following words, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? Patient, patient, (adj.) regent, regent. patient, malefactor. regiment, regiment. penitent, penitent. sergent, serjeant. present, present. serpent, serpent. president, president. talent, talent. ralliement, rallying. trident, trident. 183. The adjective cher is sometimes put before, and sometimes after the noun. What difference of mean- ing does this occasion ? 184. What difference is there between i cetle dame a Vair fier, and cette dame a I'airjiere ? 185. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the words Jupiter, Jupiter ; Lucifer, Lucifer ; Luther, Luther ; magister, a pedant ; frater, a young barber ? 186. How do you translate into French : / expect he will come ; do not expect that I will do it ? (s'attendre) 187. Un grand nombre de sa- A great number of learn- vans soutiennent cette ed men maintain that opinion. opinion. Une infinite de gens An infinite number of pensent ainsi. people think so. Why are the verbs soutiennent and pensent in the plural, the nouns nombre and infinite being in the singular ? p % 40 A TOUCHSTONE. 188. How do you pronounce the words coup, a blow ; loup, a wolf ; and beaucoup, much ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute? 189- What difference is there between : unefausse porte, and tine porte fausse ? 190. How are the following words pronounced, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : plomb, lead ; prompt, quick ; il interrompt, he interrupts ; il rompt, he breaks ; il corrompt, he corrupts ? 191. Puis-je certifier que cela est ? \ Can I declare or affirm Puis-je certifier que cela soit ? J that to be the case ? When ought the first of these expressions to be used, and when the last ? 192. How do you pronounce almanack, an almanack ; and lacs, a snare ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 193. On ne fait jamais tant de Men never commit so folies, que quand on many follies as when aime. they are in love. II faut etre docile, lors- We must be tractable qu'ow nous reprend a when we are justly re- propos. proved. Why is when expressed by quand in the first ex- ample, and by lorsque in the last ? 194. How do you pronounce : ais, a shelf; jais, jet ; je sais or sai, I know ; and fait, a fact ? A TOUCHSTONE. 41 195. What difference is there between : je crains qu'il ne vienne, and je trains qu'il ne vienne pas ? 196. Une paleur de defaillance, A sickly paleness, and a une sueurfroide, sere- cold sweat, pervade his pand sur tous ses mem- limbs. bres. Le Men et le mal sont en Good and evil are in his ses mains. hands. Why is the verb put in the singular in the first example, and in the plural in the last ? 197. How are the words mozurs, manners ; and nceud, a knot, pronounced ? 198. Why is the pronoun it expressed by il, and not by ce, in this sentence : j'ai vu le Louvre ; il est magni- Jique, I have seen the Louvre ; it is very grand ? 199. Tout hero'ique et toute However brave and praise- louable quest cetle ac- worthy this action is, it tion, elle ne sera pas will not be rewarded. recompensee. Tout aimables et toutes Amiable and pretty as jolies que sont ces dames, those ladies are, I do elles ne me plaisent pas. not like them. Why does the first tout in each of the above exam- ples remain unvaried, while the second is declined ? 200. How do you pronounce the following nouns, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : bac, a ferry ; tabac, tobacco ; iac, d 3 42 A TOUCHSTONE. a bag ; lac, a lake ; estomac, stomach ; hamac, a hammock ; tillac, a deck ? 201. What difference is there between : un homme plai- sant, and un plaisant homme ? 202. How is ck pronounced in archeveque, an archbishop; archiepiscopal, archiepiscopal ; archiepiscopat, an arch- bishop's dignity ? 203. Cet homme va toujours That man goes always nu-pieds. barefoot. Je siiis d vous dans une I will be with you in deiai-heure. half an hour. II va pieds nus, mtme au He goes barefoot even in cceur de I'hiver. the middle of winter. II y a plus d'une keure et I have been waiting for demie que je vous attends. you above an hour and a half. Why are the adjectives nu and demi put in the masculine singular in the two first of the above ex- amples, and not in the two last, since they qualify the same nouns in both cases ? 204. How do you pronounce the last syllable of public, public ; trqfic, traffick ; and all other words ending in ic? 205. Oest la loi qui Vordonne. The law prescribes it. Cest un mendiant qui It is a beggar that knocks. frappe. Cest la plus grande sottise. It is the greatest folly. Why is the pronoun it expressed by ce, and not by il, in the above examples ? A TOUCHSTONE. 43 206. What difference is there between : emporter le prix ; and r emporter le prix ? 207. How is the last syllable of the following words pronounced, before a word beginning with a conso- nant, and before a vowel or h mute : apparat, pre- paration ; chat, a cat ; fat, a coxcomb ; forgat, a galley-slave ; grabat, a couch ; mat, a checkmate ; unwrought gold ; faded ? 208. Tout aisees et tout hon- Easy and obliging as his netes que sont ses ma- manners are, he does nieres, il ne plait pas a not please every body. tout le monde. Toute fausse et toute Though this doctrine is ha'issable qu'est cette very false and odious, doctrine, elle est fort it prevails very much repandue dans tons les in every country. pays. Why is tout put in the masculine singular in the first example, and not in the last ? How do you pronounce the last syllable of ablatif ablative; reciiatif, recitative; baillif a bailiff ; and all other words ending in if, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 210. What difference is there between : un air grand, and un grand air ? 211. In what cases ought an euphonic t to be inserted between the verb in the third person singular, and the personal pronoun coming after it ? 44 A TOUCHSTONE. 212. What sound is given to z, in the following words : Fez, Fez ; Booz, Boaz ; Rodez, SeeZj Senez, (towns in France) ; and Rez (a town in Austria) ? 213. Cettefemme n'est pas aussi This woman is not so savante que je I'avois learned as I had imagine. imagined. Combien de gloire il a What glory he has ac- acquise ! quired ! Why is the participle in the masculine in the first example, and not in the second ? 214. The proper articulation of the vowel e, constitutes the chief beauty of the French pronunciation. It has at least six different sounds. E guttural, and e mute, are those which are most commonly mispronounced by foreigners ; and it is in this particular alone, that they are often immediately distinguished from the natives of France ; it being utterly impossible ever to acquire the truo French accent, without being per- fectly master of the respective sounds of this letter ; and especially of the two sounds just mentioned, which occur in a great number of words in daily use. — Which are those words ? 215. What difference is there between : un air mauvais, and un mauvais air ? 216. Tout la Haye en est All the Hague is frighted alarme. at it. Tout Londres est em- All London is in a con- brase. flagration. Why are the participles alarme and embrase, and the adjective tout, put in the masculine gender, the nouns to which they refer being, in both examples, of the feminine gender ? A TOUCHSTONE. 45 217. How do you pronounce the last syllable of geant, a giant ; faineant, lazy; mecreant, miscreant; neant, no- thingness ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 218. There are some words beginning with a vowel, before which the particles ce, de, le, la, que, undergo no retrenchment. Which are those words ? 219. What sound is given to 11, and rr, in the fol- lowing words : cuiller, a spoon ; illusion, an illusion ; torrent, a torrent ; il courra, he will run ; il mourroit, he would die ; erreur, an error ; ierreur, terror ; horreur, horror ; irrite, irritated ; terrible, terrible ; errone, erroneous ; corridor, a gallery ; perroquet, a parrot; correspondant, a correspondent; souterrain, a vault ; and in all words beginning with ir, followed by another r ? 220. What difference is there between : la pauvre femme se jeta dans mes bras, and la pauvre femme se jeta entre mes bras ? 221. Cette promenade est tout This walk is quite d iffer- autre qu'elle n'etoit. ent from what it was. Toute autre auroit rejete Any other woman would une telle proposition. have rejected such a proposal. Why is the word tout put in the masculine gender in the first example, and in the feminine in the second ? 222. How is the word neuf pronounced, before a word beginning with a consonant, before a vowel or h mute, and at the end of a sentence ? 46 A TOUCHSTONE. What is the plural of honnete homme, an honest man ? 224. La somme que celte affaire The sum which that bu- m'a coute ? siness has cost me. Que de valeur il a mon- What courage he has tree ! shown ! Why is the participle in the first example in the masculine, and in the second in the feminine gender ? How is the nasal termination in, as in : chagrin, grief; butin, booty, &c, pronounced before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute ? How are v'mgt, twenty, and cinq, five ; pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, before a vowel or h mute, and at the end of a sentence ? C'est Dieu qui nous a donne God gave our existence. Vetre. Cest le devoir d'un chre- It is a christian's duty tien de pardonner d ses to forgive his enemies. ennemis. Why are the above sentences not expressed as fol- lows, • instead of beginning with ce : Dieu ?ious a donne Vetre ; le devoir de I' homme est de pardonner a ses ennemis ? 228. What difference is there between : if est laillcur,imd c'est un tailleur ? A TOUCHSTOKE. 47 How do you pronounce the words : carquais, a qui- ver ; harnois, harness ; sonrnois, sullen ; des livres Tournois, French livres ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 230. Le peuple Juif est disperse The Jewish people are par toate la terre. scattered throughout the earth. L'armee des infideles fut The army of the infidels entierement defaite. was entirely routed. Why is the verb etre put in the singular number in both these sentences ? 231. How is the letter I pronounced in deuil, mourning seuil, a threshold ; and fauteuil, an arm-chair ? What difference is there between : le ricke Lucullus, and Lucullus le riche ? 233. Cestun lieu oul 'on respire It is a place where pure un air pur : et Ton y air is breathed, and vit aussi a bon marche. where one may also live very cheap. On souffre aisement, des One easily brooks reproof, reprehensions ; mais on but not derision. ne souffre point la rail- lerie. Why is Von used in the first example ; and on only > in the second ? 234. How do you pronounce the following words, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a 48 A TOUCHSTONE. vowel or h mute : pied, a foot ; trepied, a trivet couvre-pied, a quilt; contre-pied, a wrong sense, marche-pied, a footstool ; il s'assied, he sits down : il messied, it is unbecoming ; il sied, it becomes ? 235. Of what gender are the nouns couple, a couple and enfant, a child ? Les chaleurs excessives The excessive heat of qn'il a fait cet ete, ont this summer, has caused cause bien des maladies. many diseases. De la faqon que j'ai dit, From the explanation I en a du m entendre, have given, I ought to be understood. Why are the participles fait and dit, in the mascu- line singular ? 237. How do you pronounce the last syllable of agir, to act; loisir, leisure; and plaisir, pleasure; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute? What difference is there between : une langue pauvre, and une pauvre langue ? De deux files qu'elle avoit, Of the two daughters she elle en a fait une rcligi- had, she has made one euse. a nun. La perie el les profits aux- The profits and loss he quels il a participe, sont has shared in, are very considerables. great. Why are the participles fait and participe, put in the singular masculine ? A TOUCHSTONE. 49 240. What sound has the final » of ancien, ancient; bien, very; bien, property; and rien, nothing; be* fore a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or k mute ? 241. What difference is there between : un seul enfant, and un enfant seul ? How is the termination end pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 243. L'un et I 'autre est mart. They are both dead. Uun et V autre me trom- They both deceive me. pent. Why is the verb in the singular in the first exam- ple, and in the plural in the last ? 244. What difference is there between : unfou tire, and un rirefou ? 245. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the fol- lowing words, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? Client, client. mortifiant, vexatious. confiant, sanguine. negotiant, merchant. etudiant, student. Orient, East. kumiliant, mortifying. pliant, folding-stool. liant, suppleness. riant, cheerful. insouciant, thoughtless. suppliant, petitioner. mendiant, beggar. variant, changeable. 50 A TOUCHSTONE. 246. What difference is there between : le jeune Scipion, and Scipion le jeune ? 247. Personne n'est si malheu- Nobody is so unhappy as reux qu'elle. she. Je ne connois personne plus I know no one so happy heureuse qu'elle. as she. "Why is the adjective put in the masculine in the first example, and in the feminine in the second ? 248. How is the x of index, an index ; and perplex, perplexed ; sounded before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 249. There are many nouns in the French language, which are masculine in one signification, and feminine in another. — Which are they ? 250. What difference is there between : quelle est votre erreur ? and quelle erreur est la votre ? 251. How do you pronounce the words huit, eight ; and puits, a well ; before a word beginning with a conso- nant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 252. Les figures quej'ai appris The figures I have learned a dessiner. to draw. Les personnes que j'ai in- The persons I have taught struites d dessiner. to draw. A TOUCHSTONE. 51 Why is the participle declined in the last example, and not in the first ? 253. How are the following words pronounced, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or k mute : rut, rutting ; brut, rough ; luth, sl lute; defunt, deceased; emprunt, a loan; but, a design ? 254. What difference is there between : un pauvre auteur, and un auteur pauvre ? 255. L'armee de nos allies est The army of our allies is tres-grande, et les sol- very large, and its sol- dats en sont bien discip- diers well disciplined. lines. La republique avoit con- The republic had pre- serve ses conquetes. served its conquests. Why is the pronoun its rendered by en in the first example, and by ses in the second ? 256. How do you pronounce the termination iez, in the different tenses of verbs, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 257. What difference is there between : e'est un vildin homme, and e'est un homme vilain f 258. La plupart coururent aux The greatest part ran to armes. arms. La plupart du monde se Most people suffer them- tromper. selves to be deceived. E 2 52 A TOUCHSTONE. Why is the verb in the first instance in the plural^ and in the last in the singular ? 259. How do you pronounce the last syllable of singulier, singular ; and volontiers, willingly ; before a word be- ginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 260. What difference is there between : mes deux cousins sont prets a mourir, and mes deux cousins sont pres de How do you pronounce the words : odorat, the smell ; plat, a dish ; rat, a rat ; vivat, an huzza ; and chut ! hush ! before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 262. Cela est deSagrtable & voir. That is displeasing to the sight. II est desagriable d'avoir It is disagreeable to have affaire a des chicaneurs. to do with chicaners. Why is the adjective desagreable, followed by the preposition a in the first instance, and by de in the last? What difference is there between : la maison dont il sort, and la maison d'oil il sort ? 264. How are the words kier, yesterday ; and premier, first; pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? A TOUCHSTONE. II ne s'attendoit pas cl une He did not expect so aide si prompte. quick a relief. L'aide des ceremonies Hoit The deputy-master of the IreS'poli, ceremonies was very- polite. Why are the two adjectives prompte and poll put in different genders ? How do you pronounce Cotignac, (a town); Marc, Mark; broc de vin, a jug of wine; marc d'or, an acknowledgment paid on entering on a business ? 267. What is the feminine of the adjectives^/af, foolish ; and chcdain, auburn : and how do you pronounce the words sieur, sir or master ; and messieurs, gentlemen ? II demande d'etre dispense He begs to be excused de cette demarche. taking that step. II demande a entrer dans He desires to be admitted cette compagnie. into that company. Why is the verb demander followed by the prepo* sition de in the first example, and by a in the last? How do you pronounce the words sang, blood; rang, rank ; and orang-outang, orang-outang ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 270. What difference is there between : un peuple cruel, and un cruel peuple ? e 3 54 A TOUCHSTONE. 271. How do you pronounce the words : nerf, a nerve ; bceyf-graS) a fatted ox $ and ceuf dur, a hard egg ? 272. Les jours qu'il a vecu. The days he has lived. Toutes les choses qu'il a pu. Every thing he could. Why are the participles vecu and pu not made to agree with the nouns that precede them ? 273. What difference is there between : les termes pro- pres, and les propres termes ? 274. How do you pronounce the words : tot, soon ; prevOt, a sheriff; and rdt, roast meat ; before a word begin- ning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 275. What difference is there between : je I'ai vue pein- dre, and je I'ai vu peindre ; je les ai vus piller t and je les ai vu filler ? 276. Je comprends qu'il doit I conceive that he must itre Jache. be angry. Je ne comprends pas que I do not conceive how cela puisse avoir lieu. that can be. Why is the verb in the indicative in the first exam- ple, and in the subjunctive in the last? 277. How do you pronounce the words : done, then ; jonc, a rush ; and tronc, a trunk ; before a word be- ginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute? A TOUCHSTONE. 55 278. What difference is there between : un grand homme, and un homme grand ; and how are the following sen- tences rendered in English: un grand homme see, and un homme grand dans ses projets? 279. How do you pronounce : des hceufs, oxen ; des nerfs, sinews ; des ceufs, eggs ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? La peur ou le hesoin, font Every motion of the tons les mouvemens de mouse is occasioned by la souris. fear or want. Why is the verb font in the plural ; the two preced- ing nouns being separated by a disjunctive conjunc- tion ? 281. What difference is there between : I'annee derniere, and la derniere annee ? 282. Is h mute, or articulated, in the following words : Henri, Henry ; Henriade, Henriade ; hangar, a cart- shed ? L'aigle courageux n'en- The timid dove is not the gendre point la timide offspring of the coura- colombe. geous eagle. L'aigle imperiale etoit The imperial eagle was autrefois les armes de once the national arms. I'Empire. Why is the adjective courageux in the masculine, and imperiale in the feminine gender ? 56 A TOUCHSTONE. 284. How do you pronounce grand, great; and quand, when ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 285. What difference is there between : une clef fausse, and une fausse clef? Tons les juges ont opine Every judge voted ac- chacun selon ses lumieres. cording to his convic- tion. lis ont apporte chacun Every one brought his leur offrande. offering. Why is the possessive pronoun his rendered by ses in the first example, and by leur in the last ? 2S7. How are the words fief, tenure ; grief, grievance ; and relief, relievo ; pronounced before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? What difference is there between : un conte plaisant, and tin plaisant conte ? 289- How are the following words pronounced, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : alphabet, an alphabet ; ballet, a ballet ; billet, a note ; et, and ; guet, a watch ; jet, a throw ; net, clean ; tacet, a pause ? 2yu. Croyez-vous qu'il reviendra ? Do you think he will Croyez-vous qu'il revienne ? return ? A TOUCHSTONE. 57 These expressions, though both rendered in English by : do you think he will come bach, or return ? are not used promiscuously in French. When ought I, there- fore, to put the second verb in the subjunctive, and when in the indicative ? 291. What difference is there between : donner chasse, and donner la chasse ? How do you pronounce : bouc, a he-goat ; joug, a yoke ; soul, fuddled ; and pouls, a pulse ; before a word beginning with a Consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? Osez-vous bien vous com- Dare you compare your- parer a ces grands self to those great men ? hommes ? Comparons la vertu avec Let us compare virtue le vice. with vice. Why is the verb comparer followed by a, in the first example, and by avec in the last ? What difference is there between : parler mal, and mal parler f How do you pronounce : David, David ; Cid, Arabian chief ; muid, a hogshead ; and nid, a nest ? The adjective mortel is sometimes placed before the noun, and sometimes after it. Does this occasion any difference in the meaning of that word ? 58 A TOUCHSTONE. 297. How do you pronounce the termination ein, before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, as in plein, full ; dessein, design, &c. ? II n'est point de laides amours. II y a autour d'elle mille petits amours. C'est la preuve d'un amour ardent. Never seemed mistress foul. A thousand cupids stand around her. It is a proof of violent love. Why is the adjective in the first example put in the feminine, and in the two last in the masculine gender ? 299. What difference is there between : une eau morte, and une morte eau ? 300. What pronunciation is given to the h in heros, a hero ; heroine, a heroine ; and heroique, heroic ? 301. What difference of meaning is there between the following expressions ? Je tie puis plus. II est en maison. Je ne sais oil j' en suis. Se prendre a quelqu'un. On en etoit venu si avant, qu'il falloit vaincre, ou mourir. A Etre en I'air. Notre pre'dicuteur est en c/taire. II est dans I' eau. Nous sommes en hiver. Je n'en puis plus. II est dans la maison* Je ne sais ouje suis. S'en prendre a quelqu'un. On etoit venu si avant, qu'il falloit vaincre, ou A mourir. Etre dans I'air, or dans les airs. Notre predicateur est dans la chaire. II est en eau. Nous sommes dans I'hiver, A TOUCHSTONE. 59 302. How do you pronounce the words : Est, East ; Quest, West ; lest, ballast ; zest ! fiddlestick ! What difference is there between : tomber par terre, and tomber d terre ? 304. How do you pronounce the following words : amer, bitter ; baiser, a kiss ; berger, a shepherd ; boucher, a butcher ; boulanger, a baker ; cancer, a cancer ; clocher, a steeple ; cocker, a coachman ; archer, an archer ? 305. What difference is there between : le haut ton, and le ton haut ? 306. How do you pronounce the last syllable of: hasard, chance ; and bavard, a babbler : and how is the termination ard pronounced in all other words, before a vowel or h mute ? 307. Les deux Corneille se sont The two Corneilles have distingues dans les let- distinguished them- tres. selves by their learning. Les Corneilles sont rares The Corneilles are scarce sur notre Parnasse. among our poets. Why does the proper name Corneille take an s in the last example, and not in the first ? 308. How do you pronounce the last syllable of remparh a rampart ; part, a part ; and of all other words end- ing in art and ert, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or k mute ? 60 A TOUCHSTONE. 309. What difference is there between : V Esprit Saint, and le Saint-Espril ? 310. How do you form the plural of the following words ? Coq-d-l'dne, nonsense. cure-oreille, ear-picker. coupe-jarret, cut-throat. factum, case drawn in the courte-botie, short man. form of a plea. courte-pointe, counterpane, fesse-cahier, hired copier. couvre-chef, kerchief. fesse-mathieu, miser. couvre-feu, fire-plate. garde-chasse, game-keep- couvre-pied, quilt. er. credo, creed. garde -fou, rails along croc-en-jambe, trip. bridges, &c. cure-dent, toothpick. garde- c6te, cruiser. 311. How do you pronounce the words bat, a pack-sad- dle ; mat, a mast ; degdt, havock ; appcd, a bait ; and il parldt, he might speak ; before a word begin- ning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 312. What difference is there between : une cordefausse, and une fausse corde ? 313. How do you pronounce the final syllable of Jupiter, Jupiter ; Lucifer, Lucifer ; Luther, Luther ; magis- ter, a country-schoolmaster ; and frater, a young barber ? 314. What difference is there between : je veux epouser une femme qui a plus de vertu que de beaule, and je veux epouser tine femme qui ait plus de vertu que de beaule ? A TOUCHSTONE. 61 315. How do you pronounce the last syllable of abonne- tnent, a subscription ; accent, an accent ; and accent, a manner of speaking ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 316. Per sonne n'ose lui annon* Nobody dares inform him cer la mort de sonjils. of the death of his" son. Vous aurez raison de ne You will be in the right pas I'oser. not to venture on it. . Why is the verb oser attended by one negative only in the first example, and by two in the last ? 317. How do you pronounce the words : clerc, a clerk ; verd, green ; and il perd, he loses ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 318. What difference is there between : tdtez a. ce vin la ; and tdtez de ce vin Id ? 319. How are the following sentences translated into English : je doute qu'il vienne ; je ne doute pas qn'il ne vienne ; Je doute s'il viendra ? 320. How do you express in French : the head of a wild boar, of a pike, salmon; the snout of a hog; the muzzle of a stag, dog, fox, ox, lion, leopard, tiger ; the fangs of a wild boar ; the teeth of an elephant ? 321. How are friand, dainty ; chaud, hot ; echqfaud, a scaffold ; and all other words terminating in and, r 62 A TOUCHSTONE. pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? What difference is there between : il s'occupe de detruire les abus, and il s'occupe a detruire les abus ? How do you pronounce the ch in tachigraphie, tachygraphy ; tackigraphe, a short-hand writer — the first g in gangrene, gangrene ; the c in secret, secret ; and the first c in necromancie, necromancy ? 324. Le monde ne pardonne pas Men forgive not the most les moindres sottises. trifling follies. Le roi a pardonne a ce The king has pardoned criminel. that criminal. Why is the verb pardonner followed by the prepo- sition a in the last example, and not in the first ? 325. How do you pronounce the words mil, a thousand ; mil, millet ; fol, a madman ; fol, foolish ; sol, a pen- ny ; sol, soil ; and sol, a sol (in music) ? What difference is there between : maltraiter, and trailer mal ? . 327. How do you pronounce the words : tons, all ; Aout, August ; aoute, ripened ? 328. The word orgue, an organ, is masculine in the singular, and feminine in the plural ; as, un bon orgue, A TOUCHSTONE. 63 de bonnes orgues — this being the case, which of the three following expressions is most correct ? C'esl un des plus belles orgues. ? ft ig Qne of the finest C est un des plus beaux orgues. ?Itis $ or| C'es* une des plus belles orgues. } ° How do you pronounce : bon, good ; wiora, my ; son, his or her ; ton, thy ; wore, no ; on, one, they ; be- fore a word beginning with a vowel or h mute ? 330. What difference is there between : il ne se passera pas a cela, and il ne se passera pas de cela ? 331. How do you pronounce : abandon, an abandoning ; Acheron, Acheron ; baton, a stick ; aiguillon, a goad ; and all other nouns ending in on nasal; before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute ? Voyuvre de la creation fut The work of the creation achevee en six jours. was finished in six days. Le premier et le second The first and second works ceuvre de ce musicien of this musician are in sontfort recherches. great demand. Why is the participle put in the feminine gender in first example, and in the masculine in the last ? How are chef, a chief; nef, the nave (of a church) ; and bref, a brief ; pronounced before a word begin- ning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute? 334. What difference is there between : c'est demain conge, and ce sera demain conge ? F 2 A TOUCHSTONE. 335. How is the word sens pronounced in : le bon sens, good sense ; and le sens commun, common sense : and how do you pronounce the noun gril, a gridiron ? How do you express in French : the foot of a horse, ox, slag, camel, elephant, sheep, calf, goat, goose , the paw of a dog, cat, hare, rabbit, wolf bear, ape. rat ; the claws of a lion, cat, tiger, parrot; the talons of an eagle, vulture, hawk ; the mouth of a horse, camel, elephant, dog, lion, ox, wolf, crocodile, pike ? 337. How is the plural of nouns and adjectives ending in ant and ent formed ? 838. What difference is there between : j'ai achete ce cheval de mon frere, and j'ai achete ce cheval & mon frere ? 339. How do you pronounce the words : quadrige, quad- riga ; liquefaction, liquefaction ; liquefier, to liquefy ; gentil, a gentile ; and gentil, pretty ? 340. What is the plural of claire-voie, an opening ; bail, a lease ; and breche-dent, wanting a fore tooth ? 341. Why are the past participles of the verbs .- plaindre, to pity ; craindre, to fear ; and fair, to flee, not used in the feminine ? 342. How do you pronounce the following words : ex- archal, exarchy ; cotignac, quince marmalade ; dompter, A TOUCHSTONE. 65 to tame ; distiller, to distil ; balsamique, balsamic ; bat, the tail of a fish ; batlologie, tautology ; calvitie, baldness ; damner, to damn ; chiste, cyst ; eigne, hemlock • aigue, acute ; contempteur, scorner ; enivrer, to intoxicate ? 343. What difference is there between : cetle femme a accouche, and cetle femme est accouchee ? How do you pronounce the termination ort, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or k mute ? 345. La lettre que j \ai ecrite The letter I have written a votre ami. to your friend. Les ouvrages qu'a ecrits The works which that ce grand homme. great man has written. J'ai ecrit une lettre a votre I have written a letter to ami. your friend. Why is the participle declined in the two first examples, and not in the last ? 346. What difference is there between : une voix com* mune, and une commune voix ? 347. How do you pronounce the termination ir in the infinitive of verbs, and in nouns ; and the final er in the infinitive of verbs ; before a word beginning wi th a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 348. What difference is there between : tout-a-coup, and tout d'un coup ? v 3 66 A TOUCHSTONE. 349. How do you pronounce the last syllable of the fol- lowing words, before another word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : fervent, fervent ; jroment, wheat ; gent, people ; ingredient, an ingredient ; jument, a mare ; mandement, a mandate ; Occident, West ; onguent, ointment ; parent, a rela- tion ; parlement, parliament ? 350. What difference is there between : induire en er- reur, and induire a erreur ? 351. How must I spell the verb annoncer, in those tenses where the c is followed by an a or an o ? 352. What pronunciation is given to the final n of ex- amen, examination ; hymen, hymen ; gramen, cow- abdomen, abdomen ; and amen, amen ? 353. Vous trouverez ci- joint co- You will find annexed a pie de ce que vous me copy of what you re- demandez. quire. Vous trouverez ci-incluse You will find the copy la copie que vous m 'avez you asked me for, in- demandee. closed. Why is the participle put in the feminine gender in the last example, and not in the first ? 354. How do you pronounce the word nom, a name ; and its compounds, prenom, the first name ; surnom, the surname, &c, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : and how are the words plat-bord, a gunnel ; and sauf, safe, pronounced ? A TOUCHSTONE. 67 355. What difference is there between : une plaisante comedie, and une comedie plaisante ? 356. How are the words : dictrict, a district ; strict, strict ; and vehement, vehement, pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 357. What difference is there between : gouter un mets, gouter d'un mets, and gouter a un mets ? 358. The word git, in ci-git, here lies ; is a neuter and defective verb. What is the infinitive mood of this verb, and which are the tenses and persons still in use? 359. How do you pronounce the termination ond, as in bond, rebound; blond, fair; fecond, fertile; prof ond, profound ; second, second, &c. ; before a word begin- ning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 360. What difference is there between the pronunciation of: vous etes satisfait, and vous etes saiisfaits ? 361. How is the noun Jils, son, pronounced before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? What difference is there between : insister a, and insister stir ? 68 A TOUCHSTONE. 363. How do you pronounce : cerf, a stag ; and serf, a slave; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or k mute ? 364. What difference is there between : les honneles gens, and les gens homietes ? 365. How are the words : galant, gallant, or gallant ; and a V instant, immediately ; pronounced before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute ? What difference is there between : en un instant, and dans un instant ? How do you pronounce fol, a fool ; fol, foolish ; col, a neck ; col, a stock ; le col de Tende, the straights of Tend ; le col d'une chemise, the neck or collar of a shirt ; col, a defile ; le col de la vessie, et de la matrice, the neck of the bladder, and of the womb ; mol, soft ; b mol, a b flat, (in music) ? Of what gender are the following words : acte, an act ; concombre, a cucumber ; echange, an exchange ; empldtre, a plaister; equateur, equator; les pleurs, the tears ; saule, a willow ; equinoxe, equinox ; orcheslre, orchestra ; ivoire, ivory ; intervalle, an interval ; girqfle, cloves ; mensonge, a lie ; espace, a space ; etc, summer? 369. What sound must I give to the first e of the two words answering to the English words desire, and desert ? A TOUCHSTONE. 69 370. What difference is there between : un marchand a affaire a toutes sortes de gens, and un marchand a affaire de toutes sortes de gens ? 371. How do you pronounce : baril, a barrel ; quidam, a certain person ; and cog d'Inde, a turkey-cock ? 372. What difference of signification is there between a'ieuls, and a'ieux ? 373. How are the words : lis, a lily ; Jleur-de-lis, flower- de-luce; and club, a club, pronounced? 374. What difference is there between : il Jit amitie a ious ces messieurs, and il Jit amitie avec tous ces mes- sieurs ? 375. How is the termination act pronounced, before a a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 376. Why is the verb s'empresser followed by de, in the first of the following sentences, and by a in the last ? Je m'empresse de prendre lam anxious to begin to la parole. speak. II s 'empresse a rendre ser- He is eager to do a good vice a son ami. turn to his friend. 377. How do you pronounce the words: laid, ugly; and lait, milk ; before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute ? 70 A TOUCHSTONE. 378. C'est au maitre a parler. It is the master's business to speak. C'est au disciple de se The scholar ought to keep taire. silence. Why does the preposition a precede the infinitive mood in the first example, and de in the last ? 379. How do you pronounce the following words, before a word beginning with a consonant, and before a vowel or h mute : Franc, a native of Franconia ; franc, a frank, (piece of money) ; franc, free ; chaos, chaos; clos, a close; repos, rest; and dos, aback? 380. What difference is there between : etre en humeur defaire quelque chose, and etre d' humeur a. fair e quelque chose ? 381. II est Men facile de repon- It is very easy to solve die a voire difficulty. your difficulty. Ciceron est facile a enten- Cicero is easy to be un- dre. derstood. Why is the first infinitive preceded by de, and the last by a. ? How do you pronounce the words: marc, (a weight) ; marc, husks, or grounds ; and pare, a park ? 383. What difference is there between: eel hommen 'en- tend pas raillerie, and cet homme n'entend pas la raillerie ? 384. How do you pronounce the words : pore, pork ; pore-epic, porcupine ; and il echoit, it happens ? A TOUCHSTONE. 71 385. What difference is there between : je viens vous dire quej'ai vu voire sceur, andje viens de vous dire quej'ai vu voire soeur ? 386. How do you pronounce 11 in the words : abattre, to throw down ; attirer, to draw ; and disette, scarcity ? 387. What difference is there between : tin jour faux, and unfaux jour ? (applied to paintings) Why is the pronoun it expressed by il in the first of the following sentences, and by ce in the last ? II etoit a presumer qu'ilne It was to be presumed recevroit point de leltre. that he would receive no letter. C'est vous qui avez fait It is you who have done cela. that. 389. What difference is there between : supplier une chose,1and suppleer a une chose ? 390. Une dame s'est presentee a A lady came to the door, la porte; je I'ai laisse and I let her pass. passer. Les livres que vous avez The books you have taken ramasses, sont ceux que up, are those which my mon frere avoit laisse brother had let fall. tomber. Why is the first participle in each of the above sentences declined, and not the last one ? EXAMPLES OF BAD FRENCH, SUCH AS IS USUALLY SPOKEN BY THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF FRENCH SCHOLARS IN ENGLAND. FIRST CLASS. 1. J'ai ete a Vecole ces huit annees. 2. Vous etes un tres-grand etranger. 3. // trouve faute avec tout. 4. J'ai tres soif. 5. Nous romprons Vecole dans une semaine. 6. Son nez court perpetu- ellement. 7. Je desire vous pour donner moi un de mon nouveau chemise. 8. Vous trouverez voire chapeau dessous la table. 9. Voulez-vous faire un avec nous ? 10. // manque quinze mi- nutes de douze. 11. Je puis faire une che- mise avec cela. 12. Vous etes a jouer, or vous etes pour jouer. 13. La patience m'echappe. 14-. Je vous prie, laissez- moi entendre de vous de terns en ferns. I have been at school these eight years. You are a very great stran- ger. He finds fault with every thing. I am very thirsty. We shall break up in a week. His nose runs perpetu- ally. I desire you to give me one of my new shirts. You will find your hat under the table. Will you make one with us? It wants fifteen minutes of twelve. I can make a shift with that. You are to play. My patience is exhausted. Pray let me hear from you now and then. BAD FRENCH. 73 ] 5. Voire languc court sur des roues. 1 6. Vous regardez bien. 17. Je ne lui at pas parle pour deux ans. ] 8. Les plus courtes folies sont les plus bonnes. 1 9. Vous predites toutes les eclipses. 20. Ne coupez pas mon nez. 21. II y a un mur alentour de la cimetiere. 22. La plupart de dames Jurent malheureuses. 23. Cette lettre a ete re- pondue. 24. II est trente minutes apres trois. 25. Je ne puis pas faire une meilleure chemise. 26. Appelez pour du pain. 27. Vous avez davantage . d 'esprit que moi. 28. J'ai lu cela sur la gazette. 29. // est dix-sepl ans vieux, quoiqu'il ne re- garde pas si vieux; mais it est court de son age. 30. Avez - vous appris le Francois long terns ? 31. J'ai ete cherche par tout le monde. 32. II ne m 'a pas dit qu'il avail besoin de I' argent. 33. II n'y a personne de- dans I'eglise. 3 4-. Quelqu 'un demande pour mon maitre. 35. Mon nez saigne, or je saigne par le nez. 36. Hernandez pour une piece de pain. Your tongue runs upon wheels. You look well. I have not spoken to him these two years. The shortest follies are the least prejudicial. You foretell every eclipse. Do not cut my nose. The churchyard is sur- rounded by a wall. Most of the ladies were unfortunate. This letter has been an- swered. It is thirty minutes past three. A half past three. I can make no better shift. Call for bread. You have more sense than I. I have read that in the newspaper. He is seventeen years old, though he does not look so old ; but he is short of his age. Have you been learning French a long time ? Every one has looked for me. He did not tell me he was in want of money. There is no one in the church. Somebody asks for our master. My nose bleeds. Ask for a piece of bread. 74 BAD FRENCH. 37. La lievre courut a tr el- vers des bois. 38. Cet objet a ete deli- bere. 39. Vous ne savez pas ce que vous disez. 40. Aucune personne vous dira. 41. iZ est impardonnable pour avoir fait une faute si lourde. 42. Mes ennemis sont par- donnes. 43. Vous faut aller ; ma maitresse manque vous. Elle a appelle pour vous troisfois deja. 44-. J'ai dit & votre pere de negocier ce billet dessus la place. The hare ran through the woods. This subject has been canvassed. You are not aware what you are saying. Any body will tell you. I cannot forgive him so great a blunder. My enemies are par- doned. You must go; my mistress wants you. She has called you three times already. I have told your father to negotiate that note of hand on Change. SECOND CLASS. 45. // n'y a pis etat que celui d'un homme dont la conscience n'est pas pure. 46. II est plus riche qu'il etoit. 47. Je ne crois pas que J'ai tort, quandje dis qu'elle avoit Ires peur de vous. 48. Si le public a eu quelque indulgence pour moi, je la dois a votre protection. 49. L'indidgence que le public a eu pour moi, je le dois a voire pro- tection. No situation is worse than that of a man who has not a clear con- science. He is richer than he was. I do not believe I am wrong, when I say she was much afraid of you. If the public has shown me any indulgence, I am indebted to your protection for it. I am indebted to your protection for the indul- gence which the public has shown me. BAD FRENCH. 75 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56, 51. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. Le soleil a resolu le brouillard en pluie. La jeunesse est capa- ble de toutes sortes d'impressions. Un homme qui ne croit point en Dieu, est sus- ceptible de tous les crimes. II lui passa son ipee & travers le corps. Vous a-t-il dit qu'il a faim ? Plus d'un temoin ont depose. Montrez-moi la lecon que vous ont donne vos maitres. Je vous fais grace, quoique vous ne la meritez pas. Oest dans cetie maison oicje demeure. Quelle quantite de pierres it a entasse, (or entassee)! Savez-vous pincer de la harpe, ou de la guitare f Les chaleurs qu'il a faites. Laissez - nous gouter quelque de votre meil- leurvin du Portugal, des Canaries, et du Madere. Vousferez bien d'imiter son exemple. Le vertueux et V elo- quent Feneloti. Je n'espere pas que vous le Jerez. Ces livres sont faciles a se procurer. The sun has turned the fog into rain. Youth is capable of ad- mitting all sorts of im- pressions. A man who does not be- lieve in God, would commit all sorts of crimes. He ran him through the body. Did he tell you that he was hungry ? More than one witness has deposed. Show me the lesson your masters have given you. I pardon you, though you do not deserve it. This is the house I live in. What a number of stones he has gathered to- gether ! Can you play on the harp, or guitar ? The hot weather we have had. Let us taste some of your best Port wine, Tene- riff, and Madeira. You will do well to act up to his example. The virtuous and eloquent Fenelon. I do not expect you will do it. Those books are easily procured. 76 BAD FRENCH. 67. J'espere que vous le fassiez. 68. C'est la chose que j'aime la plus. 69. On me rendra justice, et elle ne pent pas tarder. 70. C'est a vous a qui je parte. 71. Puisque vous m'inter- dites votre maison. 72. Je n'aurois jamais pense que cela etoit a. vous. 73. II est autanl indigne de vivre que sonfrere. 74. Je vous evilerai la peine de lefaire. 75. II vous faut venir. 76. Je m'etonne que vous n'avez pas prevu cet accident. 77. Nous avons proscrit aujourd'hui lesfemmes qui nous avons pros- crites Vannee passee. 78. Cet homme a I'humeur pliable. 79. C'est dans la tete-a- tete qu'elle est la plus aimable. 80. Man frere a vingt et un cheval. 81. Ma sceur touche du clavecin, et moi de I'orgue. 82. Je ne m'en rappellepas. 83. Cettefemme est prefect accoucher, or prete d'accoucher. 84. On y monte par une douce pente. 85. J'espere que nous ne I'avez pas dit. I hope you will do it. That is what I like best. Justice will be done me. and that ere long. It is to you I am speak- ing. Since you forbid me your house. I never thought that was yours. He is as unworthy to live as his brother. I will spare you the trou- ble of doing it. You must come. I am surprised you did not foresee that acci- dent. We have banished the same women to-day, that we banished last year. That man is of a flexible temper. She is most engaging in private conversation. My brother has twenty- one horses. My sister plays on the harpsicord, and I on the organ. " I do not recollect it. This woman is about to be delivered. A little hill leads up to it. I hope you did not say so. BAD FRENCH. 77 86. II faui que je votts observe premierement. 87. L'un el V autre che- vaux. 88. Maitre de langues Franqoise, Espagnole, et Italienne. I must first point out to you. Both the horses. Teacher of the French, Spanish, and Italian languages. Vers attacMs au Collier (Tun petit Chien. Fidelle a ma maitresse, attache a, ses pas, Sensible v des soins qu'elle me donne, Pres de mordre tous ceux qui ne l'aimeroient pas, Je n'ai pu mordre encor personne. THIRD CLASS. 90. Cesar a plus gagne de batailles, que les autres n'en ont hies. 91. La tragedie que fat vaejouer. 92. J'ai prouve que JSsus- Christ viendroit juger les hommes. 93. Le premier et le se- cond. Stages. 94-. On croit n'etre pas irompe ; cependant on nous trompe d ckaque moment. 95. Je lui ai rendu tous les services que j'ai pus, que j'ai voulus, que j'ai dies. 96. Sont-ce Id vos inten- tions? — Out, ce sont elles. 9 7« La poesie est une des sciences que j'ai la la plus cultivee. Caesar won more battles than others have read of battles. The tragedy I saw per* formed. I have proved that Jesus- Christ will come to judge men. The first and second stories. We fancy we are not cheated, and yet we are cheated every mo- ment. I have rendered him every service I could ; every service I wished, or ought to render him. Are those your inten- tions? — Yes, they are. Poetry is one of those sciences I have culti» vated most. g3 78 BAD FRENCH. 98. On battit du tambour pour assembler la troupe. 99. Ne les a-t-il pas assure que cela est ? 1 00. Vous ne convenez pas qu 'il y a du sublime dans ces paroles. 101. II a appr'is a battre le tambour. 102. C'est unhomme dont la vertu en impose. 103. J'espere de le voir aujourd'hui. 104-. Ai-je dit que vous I'avez trompe ? 105. Puis-je esperer Vob- tenir ? 106. // est impossible que I'onpuisse s'imaginer la douleur que cette mort lui cause. 107. lis se sont plus a me tourmenter. 108. Ramassez les livres que vous avez laisses tomber. 109. Les maris s'y ren- dirent avec leurs femmes. 1 1 0. Auguste gouverna Rome avec un tempe- rament, une douceur soutenues, auxquelles il dut le pardon de ses anciennes cruautis. 111. L'actrice que j 'ai vu Jouer.. 112. De quelque religion qu'il soit. 113. II me sembloit qu'il m'aimat. 11 4. Sans peine, niplaisir. The drum was beat, to call the troops together. Did he not assure them that such is the case ? You will not agree that these words are at all sublime. He has learned to beat the drum. He is a man whose virtue commands respect. I hope to see him to-day. Did I say that you have deceived him ? May I hope to obtain it ? It is impossible to con- ceive his grief at the death of that person. They have taken pleasure in tormenting me. Take up the books you have dropped. The husbands repaired thither with their wives. Augustus was indebted for the pardon of his former cruelties, to the moderation and mild- ness with which he constantly governed Rome. The actress I have seen perform. Of whatever religion he may be. I thought he loved me. Without pain or pleasure. BAD FRENCH. 79 115. On vit sortir un tel nombre de feux d' ar- tifice, qu'il sembloit que twites les etoiles torn- boient. 116. x Gravir un rocker. 111. A quelle gloire qu'il soit parvenu. 118. Ni Vor, ni la gran- deur notes rend heu- reux. 119. Je vous en demande excuse. 120. Je ne vous ai pas ecrit que j'etois re- tabli. 121. Ore a retranche la portion de ce malade. 122. Je ne vois pas com- ment on puisse s'en defendre. 123. Cet enfant a ete mal enseigne. 1 2 t. Je prefere de mourir, plutot que de dire tine mensonge. 125. C'est dans son neg- lige qu'elle eloit la plus belle, (or le plus belle). 126. Je prefere mourir avec vous, plutot que de vous trahir. 127. II honor a les lettres de cette protection, de cet attachement reels, qui, dans un prince, sont si capables de les Jairejleurir. 128. J'ai ditqu'un homme gSnereux devoit par- donner. 129. Oil vous ou moi irons a Paris. Such a number of fire- works were seen issuing forth, that one might have thought the whole of the stars were falling. To clamber up a rock. To whatever glory he may have attained. Neither gold nor grandeur makes us happy. I beg your pardon. I did not write to you that I was recovered. That patient's allowance is forbidden him. I do not see how one can avoid it. This child has been ill taught. I would rather die than tell an untruth. She was most handsome in her dishabille. I would rather die with you, than betray you. He honoured learning with that protection, and that solid attach- ment, which, in a prince, are so capable of making it flourish. I said that a generous man ought to forgive. Either you or I will go to Paris. 80 BAD FRENCH. J 30. Le bon esprit, et la bonne sante devroient exciter I 'ambition de tons les hommes; mais ni Pun ni I' autre ne nous occupe. 131. // faut retrancher plusieurs branches a cet arbre. 132. En epousant les in- terests d'aulrut, nous ne devons pas 6pou- ser leurs passions. 133. Je ne connois rien de plus agreable, et de plus charmant for, rien de plus agreable ni de plus charmant), que la fraicheur du soir, apres la chaleur dujour. 134. On remarque souvent les defauts des autres, sansjaire attention a leurs bonnes qualites. 135. Vous etes le seul qui a bien de'veloppe la the'orie des participes. 136. II m'a dit qu'il ne falloitjamaisvendre la peau de I' ours, qu'on ne I'eul mis par terre. 137. II aima toujour s cette per sonne dans son adversite". 138. II s'est autant in- dignement acquitte de ses devoirs que son ami. 139. Socrate etoit aussi sage que vaillant. 140. Peut-etre pourrai-je vous V envoy er demain. A good disposition, and good health, ought to excite the ambition of every man ; but we neither trouble our- selves about the one, nor the other. Several branches must be lopped from this tree. In espousing the interests of others, we must not adopt their passions. I know nothing more agreeable, or more charming, than the coolness of the evening after the heat of the day. We often observe the faults of others, without paying any regard to their good qualities. You are the only one who has thoroughly ex- plained the theory of participles. He told me that we ought never to sell a bear's skin, until we have killed the bear. Even when that person was in adversity, he was always attached to him. He has discharged his duty in as base a man- ner as his friend. Socrates was as brave as he was wise. I may probably be able to send it you tomorrow. BAD FRENCH. 81 141. Vous ne parlez pas en, hommes qui enten- dez la langue. 1 42. L'infinite des perfec- tions de Dieu m'ac- cablent. 1 43. II est difficile de con- tenter. 1 44. La ville dont je suis pres. 145. II est difficile a bien ecrire. 1 46. Quelque religion qu 'il ait embrassee. 147. J'ai un jar din plus beau que vous. 1 48. La trame de nos jours est plus d'd demifaite. 149. Aussitdt que vous ay- ez recouvert la sante, venez me voir. You do not talk like men who understand the language. The infinite number of God's perfections as- tounds me. He is hard to please. The town I am near to. It is difficult to write well. Whatever religion he may- have embraced. I have a finer garden than you. The course of our life is more than half run. Come and see me as soon as your health is re- stored. 150. La Bretonne admirable a pris gout a. mes vers, Douze fois Tan, sa plume en instruit Punivers; Elle a douze fois l'an, reponse de la notre, J3t nous nous encensons tous les mois Pun et Pautre. END OF THE TOUCHSTONK. KEY TO THE FOREGOING QUESTIONS. 1. J'apprendrai le franqois en six mens, signifies : I shall be six months in learning the French language ; and j'apprendrai le franqois dans six mois, means that I shall begin to learn French in six months from the present time. 2. X sounds as cs, in Alexandre, Mexique, and Xantippe. The first x in Xerxes sounds as cs, and the last as s. The x in Xavier has the sound of gz. X in Xenopkon is pronounced as cs, or as s ; and in Ximenes, as cs, s, or ch. The word organ may be rendered in French by Vorgue, or les orgues : the latter is most usual. This noun is masculine in the singular number, and femi- nine in the plural. 4. Un honnete homme, is: an honest man ; and un homme honnete, a Civil or obliging man. 5. The e in recors, retors, and remords, is guttural, The s in recors, retors, and mors; and the ds in remords, are silent before a word beginning with a 84 KEY. consonant ; but before a vowel or h mute, the s is united as a z — except in the following sentence : prendre le mors aux dents, to run away (as a horse) ; in which the s of mors is silent. 6. The infinitive of lissu, is lislre. This verb is used only in its compound tenses, which are formed with the auxiliary verb avoir. Tisser is now used instead of tistre ; but, having no participle, it borrows that of iistre, which is tissu. 7. Ch is pronounced as a k, in all the words contained in Question 7. Un genlilhomme, is : a man nobly descended ; and un homme gentil, a genteel man. N. The / in genlilhomme is liquid. 9. The t in assaut and defaut, is pronounced only when these words are immediately followed by an adjective beginning with a vowel or h mute. The / in haut, is never sounded, but when a substantive beginning with a vowel or h mute follows; and in the following expressions : regarder de haut en bas, to look upon with contempt ; haut a la main, with a high hand. The t of heraut, levraut, and saul, is in no case pronounced. In vaut and prevaut, the I is sounded before a word beginning with a vowel or k mute. 10. The adjective feu is never varied when it precedes the article or possessive pronoun ; but when it comes after them, it admits the feminine termination. This word has no plural KEY. 85 11. When the syllable de denotes privation, as is the case in the words deposseder, to dispossess, or deprive of possession ; denicher, to take from the nest, &c, the e has always the close sound, which is denoted by the acute accent. The e is close also when de comes from the latin : as, deposer, to depose ; from depo- nere ; denoncer, to denounce ; from denuntiare. The word denier, a penny ; from denarius ; is an excep- tion, the e here being guttural. 12. Un galant homme, is a clever, well-bred man, a complete gentleman ; and un homme galant, a man who pays great attention to the ladies. Both these significations may be expressed by the word gallant in English, according to the position of the accent ; thus, un galant homme, is a gallant man, and un homme galant, a gallant man. 13. The g in faubourg is mute. The g in bourg is pronounced as a c ; and the gs in legs is silent in the singular, even before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute. In the plural, the s is united to the succeeding vowel as a z : as, des legs impor- tans ; pronounce, des le-zimportans. 14 The adjectives mur, maigre, and vif, are placed after the noun when they are used in a literal sense, and before it when taken figuratively. Bon and pauvre follow the same rule. 15. The y of the Verbs ending in oyer, oyer, and uyer, is changed into i, whenever it has not the value of two i's, in pronunciation ; or, in other words, when the y would be followed by an e mute ; therefore we 86 KEY. write : je paie, j'emploie, j'essuie ; nous payons, Us emploient, Us essuient, tyc. N. The e of the future and conditional tenses of the verb employer, is sometimes left out ; and this suppression is indicated by a circumflex accent placed on the preceding i : as, femploirai, femploirois, fyc. 16. The n of the nasal termination km, is never joined in pronunciation to the succeeding vowel. Pronounce, then : une erudition | immense ; and not, une eruditio-nimmense, fyc. 17. L is silent, in Chaulnes, coutil, chenil, detail, fusil, nombril, outil, persil, pouts, sourcil, soul, Vesoul. Liquid, in ail, Bresil, ber'il, babil, betail, cil, deuil, Jenouil, gresil, mail, ceil, (pron. ceuil) ; orgueil, peril, pareil, reveil, sommeil, soleil, travail, vermeil. L, in the following words, has the same sound as at the beginning of a word : civil, exil, Jll, Nil, pueril, profit, subtil, vil, viril. 18. When the verb savoir is used in the place of pou~ voir, to be able, it must never have more than one negative. 19. Un homme pauvre is : a poor man ; and un pauvre homme, a man without genius or parts. 20. Les planchers de cet appartement sont plafonnes ; mais Us sont trop bas, signifies : the ceilings of these rooms are plastered ; but they are too low. And, les planchers de ce logis ne sont que de plutre, the floors of this house are only of plaster. KEY. . 87 21. // nefait que sortir, means : he does nothing but go out, or, he is constantly going out ; and, il nefait que de sortir, he is but just now gone out. The final t of accompagnement, adolescent, agrement, aliment, argent, argument, arpent, avent, continent, dent, convent, is silent even before a vowel or h mute. Sound the t in campement before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, unless a short pause follow it ; for then it is silent, though followed by a vowel : as, Part du campement \ est twe des parties les plus essentielles d'un general. 23. When quelque and chose are used together, they form, as it were, but one word, which is always of the masculine gender : as, quelque chose que je lui aie dit, je n'ai pu le convaincre, I could not convince him whatever I said. The noun chose standing alone, is of the feminine gender, and the adjective agrees with it accordingly : as, il lui a dit cent choses obligeantes, he said a hundred polite things to him. 24. The nouns incendie, cimeliere, episode, ongle, and ttgumes, are of the masculine gender, though for- merly feminine. Horloge, atmosphere, and interligne, (a leaden or wooden distance used by printers) ; are of the feminine gender. Parafe, perigee, pantomime, pigmee, mausolee, genie, acte, globule, dialecte, Colisee, and interligne, (a space between two lines) ; are mas- culine. Un vilain homme : is a disagreeable man ; and homme vilain, a niggardly fellow. & 2 88 KEY. 26. The I of the verb appeler, to call, is doubled when the second syllable has a feminine termination ; that is, whenever the e which follows the p, has not the same sound as in the infinitive. In other words, we must never double the /, when it is followed by any other letter than e mute; thus we write : j'appelle, j'ap- pelois, j'appellerai, appele. The same is observable of the / in the verb atteler, to put the horses to; and the t in cacheter, to seal. 27. The gn in agnus, incognito, and magnetisme, has the same liquid sound as in the word lorgnette, a spying-glass. In gnome, gnostiques, Progne, inex- pugnable, stagnant, igne, and regnicole, gn is pro- nounced hard, as in the English word malignant. 28. The same adjective is sometimes placed before, and sometimes after the noun, as is most agreeable to the ear. If the adjective is less harmonious than its substantive, it generally comes first. If it is more harmonious, it follows it ; thus we say : Un homme juste, a just Un juste prix, a reasonable man. price. Une action juste, a just Une juste defense, a just action. ; defence. Une action basse, a mean A bos prix, at a low rate. action. Voila un portrait de ynoi, signifies : here is a portrait painted by me ; and voild mon portrait, here is my portrait. 30. The names of kingdoms, provinces, and towns, coming after the prepositions en and de, take no article. The word Canada is an exception ; it re- KEY. 89 quires the article in every situation ; as is the case also with the following names of countries, &c. L Abruzze, Abruzzo. I 'Abissinie, Abyssinia. les Antilles, the Antilles (Caribbees). la Pouille, Apulia. I'Acadie, Acadia (Nova Scotia). le Bresil, Brasil. la Barbade, Barbadoes. le Pont-Euxin, the Black Cochin- Ca'ienne, la Cafrerie, Caffraria. la Chine, China. la Cochinchine, China. le Congo, Congo. la Cayenne, or Cayenne, le Chili, Chili. la Caroline, Carolina. la Dominique, Dominica. le Groenland, Greenland. la Guinee, Guinea. le Caire, Grand Cairo. la Guadeloupe, Guade- loupe. la Grenade, Granada. la Guiane, Guiana. la Havane, Havannah. I'Indostan, Hindostan. les Indes, India. la Jama'ique, Jamaica, le Japon, Japan. la Janna, or Janiah, Jan- na or Jannina. la Louisiane, Louisiana. le Levant, the Levant. le Manlouan, the dutchy of Mantua. le Milanez, or Milanois, the Milanese. la Martinique, Martinique. le Monomotapa, Monomo- tapa. le Mexique, Mexico. le Malabar, Malabar. le Maryland, Maryland. la Malaguette, Malaguette. leMonoemugi,Monoemagi. les Moluques, the Molucca Islands. le Mississipi, the Missi- sippi. la Mecque, Mecca. le Mogol, the Mogul em- pire. la Nigritie, Negroland. le Parmezan, the Parme- zan. le Pensylvanie, Pennsyl- vania. le Perou, Peru. le Paraguay, Paraguay. le Pegu, Pegu. le Peloponese, the Pelo- ponnesus. les Philippines, the Phi- lippine Islands. le Spilzberg, Spitzbergen, la Toscane, Tuscany. le Tonquin, Tonquin. le Thibet, Thibet, la Virginie, Virginia. le Zanguebar, Zanguebar. la haponie, Lapland, Districts in France and the Netherlands. L'Anjou. l'Alsace. la Bretagne. 1'Artois. l'Angoumois. le Boulonoois, H 3 90 le Brabant, le Bazadois. le Bugey. la Champagne, le Cambresis. la Cote. KEY. le Cotentin. le Dauphine. la Gueldre. le Hainaut. le Languedoc. le Lauraguois. la Marche. le Maine, la Manche. la Normandie. la Picardie. La Haye, the Hague, (town of Holland) Towns in France and the Netherlands. L'Abergement. les Abrets. l'Aigle. les Aspres. la Bachelerie. la Balme. la Baroche. la Barre. le Blanc, le Bourg. le Catelet. la Capelle. la Charite. le Carlat. la Clayette. le Conquet. le Crotoy. le Donjon, la Fere, la Ferte. la Fleche. le Fossat. la Guerche. la Gatine. la Gravelle. la Grasse. 31. la Guepie. la Guiolle. le Havre - de- Grace. la Hougue, or Hogue. la Jaudonniere. le Mans. le Puy. le Plessis. le Quesnoy. la Rochelle. Quelque, preceding a noun, -whether accompanied by que, or not, is an indefinite pronoun, or more properly an adjective, agreeing with that noun in number : as, Some writers have treated of that subject. Whatever wealth he may Quelques ecrivains ont traite ce sujet. Quelques richesses qu'il possede. Quelque, followed by an adjective, or adverb, becomes an adverb itself, and then remains, of course, invariable : as, Quelque savans qu'ils soient. Quelque richement meu- bUs que soient ces ap- partemens. However learned they may be. How richly soever these apartments are fur- nished. See 85. KEY. 91 32. Pronounce the following words according to the remarks annexed. ois, as 6a in French. Hibernois, Maltois, Japonois, Hongrois, Gaulois, Gallois, carquois, Saone, pronounce Sone. aoriste, pronounce oriste. affres, pronounce a, as in/ir. gedle, 1 Pronounce as .if s Ay \ spelled in Fr. ° ' S j6le,jolier. emmener, first m as a nasal n. ennui, first n nasal. Nantois, ~\ Rouennois, >ois, as e in Fr. Caennois, ) Rome, o as in not. Sin, n as in English. Uunkerque, un as on nasal. Abruzze, zz as ss. aimable, last a as in ask. fade, il a, cave, bague, volage hommage, as in ask. 33. Un brave homme is : an honest man, a gentleman and un homme brave, a courageous man. 34. In this sentence : le peu a" exactitude que j'ai trouve dans cet ouvrage, the participle trouve very properly agrees with peu, in the masculine singular ; for we find, on examining the sense, that it cannot agree with exactitude, because no exactness is found in the work. But in the following phrase : le peu de nonnes quej'ai vues, the participle agrees with nonnes, as we may here very well speak of nuns seen ; the noun nonnes, therefore, is the direct object. 35. The final s of Jesus, may either be pronounced, or dropped. In Christ, both the s and the t are sounded. Jesus-Christ and Antechrist, are pronounced as if spelled in French : Jesu-Cri, Ante-Cri ; except when they precede a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, for then the final t is sounded. 92 KEY. 77 se hue soi-meme, means : he praises his own person ; and il se hue lui-meme, he is his own trumpe- ter. 37. Quelque chose, employed as a single word, is of the masculine gender, and requires the adjective or parti- ciple to agree with it accordingly. When it is immedi- ately followed by an adjective, the latter must be pie- ced by the preposition de : as, Je trouve quelque chose de I find his style rather guinde dans son style. bombastic. In the same manner rien is followed by de, when an adjective succeeds : as il n 'y a rien de si laid, there is nothing so ugly. 38. H6tel-Dieu. Hdtels-Dieu. Fele-Dieu. Fetes-Dieu. garde-marine. gardes-marine. bain-Marie. bains-Marie, pie-grieche. pies-grieches. franc-allcu. francs-alleux. chef -lieu. chefs-lieux, casse-noisette. casse - noisette, or casse-noisettes. chasse-mouche. chasse-mouche, or chasse-mouches. vasislas. vasistas. 39. Ilfaut que celui qui parle se mette a la poriee de ceux qui I'ecoutent, signifies : he who speaks must confine himself within the reach of the understanding of those who listen to him; and il faut que celui que parle se mette a poriee de ceux qui I'ecoutent, he who speaks must place himself within the hearing of those who listen to him. KEY. 93 40. The adjective chdtain is indeclinable, when it is qualified by another adjective coming after it. 41. The final t of dont, mont, and of the termination ont in verbs, is silent before a word beginning with a consonant ; but when a vowel or h mute follows, it is united to it in pronunciation — example : Pronounce, Les heros dont il tire son origine. don-til. Le mont Parnasse. mon Parnasse. Le mont Olympe. mon-tOtympe. lis sont d Paris. son-td Paris. The t in pont is never sounded : except before some proper names, as : A Pronounce, Le pont aux Anes. pon-taux. Le pont-d-Mousson. pon-td. Le pont-aux-Choux. pon-taux. 42. In sentences containing two propositions, the second of which is qualified by the first, we must use ce with the verb etre, at the beginning of the second member or proposition ; and not il, Us, elle, elles : as, Penser, c'est vivre. To think, is to live. Je connois M. F. ; c'est un I know Mr. F. ; he is an honnete homme. honest man. Penser avec liberie, sentir Liberty of thought, de- avec delicatesse, agir licacy of feeling, and avec courage, c'est le boldness of action, are partage de I' homme* proper to man. 43. The final s of secours, recours, and rebours, is silent before a word beginning with a consonant, but joined as a z to the next word beginning with a vowel or h mute. 94 KEY. 44. Prenez garde de tomber, signifies : take care not to fall ; and prenez garde a tomber, take care to fall. 45. The participle mi, signifying half, or mid, when prefixed with a hyphen to the word carhne, lent ; or to the months of the year, obliges them to take the feminine article : as, la mi-careme, mid-lent ; la mi- Aout, the middle of August ; la mi-Mai, the middle of May, &c. 46. The h of the proper names Hongrie and Hollande, is mute in the following examples ; and the e of the preposition consequently retrenched : Eau de la reine d' Hongrie. Hungary water. JJufromage d' Hollande. Dutch cheese. De la porcelaine d 'Hoi- Fine Dutch ware. lande. Be la toile d' Hollande. Holland (cloth). Du vin d'Hongrie. Hungarian wine. Demi- Hollande. Gulick, or Isingham Holland. In the two following examples the h is aspirate : Du point de Hongrie. Hungarian lace. Je viens de Hollande. I come from Holland. 47. Both these sentences : j'aurois fait votre affaire si vous m'en aviez parle, and j'eussefait votre affaire, si votes m'en eussiez parle, are englished by : I would have done that business for you if you had spoken to me. But there is a shade of difference in their applica- tion, in French. J'aurois fait, refers more particularly to the time when the business would have been under- taken ; and j'eussefait, to the actual performance of it. J'aurois fait votre affaire si vous m'en aviez parle, might therefore be rendered in English by : I would KEY. 95 have engaged to do that business for you, if you had spoken to me about it ; and j'eusse fait votre affaire si vous m'en eussiez parle, that business would have been done by me, if you had mentioned it to me. 48. The c in broc is silent before a word beginning with a consonant; but pronounced at the end of a sentence, or before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute : as Pronounce, Vider un broc. Brok. Un broc de vin. Bro de vin. De brie et de broc. De bri-ket de brok. Un broc en vidange. Un bro-ken vidange. The c in croc, and the z in riz, are silent before a word beginning with a consonant, and at the end of a sentence ; but sounded before a vowel or h mute ; except in : du riz a, la puree, in which the z is mute. 49. We write Chi/pre or Chipre in modern geography ; but when the thing related refers to ancient geo- graphy, we spell the word, Cypre. 50. Pronounce the following words according to the annexed explanation. Schisme, sch, as sh in English architecte, ch, as sh in English. opium, -J £ opiomme. Te Beum, .5 TeDeomme. factotum, § factoton. decorum, \ decor on. junle, Z jonte. gageure, 3 gajure. pallium, a pallion. factum, £ facton. g hard, as in the English word repugnant. agnat, agnation, diagnostique, cognat, inexpugnable : cognation, magnetisme, gn is liquid, though formerly hard. fouet, as if spelled foi. Us chantent, a as in father, asthme, \ th not asthmatique, ) sounded. 96 KEY. casser,^ Empedocle, \ wnotnasal< passer, \a, as vajatner. Agamemnon, J casse, 3 rassasier, the last * as encoignure, i is mute. a z. fosse, o as in wrote. baguenauder, the first a, raptf, p and t both sound- as in ask. ed. 51. Z7m homme cruel, unefemme cruelle, signifies : a cruel man, or woman ; and un cruel homme, une cruelle femme, an inexorable, or fastidious man, or woman. 52. The final t of the nouns : agonisant, aimant, aspirant, assaillant, and baltant, is in no case pronounced. 53. Entre quatre yeux, is pronounced enire qualre-s-yeux ; the s being introduced to soften the sound. 54. The I in gentilhomme, has a liquid sound like gl in the word seraglio. The plural geniilshommes, is pronounced gentizomme. 65. The imperfect tense, and not the preterit, is used in French, in the following cases : (a.) When in a narration, we speak of the inclinations and qualifications of deceased people ; or of the inherent and distinctive quality of things no longer existing ; as, Louis quatorze etoit un Louis the fourteenth was grand homme, el passoit a great man, and was pour un bon roi. looked upon as a good king. Carthage faisoit un pro- Carthage carried on a digieux commerce par le prodigious trade, by moyen de ses vaisseaux, means of her ships, qui alloient jusqu'aux which went as far as Indes. the Indies. KEY. 97 (b) To express an action that was present, or doing, at the time of another action that is past, whether the first of these relate to persons dead, or still living. The imperfect partakes, in this case, both of the present and preterit tense, and hence derives its name : as, Je soupois quand il est I was supping* when he arrive, (or quand il ar- arrived. riva, or quand il arrivoit). Mon oncle etoit a Londres My uncle was in London du temps de la revoke. at the time of the re- bellion. Ma sceur etoit belle dans My sister was handsome sa jeunesse ; ou avant in her youth ; or before d 'avoir eu la petite verole. she had the small-pox. (c) When we speak of actions of habit, or of actions repeated at a time not precisely defined : as, Quand j'etois a Paris, When I was in Paris, I j ' allois souvent me often went and took a promener dans le jar din walk in the botanic des plantes. garden. (d) When the preposition if precedes a verb attended by the conditional tense, either going before, or coming after it : as, Si elle etoit plus aimable, If she had more agreeable elle trouveroit bientot un manners, she would mart. soon find a husband. Jeferois le voyage de Rome I would take a trip to si j 'etois plus jeune. Rome if I were younger. (e) When the verb expressing an action that is past, is preceded by the preposition si, if, and another verb follows in the same tense : as, Si j'ayois envie de m'en If I longed for an explan- eclaircir, elle n'en avoit ation, she was no less pas moins de savoir qui desirous of knowing j 'etois. who I was. • * When an action that is past is expressed in English by the active participle, joined to the verb to le, as in this example, it is invariably rendered in French by the imperfect of the indicative. I 98 KEY. 56. Manquer de faire une chose, signifies : to fail to do a thing ; and manquer a faire une chose, to forget to do a thing- : as, il ne manquera pas de venir, he will not fail to come ; j'ai manque a vous dire une chose, I have forgotten to tell you one thing. 57. When two imperatives are connected by a conjunc- tion copulative, the latter of them requires the pro- noun to precede, and not follow it : as, Prenez~le, et le donnez d Take it, and give it to votrefrere. your brother. * Sortez-le de I'ecurie, et Lead him out of the sta- le promenez. hie, and walk him. * Asseyez cet enfant, et Set down this child, and ltd donnez sonjouet. give it its rattle. JEmportez-le, et le jetez Take him away, and cast dans les tenebres de him into outer dark- dehors. ness. 58. When the pronoun Je follows a verb ending in e guttural, this vowel must be changed into e close, by placing the acute accent over it : as, parle-je ? do I speak? etudie-je? do I study? But asje placed after some verbs would produce a harsh and disagreeable sound, the question must, in such cases, be asked in another manner ; and instead of romps-je ? mens-je ? sens-je ? dors-je ? cours-je ? ris-je ? perds-je ? we must say : est ce que je romps ? or trouvez-vous que je rompe ? and so of the rest. The final s in Adonis, Anubis, and all the rest of the words contained in Question 59, is pronounced * Sortir, promoter, and asscoir, though neuter verbs, are some- times used actively, as in these examples. Monter, and remonter, have likewise often an active signification . as, montez tout cela dant ma chambre, carry up all this into my room ; remontex voire montrc, wind up your watch. KEY. 99 with the hissing articulation, as in the word ascension : except before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, where the s sounds as a z, and must be united to that word in pronunciation. 60. With nouns, &c. denoting time, the pronoun it is always rendered by il, and not by ce : as, // est midi et demi. It is half past twelve (at noon). // est temps 4e partir. It is time to set out. 6L X has the sound of cs, in borax, larynx, sphinx, syrinx, prefix, Ajax, and Pollux : except before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute ; for then it is united to the next word as a z. In deuxietne, the x sounds as a z. Dom Quixotte (Don Quixote), is pro- nounced Don Ghishott; but this word is now more usually spelled in French, Quichotte* Unjurieux animal, is : a huge animal ; and un animal furieux, a fierce animal. The last letter of the ten following monosyllables, is retrenched before a word beginning with a vowel : ce, de, je, le, la, me, ne, que, se, te. The i of the conjunction si, is retrenched only before the personal pronouns il and Us. The adverb si, in the sense of yet, keeps its i, even before il and Us : as, il est tres- savant, et si il est modeste, he is very learned, and yet he is modest. 64. The g of the termination ger, in verbs ; as, alleger , &c, is pronounced as a j ; therefore to preserve this sound throughout the conjugation, we must insert an e after the g, where it wouM be followed by an a or 100 KEY. an o ,• since otherwise these last letters would change the sound of g, from a soft to a hard pronunciation. Write, then : Us allegent, j'allegeois, j'allegeai, fyc. 65. Qu in the following words, is pronounced as if spelled in French, cou ; but it makes only one syllable with the a that follows it : Aqicatique. quadruple, equateur. quadragesime. equation. quaere, or quaker. liquation. quaterne. in quarto. quadrangulaire. quadragenaire. quadrupede. quadrature, (in geometry) quadratrice. Qu in the subsequent words, sounds like cu in French, and forms but one syllable with the following vowel. / Equestre. liquefaction, equiangle. a quia, equidistant. quinquagenaire.\ second equilateral. quinquagesime. fquascou. quinquerce. quintuple, quirinales. questeur. quinquereme. questure. quinquennium . ubiquiste. Qu in quadrat, and in quadrahtre (clock-work), is pronounced as a k. 66. When the adverb tout precedes an adjective femi- nine, beginning with a consonant or h aspirate, either in the singular or plural number, it agrees with that adjective in gender and number, as it becomes in this case an adjective itself, retaining however its adver- bial signification. 67. The t of the verb jeter, must be doubled in those persons where the second syllable ends in c mute, or KEY. 101 has a feminine termination ; we must therefore write : je jette, je jetois, il jeta, je jetterai, que je jettc, qu'il, jetdt, je jetterois, jetant, jete, fyc. 68. line femme grosse, signifies : a pregnant woman, and une grosse femme, a big, fat woman. 69- The final vowel of entre is retrenched only when this word enters into the composition of other words : as, s'entr' aider, to help one another; s'entr' excuser, to excuse one another; s'entr' accoler, to embrace one another, &c. 70. In compound substantives, the plural form must be given to such simple word or words composing them, as the sense points out to be susceptible of it, without regard to the entire word. In the noun passe-partout, it is plain that neither the verb passe, nor the adverb partout can admit of an s, because the plurality falls on a word which is understood, namely clef. The same remark will apply to essuie-main, and chausse-pied ; the word linge being understood in the former ; and in the latter the instrument used. For this reason, it is more proper to write : des abat-jour, des boute-feu, des hors-d'oeuvre ; than des abat-jours, des boute-feux, des hors-d'oeuvres. All the words, therefore, contained in Question 70, must be spelled in the same manner in the plural as in the singular number. 71. Je dinerai aujourd'hui en ville, signifies : I shall dine out to-day ; that is, not at home; and, je dinerai aujourd'hui dans la ville, I shall dine in the town to- day, and not in the country. 72. The noun delice is of the masculine gender, in the singular number ; and feminine in the plural : as, un grand delice, de grandes delices. i3 102 KEY. 73. The r of ether is always sounded. Leger is pro- nounced lege ; except before a substantive commencing with a vowel or h mute ; for then the r is sounded, and joined to it in pronunciation. The final r of etranger, menager, mensonger, messager, oreiller, pas- sager, pecker, potager, rocher, semper, verger, viager, is in no case pronounced. 74. A pair of bellows (a bellows'), is expressed by : un soufflet ; and, a pair of breeches or small-clothes, by : une culotte, or un haut-de-chausse ; and not by : une paire de culottes. 75. When the adjective or participle is preceded by a noun, as in : il y eut cent homines tues, and other simi- lar phrases, the preposition de is omitted. But when the noun is not expressed, but only understood, de must be joined to the adjective : as, il y en eut deux cents de blesses, two hundred of them were wounded. 76. Sound the final c of bloc, choc, escroc, froc, roc, troc, soc, cstoc ; and the q in coq. In accroc and bloc dc marbre, the final c is silent. 77. The adverb tout is invariable before an adjective in the masculine plural ; and also when it is followed by another adverb ; being used in the latter case merely as an expletive, to give greater force to the expression. 78. Une nouvelle certaine, signifies : authentic news ; and une certaine nouvelle, a certain piece of news, re- quiring confirmation. KEY. 103 79. When the second person singular of the imperative mood ends in e mute, and is followed by the pronoun y or en, an s is added to the verb for sound's sake : as, portes-y, carry there. The verb alter, to go, takes also an euphonic s in the same person. The other sentences are translated as follows : Donnes-en. Vas-y. Je vous les y enverrai. Consider -e en quel etat je Va-t'en, (not va-t-eri). me trouve. Mene-nous-y. Menes-y moi. Transportes-y toi. Condnisez-moi la* II ne nousy en auroit pas II vous y en enverra. envoye. Ne lui en donne pas. Envoyez-nous y. Cherche un lime. 80. The letters of the alphabet, the notes in music, the names of the ciphers, and all words which (not being substantives) are used substantively, remain unaltered in the plural ; therefore we say : des quand, des com- ment, des que, deux a, trois b, deux re, trois mi, deux neuf, trois quatre, fyc. 81. The subjunctive is used when the sentence has a negative meaning; and the indicative when it is affirm- ative. When I say : Madame Recamier est la plus belle dame que je connoisse, the sense is negative, being equivalent to : je ne connois pas line plus belle dame que Madame Recamier. But in the other exam- ple : Madame Recamier est la plus belle des dames que je connois, the sense is affirmative, and implies : I do know women who are less handsome than Madame Recamier ; consequently the verb is in the indicative. 82. The ambiguity in this phrase: elles sont toutes soidagees, which signifies, they are all relieved; as well * Couduisez-moi Id, is here put instead of conduisez-y moi, to avoid the repetition of the buzzing 30und of z in two consecutive syllables. 104 KT£Y. as, they are much relieved, may be obviated by ex- pressing the former sense thus : toutes sont soulagees. Pronounce the words : Claude, second, vermicelle, violoncelle, as if spelled in French : Glaude, segond, vermichelle, violonchelle. 84. The final t of brillant, calmant, and all the other nouns contained in Question 84, is in every case silent. But when any of these words are adjectives, or active participles, the t is sounded before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, and united with it in pronunciation. 85. Quelque, followed by a substantive, agrees with it iu number, whether that substantive is succeeded by an adjective, or not : as, Quelques pieces divert is- Whatever amusing plays santes qu'on represente. are acted. But when quelque precedes an adjective, it becomes an adverb, and is therefore invariable, whether a substantive follows the adjective, or not : as, Quelque belles actions Whatever great actions he qu'il aitjaitcs. has performed. In the first of the foregoing sentences, quelques modifies the noun pieces, and might, therefore, more properly be termed an adjective, than an indefinite pronoun. The latter example is equivalent to : quelque belles que soient les actions qu'il aitfaites. Quelque is then in this case an adverb, however the sentence may be expressed, and is consequently indeclinable. Un grand homme, is : a great man ; and tin hommc grand, a tall man. KEY. 105 87. Gui, in aiguiere, aiguieree, and Guillauvie, is pro- nounced as gui in the word guinea. In aiguillade, aiguille, aiguillee, aiguillette, aiguilletier, aiguillier, aiguillon, aiguillonner, aiguiser, aiguisement, Guise ; gut sounds groee. The //, in such of the preceding words as have it, has the liquid articulation. 88. We say : il est arrive avant nous, and not devant nous, or aupar avant nous ; because avant is used to denote order in point of time, and devant, as to place. The adverb auparavant can never be put before a noun or pronoun, it being always used alone. 89. The preterit tense is employed in French, when the action past, neither has been, nor can be inter- rupted ; but is so completely done and ended, that nothing remains of the time wherein it was doing. Its principle use is, therefore, in historical relations, where it is often accompanied by an adverb, or adverbial phrase, specifying the time when the action or event took place : as, Nous n 'eumes point d'ete We had no summer last I'annee derniere. year. Le roi de Suede arriva de- The king of Sweden ar- vant Varsovie le 5 Mai, rived before Warsaw 1702. A la premiere on the 5th May, 1702. sommation les portes ltd The gates of the city furent ouvertes ; il ren- were thrown open to voya la garnison Polo- him on the first sum- noise, congedia la garde mons; he sent away the bourgeoise, etablit par- Polish garrison, dis- tout des corps-de-garde, missed the city-guards, et ordonna aux habitans established guard-hou- de venir remettre toutes ses in every part, and leurs armes. ordered the inhabitants to come and deliver up all their arms. 106 1LEY. 90. Je ne me doutois pas qu'il vint, signifies : I did not suspect that he would come ; and je me doutois qu 'il viendroit, I suspected he would come. 91. The following adjectives, which had formerly no masculine plural, now conform to the general rule, by forming their plural in aux ; except pascal, which makes pascals : Canonial. Devoirs canoniaux, canonical duties. Conjugal. Droits conjugaux, conjugal eights. Litteral. Commentaires litteraux, literal com- mentaries. Nasal. Sons nasatix, nasal sounds. Nuptial. Rites nuptiaux, nuptial rites. Pascal. Cierges pascals, pascal tapers. Pastoral. Jeux pastoraux, pastoral games. Pectoral. Fruits pectoraux, pectoral fruit. Special. Fails speciaux, special facts. Trivial. Termes triviaux, trivial terms. Venal. Offices venaux, venal offices. Total is used substantively, and makes totaux : as, la somme des totaux, the aggregate amount. In other cases it has no plural. — The adjective^ora?/.r is used only in the plural : as, les jeux jhraux, floralia, or the games of Flora. 92. The s of gens, is pronounced at the end of a s^- tence. Before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute it has the value of a z. In every other situa- tion it is silent. The final s of suspens is mute; ex- cept before a vowel, or h not sounded, where it is pro- nounced as a z. 93. The word some, expressed or understood, before an adjective followed by a plural noun, is rendered in French by de : as, Voire frere a de bonnes Your brother has some nouvclks a vous donnsr. good news to tell you. KEY. 107 i7 a de tres-beaux fruits He has very fine fruit in dans son jardin. his garden. But when the adjective and substantive are consi- dered as forming together but one word, the former must be preceded by des, and not by de : as, J'ai vu des petits-maitres I have seen some very fort malhonnetes. rude sparks. J'ai mange des petits- I have eaten some petty- pates. patees. Je connois des Jeunes gens I know some very agree- tres-aimables. able young men. Voild de» beaux esprits. Those are great geniuses. 94. 22 a sorti, signifies : he has been out ; and il est sorli, he is gone out. II a demeure d. Paris, he has lived in Paris; and il est demeure a Paris, he is still living in Paris. 95. Foudre is feminine in its literal sense, and mascu- line when used figuratively ; thus, we say : il fut frappe de la foudre, he was struck by a thunderbolt; I'eclat de la foudre, the report of thunder — un foudre de guerre, a warlike general, dreaded by his enemies ; c'est un foudre d' eloquence, he is a great orator. Also, van foudre, a large tun. Notwithstanding, when an epithet is added to foudre, or when it is in the plural number, either gender may be assigned to it : as, le foudre vengeur, or lafoudre vengeresse, vindictive thunder, (Euvre. (See 332) Leltre, prison, and ordonnanee, admit of a mascu- line adjective in the following ancient expressions only : lettres royaux, letters patent ; prisons royaux, the king's bench prison; ordonnanCes royaux, royal ordinances. 96. The following words are frequently mispronounced. The only difficulty they offer*- is explained in the an- nexed remarks : 108 KEY. Humbert, urn, as on nasal. Munster, un, as on nasal. Young, oun, as on nasal. manne, Jacques, Jlamme, basse, chdsse, classe, echasses, grasse, lasse, masse, passe, fasse, tasse, aimasse, amasser, delasse, tambour, a, as in father. o, as in note. as in not. oignon, i is mute. endosse, desosse, grosse, drole, lobe, aurore, "\ globe, > o, as in lord. evapore,) voler, ) tope ! J °> roide, ~\ in conversation roideur, >pr. rede, redeur, roidir, J redir. In sublime discourse, pronounce the oi as above, or as 6a in French. croitre, oi, as 6a. automne, pron. autonne. quanquan, qu, asa k. quanquam, pron. kouan- kouan in Fr. post-scriptum, pron. pos- scriptomme. 97. Un enfant cruel, is a hard-hearted child ; and un cruel etifant, a rude> tiresome child. 98. When the pronoun le refers to a noun, or to yin adjective taken substantively, which is the same thing, it agrees with it in gender and number : as, second a, as father. } as a nasal n. campagne, ecole, o, as in not. Are you the sick person mentioned to me, ? — Yes. T am. Madame, etes-vous la ma- lade dont on m'a parle ? — Out, je la suis. Ma'am ? — Yes : Here la refers to, and stands for, la maladc. But when le has reference to an adjective, or to a substantive taken adjectively, it is invariable : as, Madame, etes-iw ma- ladc ? — Our, jc lc suis. Are you sick, Ma'am ? — Yes, I am. KEY. 109 Thus, le is employed when the sense would admit of cela being put in its stead ; and la (which stands for elle) when the noun might be repeated. N. A noun used without article, as in : etes-vous mere? is considered as belonging to the class of adjectives. Proper names taken literally, do not admit of a plural termination ; hence we say : les Alexandre, les deux Corneille, les Pascal, Sfc. When they are used metaphorically, to characterize the talents of any per- son, they take an * as the sign of the plural : as, lis sont les Alexandres de They are the Alexanders leur siecle. of their age. Les Molieres sont morts The Molieres have disap- pour long temps. peared for a long time. Les Pascals so?it rares. The Pascals are scarce. See 307. 100. The s of anis, bis (brown), cadis, and commis, is in every case silent. The e in brebis is guttural, and the * silent : except before a word beginning with a vowel or k mute, where it must be united as a z. The t in bandit, and conflit, is always mute. In deficit, and rit, the t is sounded in every case. 101. The final e of the feminine adjective grande, is re- trenched, and an apostrophe put in its place, before the following words : Grand' chambre, best ca- Grand' peine, great trou- bin. ble. Grand' chere, good cheer. Grand'peur, great fright. Grand' chose, great thing. Grand' pitie, great pity. Grand' croix, great cross. Grand' rue, main street. Grand' garde, main guard. Grand' sal le, palace-hall. Grand* m$re, grandmo- Grand' soif, gveaX thirst. ther. Grand' tante, grand aunt. Grand' messe, high mass. 110 KEY. This elision is indispensable in the word grand' mere only. When grande is preceded by the indefinite article, it must never be curtailed : as, line grande chambre, Sfc. — except in : une grand' mere. 102. The g in doigt is silent, and the t sounded only before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute. The t of adjoint, appoint, embonpoint, and joint, is in no case sounded ; nor in poi?it, a point, or a stitch : except in these two expressions : point et virgule, a semicolon ; de point en point, precisely. The t of the negative point, is always united to a succeeding vowel. 103. The verb savoir requires but one negative, when an uncertainty of the mind is implied ; but when the sense denotes a full and entire ignorance of the thing, it must have two. In this sentence : je ne sais si vous me comprenez, the person speaking entertains a doubt about his meaning being understood ; but, il ne sait pas que le courrier est arrive, implies a positive ignorance of the arrival of the post ; consequently two negatives are employed. 104. Paon, faon, Laon, taon, Caen, are pronounced as if spelled, in French : pan, Jan, Lan, ton, Can. These words are never united to a succeeding vowel ; ex- cept in the plural, where the s is joined as a z. 105. The following is a list of the words in which h is aspirated. In words derived from these, h has the same value. Ha ! ha ! hagard, fierce. hableur, romancer. haie, hedge. hache, hatchet. haillon, rag. hactiis, hash. haine, hatred. KEY. Ill haire, hair- cloth. halbran, young wild-duck. hale, drying wind. hanap, clumsy drinking cup. haleter, to pant. kallier, thicket. halle, market-hall. hallebarde, halberd. halte, halt. kamac, hammock. Hambourg, Hamburg. hameau, hamlet. hampe, staff (of a halberd). hanche, haunch. hanneton, May-bug. Hanse Teutonique, Teu- tonic Hanse. kanter, to frequent. kaquet, dray. happer, to snap. haquenee, ambling nag. Hainaut, Hainault. harangue, speech. haras, stud. haubert, coat of mail. harasser, to harass. harceler, to tease. hordes, clothes. hardi, bold. hareng, herring. hargneux, snarlish. haricot, kidney-bean. haridelle, jade. harnois, harness. hare ! there ! haro, hue and cry. harpe, harp. harpie, shrew. harpon, harpoon. hart, band of a fagot. hasard, hazard. hase, a doe -hare. hate, haste. haubans, shrouds. hausse-col, neck-piece. haut, high. hautbois, hautboy. haute-conlre, counter-te- nor. have, pale. kavre, haven. havre-sac, knapsack. he ! eh ! hoe ! heaume, helmet. hem ! hem ! heler, to hail a ship hennir, to neigh. Henriade, Hettriade. heraut, herald. here, poor wretch. herisser, to stand on an end. herisson, hedge-hog. hernie, rupture. hiros, hero's. heron, heron. hetre, beech-tree. herse, harrow. huppe, tufted. hure, wild boar's head, heurter, to knock. hibou, owl. hie, — e'est id le hie, there's the rub. hideux, hideous. hie, paviour's rammer. hierarchie, hierarchy. hisser, to hoist. hobereau, hobby, (bird) hoc, — cela m' 'est hoc , I am sure of it. hoche, notch. hocher, to jog. hochet, child's coral. hold ! ho ! there. Hollande, Holland. hongre, gelding. % 112 KEY. Hongrie, Hungary. houri, houri. honni, disgraced. houspilkr, to pull and honte, shame. haul. houssard,'\ housse, horse-cloth. housard, Vhussar. houssine, switch. hussard, ) houret, bad hound. koquet, hiccough, hickup. houx, holly. hoqueton, cassock. huche, kneading-trough. horde, clan. hue ! gee ho ! horion, great blow. hoyau, mattock. hormis, except. huee, hooting. hors, out. hurler, to howl. hotte, scuttle. Huguenot, Huguenot. houe, hoe. huit, eight. houblon, hops. hutte, hut. houlette, crook. Hutin, — Louis le Huiin. houppe, puff. hune, scuttle of a mast. hourder, to rough-work. homard, lobster. houppelande, riding-coat. Hesse, (town in Germany). The definite article le, la, (which becomes I' before a vowel or h mute), is never curtailed before any of the preceding words. Nor is the indefinite article une retrenched, either before these, or before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute : as, une hache, an axe ; tine ecaille, a shell ; une heure, an hour, &c. In English the reverse seems to take place, the definite article remaining unretrenched in every case, while the indefinite article a, is changed into an before a vowel or h mute ; as, an egg, an honour, <§-e. — From this last rule are excepted those cases where the indefinite article is followed by a word, the initial vowel of which is u, sounded long, which being a sort of semi-conso- nant, does not require the euphonic n before it ; for we say : a unitarian, a useful book, a humorous description, Qc. On the other hand, a becomes an, even before an h aspirate, whenever the accent is on the second syllable ; as, an historian, an huzza, an hysteric fit, an humane treatment, an harmonious sound, an fteroic action, an habitual conversation, Qc. H is aspirate in French, in nearly one half of the words beginning with that letter, in the language — The few words in which h is mute in English, are comprised in the following short list : heir, heiress, honest, honesty, honour, honourable, herb, herbage, hospital, hostler, hour, humble, humour, humorous, humorsome. 106. H is aspirated, in : chat-huant, enhardir, rehausser, s'aheurter, enharnacher ; it being a general rule to sound the h in the middle of compound words, when KEY. 113 that letter is aspirated at the beginning of the primi- tives. — The only exception is the word exhausser, to raise ; derived from liaut, high. 107. Example, is masculine when it signifies : a pattern or model ; as, un exemple de vertu, a model or pattern of virtue ; but when it signifies : a copy to write or draw by ; it may be either masculine or feminine, though the latter gender is generally preferred. Hymne, is feminine when it means a hymn, such as is sung in churches : as, entonner une hymne, to lead off a hymn. In its other significations it is masculine : as, V hymne de Ceres (m), the hymn of Ceres, &c. Loutre, is feminine ,• except when it signifies a beaver hat, which is : un loutre. 108. Some grammarians pretend that some, preceding an adjective followed by a substantive in the singular number, may be expressed by de, or du, as most agreeable to the ear. There is, however, a difference of meaning between them. When I say : donnez-mdi de bon papier, I express myself in a more general and unrestricted sense, than when I say : donnez-moi du bon papier. By the first I merely ask for a quantity of paper which is good, without reference to any particular paper ; whereas by : donnez-moi du bon papier, I allude to some paper I have seen, or have a knowledge of. It is nearly as if I said in English : give me some of the good paper, contrasting it with paper of a worst quality, which I know to exist. It is in this last sense, then, that we always say : voild de la bonne philosophic, that is sound philosophy j voild de la bonne poesie, here is some genuine poetry. It appears, therefore, from this explanation, that we may either say : de bon temps, or du bon temps, but not without regard to the sense. 109. X sounds as ss, in : Auxerre, Auxonne, St. Maixent, Cadix, Bruxelles, soixante, soixantieme, Aix, Luxeuil, r 3 114 KEY. Uxell, or Uxelles, Flexelle, La Xaintonge, Xaintes. The four last are now usually spelled : Ussel, Fles- seles, La Sainlonge, Saintes. The second x in Xerxes, sounds as ss. X, in phenix and Styx, is pronounced as cs. 110. The final t of dot, is sounded in every situation, both in the singular and plural. The t in mot, is pro- nounced only before a vowel or h mute. The t in sot, is sounded before a vowel or h mute, and generally in all other situations : — except before a substantive beginning with a consonant, where it is silent. 111. Mademoiselle tie marche pas droit, signifies : the young lady does not walk straight forward ; and Mademoiselle ne marche pas droite, the young lady does not walk upright. 112. Quelque, followed by a verb, must be written in two words, the first of which agrees in number and gen- der with the noun or pronoun to which it refers : as, J'estime cette personne, I esteem that person quelle qu'elle soit. whoever he (or she) is. Quels que soient les Whatever men are, we homines, il faut vivre must live with them. avec eux. When quelque precedes a cardinal number, it signi- fies about, or some ; and, being here an adverb, is of course indeclinable : as, J'ai compU quelque cin- I counted about (some) k quante chevaux. fifty horses. A quelque cent pas d'ici You will find that garden vous trouverex cejardin. about a hundred paces from hence. 113. The x in dix, is silent before a consonant, or h aspi- rate. Before a vowel or h mute, it sounds as a z. KEY. 115 At the end of a sentence, or before a pause, or when it is a substantive, it is pronounced as ss ; we must therefore pronounce dix personnes, dix hommes,je vous en donnerai dix, and mi dix de pique, as if written : di personnes, di-zotnmes, je vous en donnerai disse, tin disse de pique. In words compounded with dix, x sounds as ss, before a consonant, or h aspirate ; ex- ample : dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf — pronounce : diss- sept, diss-huit, diss-neuf. 114. Words borrowed from foreign languages, without changing their original termination, undergo no alter- ation in the plural ; and we write, in both numbers : Avi, or AvS-Maria, alinea, auto-da-fe, aparte", alibi, alleluia, accessit, duo, duplicata, et-caitera, errata, exeat., ergo, factotum, item, in-folio, impromptu, or in-promptu, in-quarto, in-octavo, libera, mezzo-iermine, mezzo-tinto, oremus, pater, quiproquo, quatuor, trio, Te Deum, zero. We say also : in-douze, in-seize, in dix-huit, in vingt- quatre, both in the singular and plural. Acacia and opera, may be considered as exceptions ; being, as it were, naturalized, or completely adopted in the language. They take an * in the plural. NumSro, makes in the plural : nmniros, or numiro. We sometimes write factoton, instead of factotum, in which case an s is added for the plural : factotons. 115. Many adjectives being absolute, or expressing in themselves a superlative idea, do not admit of the comparative or superlative form being superadded ; such are : mortel, immortel, parfait, universel, iternel, essentiel, divin, immense, supreme. 116. Une femme honnite, is a polite woman ; and une honnete femme, a chaste woman. 117. The final ier, in the names of ti'ades ; as, barbier, cordonnier, fermier, Sfc. ; and in the names of animals ; 116 KEY, as, sanglier, belkr, fyc. ; is always pronounced aa ie" ; whether followed by a consonant, or a vowel. 118. The verb ignorer, followed by the conjunction que, governs the next verb in the indicative in negative sentences, and in the subjunctive in affirmative ones. 119. B, before s and t, is pronounced as a p ; example : absent, observer, obtenir — pronounce : apsent, opserver, optenir. -sound both t's. Addition, sound both d's. atlique, \ t atticisme, V annales, sound both n's. anarchie, ch, as sh. appellation, pron. both I's. arguiie, tie, as cie. amid, ct mute. anabaptiste, p mute. anabaptismeA baptistere, ) r baptismal, sound the p. baccalaureal, sound both the c's. ennemi, pron. enemi, Fr. pignoraiif, gn, as in re- pugnant. tombac, sound the c. 120. Imaginer, signifies : to conceive or invent; and s'ima- giner, to fancy, or picture to one's-self. The former is never followed by que, or by an infinitive ; but s'imaginer may be attended by que, by a noun, an infinitive, or by any incidental proposition ; example : On ne peut rien imaginer de plus surprenant. lis'' imagine itre un grand docteur. Nothing more surprising can be imagined. He fancies himself a great doctor. 121. The / of the termination eil, is always liquid, like // in merveille. It keeps this liquid articulation also before a vowel or Zr mute, with which it must be united in pronunciation. KEY. 117 122. Furieux, preceding a noun, signifies : huge or enor- mous ; but when it follows it, it means, furious. Un furieux poisson, is therefore : a fish of an enormous size ; and un lion furieux, a furious lion. When two or more nouns of different genders and numbers, or of different genders only, have an adjec- tive or participle common to both, it agrees in gender and number with the last : as, 2/ trouva les etangs et les He found the ponds and rivieres glacees. rivers frozen. Jl avoit la bouche et les His mouth and eyes yeux ouverts. were open. But if there is one, or many words between the last noun and the adjective or participle, that adjective or participle common to all, must be in the plural num- ber and masculine gender, though the last noun be feminine : as, L'etang et la riviere etoient The pond and the river glaces. were frozen. Les Hangs el les rivieres The ponds and rivers qu'il trouva glaces. which he found frozen. Le travail, la conduite, et Pains, conduct, and for- la fortune, joints ensem- tune, joined together. Me. In the last example, joints is put in the masculine plural, on account of the word ensemble, which pre- sents a whole. 124. The final r of : acier, altier, avetiturier, atelier, armurier, banquier, bouclier, baudrier, brasier, cour- sier, courrier, chevalier, cavalier, and canonnier, is in every situation silent. 125. The final e of presque must never be retrenched before the next vowel — except in the compound 118 KEY. presqu'ile, a peninsula. Write, therefore: presque aussi grand, presque acheve, fyc. 126. The p in sept is silent. The t is pronounced before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, and at the end of a sentence ; but it is always mute before a consonant ; being then pronounced se. Sound the p in septante ; and also in eep, both before a consonant, and a vowel: except in cep de vigne, where it is silent. Ps, in ceps, fetters, is dropped ; but the * must be united as a z, to a succeeding vowel. 127. Pronounce the following words according to the explanation annexed : A'ieul, ~\ chceur, "i , faience, >a, a3 in ask. Charon, J ' pa'ien, ) curiosile, ) Milhaul, "» Ik, as the generosite,) Pardalhac,) liquid 11. jambon, m, as a nasal n. Nully,~\„ y ., mode, o, as in not. Sully, j ^ ' catechisme, ch, as sh. millet, 11 liquid. quolibet, quol sounds hoi. millesime, sound both ll's, symptome, p sounded, and but not liquid. the masa nasal n. tillac, 11 liquid, and the c tranquille, 11 not liquid. sounded. 128. Une sage-femme, is : a midwife ; and unefemme sage, a sober, discreet woman. 129. Personne, attended by the negation we, or used alone, in interrogative sentences, is an indeterminate pronoun, and always of the masculine gender. — When it is a noun, it is feminine, and requires the adjective or participle to agree with it in gender and number : as, cette personne est tres-retenue , this person is very reserved. as a k. , as a z. KEY. 119 130. The m in nom, parfum, Adam, Absalom ; and the n in Salomon, have a nasal sound. The m in hem! item, Ibrahim, Selim, Matusalem, and Stockholm, is pro- nounced as in English. 181. J'aime mieux V etude que le jeu, signifies ; I would rather study than play ; and j ' aime plus V etude que le jeu, I am more attached to study, than to play. 132. The plural of ceil, in its literal sense, is yeux ; and in a figurative sense, ceils ; write therefore : ceils de boeuf. — Ail makes aulx. 133. The d in froid, is mute before a word beginning with a consonant ; but when the next word begins with a vowel or h mute, it is united to it as a t. The d in poids, is in every case silent; and the s is sounded only in the plural, before a vowel or h mute, having the value of a z. F is mute in soif; except before a vowel or h mute, where it is pro- nounced as a v. 134. Ycompris, and non compris, coming before the noun, are invariable, being then used adverbially. When they follow the noun, they agree with it in gender and number, like all other participles. 135. The following adjectives in al, have no masculine plural : amical, adverbial, austral, automnal, boreal, co- lossal, fatal, final, frugal, glacial, ideal, filial, natal, naval, oral. The final n of the following words is nasal, and never united, in pronunciation, to the succeeding 120 KEY. word : acadimicien, chien, bien (property), chirurgien, chretien, entretien, grammairien, historien, lien, main- tien, le mien, le tien, musicien, paten, paroissien. 137. Ce, and not il, is used with etre, whenever the sense would admit of cela being substituted for the pronoun : as, C , itoit ban autrefois. It was formerly good. C 'est ce queje pensois. It is what I thought. C'est honnete de sa part. It is very kind of him. 138. The final t in : aspect, respect, and suspect, as well as in most other words having the same ending, is silent both before a consonant and a vowel. Sound the c, in the singular ; and unite it as a k, to a suc- ceeding vowel or h mute : as, I'air infect des prisons ; tin aspect imprevu — pronounce : I'air infec des prisons ; un aspe-kimprevu. In the plural, both the c and the t are mute before a consonant, and the stress of the voice is laid on the last syllable : as, des respects prqfonds ; des hommes suspects ; pronounce : des respe prqfonds; des hommes suspe. Before a vowel or h mute, the c must be sounded, and the s united as a z — example : des hommes suspects & Vet at ; pronounce : des hommes sus- pik-za Vital. 139. Le vin nouveau, is : new made wine ; and le nouveau vin, wine just broached. De nouveaux livres, signifies: different books from those one is in possession of, or has just read ; and des livres nouveaux, books which have but lately been published. 140. Sound the p in cap, Gap, jalap, julep, and hanap ; and both the p and the s, in laps, and relaps. KEY. 121 141. The different sounds of birds, and cries of animals, are expressed as follows : Le lion rugit. Ualouette grisolle. L'aigle trompete. Les abeilles, les bourdons, les mouches, les hanne- tons, bourdonnent. L'ane brait. Le bozuf et la vache beuglent ou meuglent. La colombe, le pigeon, et la tourterelle, gemissent ou roucoulent. Le coq chante. Le coq coqueline. Le ckien aboie. Le chien hurle. Les petits chiens jappent, ou glapissent. Le cerf brame. Le chat miaule. Le ckatjile. Le cheval hennit.(jpr.hatiit) La cigogne craquete. Le corbeau croasse. La chevrette brame. Le cochon de lait crie. Le dindon glouglote (glou- gloute). Le daim brame, L 'elephant barete. La grenouille coasse. Le hibou hue. L'hirondelle gazouille. Le jars jargonne. Le hup hurle. Le li&vre crie. The lion roars. The lark sings. The eagle caws. The bees, drones, flies, cock- chafers, hum or buzz. The ass brays. The ox and the cow bel- low or low. The dove, pigeon, and turtle-dove, coo. The cock crows. The cock chucks or calls. The dog barks. The dog howls or yells. The whelps or puppies •fcyelp. The hart (stag) bejleth. The cat mews. The cat purrs. The horse neighs. The stork crackles or snaps. The raven caws. The roe or doe brays. The sucking-pig squeaks. The turkey gargles or cackles. The buck growns or troats. The elephant roars. The frog croaks. The owl hoots. The swallow twitters or chatters. The gander cackles. The wolf howls. The hare beats or taps. 122 KEY. Le mangouse coasse. Le jnouton et la brebis belent. * Le merle siffle. L'oie siffle et caquete. La poule glousse. La poule caquete. Le pinsonfrigote. Les poulets piaulent. Le paon braille ou criaille. La perdrix cacable ou ca- bare. Le perroquet parle. La pie caquete. Le pourceau grogne. Le rossignol gringotte. Le renard glapit. Le serpent siffle. Le tigre rauque. Le taureau mugit. Les oiseaux chantent et gazouillent. The ichneumon shrieks. The sheep bleats. The blackbird whistles. The goose' hisses and cackles. The hen clucks. The hen cackles. The chaffinch sings. The chickens scream or squeak. The peacock screams or squalls. The partridge' jucks. The parrot talks. The magpie chatters. The hog grunts. The nightingale warbles or sings. The fox barks or yelps. The serpent hisses. The tiger roars. The bull bellows or roars. The birds sing and chirp. 142. The g of the termination ourg, in the names of towns ; as, Augsbourg, Brandebourg, Edimbourg, Fribourg, Hambourg, Petersbourg, Strasbourg, fyc. , is in very case silent. 143. Oublier kfaire une chose, signifies : to forget how to do a thing that one could formerly do ; and oublier de faire une chose, to forget or neglect doing a thing. 144. The p in drap, galop, and sirop, is in every situa- tion silent. The p in trop, is mute before a word be- ginning with a consonant; but sounded before a vowel or h mute. Sound both the p and the s, in Ops and Pelops. KEY. 123 145. When two or more substantives in the singular number follow the verb etre, preceded by ce, this verb must be put in the singular : as, c'est le vin et le jeu qui I'ont mine, drinking and gaming have ruined him. But if those nouns are in the plural, the verb must be in the plural likewise : as, ce sont les Jemmes et les enfans qui font tant de bruit, it is the women and children that make so great a noise. 146. Z), in the termination ord, is never sounded. When a word beginning with a vowel or h mute follows, the r is united to it in pronunciation : as, Pronounce, Un accord universel. Un acco-r-universel. D'abord il s'introduisit D'abo-r-il, fyc. dans son cabinet. Un lord anglois. Un lo-r-anglois. Custom has made an exception to this rule, in the words : Nord-est, and Nord-ouest, which are pronounc- ed, Nor-d-est, and Nor-d'ouest. 147. Route-en-train, brise-glace, and all the other words contained in Question 147, remain the same in the plural as in the singular. 148. Le bois mort, signifies : dead trees, or such as no longer vegetate ; and le mort bois, brushwood. 149. Rum is pronounced as the English word room. Rumb is pronounced romb (the m nasal, and the b sounded ). The n of un, loses its nasal sound before a noun beginning with a vowel or h mute, and also in : fun et V autre. In both these instances the n is united, in pronunciation, to the next word: as, un ami, L 2 124 KEY. un hole; pronounce : u-nami, u-n6te. In all other situ- ations the n is nasal, and never joined to the follow- ing word. 150. Une couple de pigeons, signifies : a couple of pigeons for eating; and une paire de pigeons, a pair of pigeons alive, and paired together. 151. Distinguer de, signifies : to point out the shades of difference that exist between two things analagous : as, distinguons la sensation du sentiment, let us make a distinction between sensation and feeling. Distinguer d'avec, means to distinguish from one another two things that appear to be similar, but which, in reality, have very different qualities : as, distinguer la fausse monnoie d'avec la bonne, to distinguish bad money from good. 152. The stress of the voice is laid on the first syllable of corridor, and the last o sounds as in lord. The final r of this, and all other words in or, is sounded ; and is united to the next word, if it begin with a vowel or h mute: as, de Vor en barre ; pronounce, de Vo-r-en barre. 153. Prier quelqu'un a diner, and prier quelqu'un de diner, both signify : to invite one to dine ; but prier a diner, implies a formal or express invitation ; whereas prier de diner, is said of a sudden and accidental one — example : III' a envoye prier a diner. He has sent to invite him to dinner. Je me suis trouve chez ltd I was at his house just as comme il alloit se mettre he was sitting down to a table, et ihn'a prie de dinner, and he invited diner avec ltd. me to dine with him. KEY. 12- 154. X is pronounced as gz, in : exicrable, exil, exhumer, exhausser, exhorter, examen, and exercice. 155. Sound the c in talc. The m in Adam, dam, and quidam, is pronounced as a nasal n, and never united to a succeeding vowel. In Abraham, Siam, Roterdam, Amsterdam, Priam, and Ephra'im, the final m sounds as in English. 156. Chasser le lievre, signifies : to hunt, or pursue a hare ; and, chasser au lievre, to hunt for hares. 157. Aimer mieux is followed by que, when a preference of taste is implied ; and by que de, when that prefer- ence denotes merely an effect of the will. 158. The chief adjectives which form their feminine in an irregular manner, are the following : MASCULINE. FEMININE. MASCULINE. FEMININE. Benin, benign e. grec, grecque, or b6ni ( blessed ), benie. greque. benit (conse- benite. malin, maligne. publique. crated ), public, caduc, caduque. sec, seche. doux, douce. traitre, traitresse. frais, Jraiche. tiers, tierce. favori, favorite. turc, turque. 159. Qu, in Quintilien and Quinte-Curce, maybe sounded either as a k, or as cu ; the latter pronunciation seems preferable. Pronounce qu as a k, in Sixte-quint, and Charles-quint. l3 126 KEY. 160. T is in every case silent in : bigot, abricot, ballot billot, fagot, cahot, gigot, goulot, grelot, javelot, lot paquebot, pivot, brulot. 161. Un nouvel habit, is : a different coat from that just worn ; un habit nouveau, is : a new fashioned coat ; and un habit neuf, a new coat, or one that has been scarcely worn at all. 162. J' apprehendequ'iln arrive. I am afraid he will arrive. Je n' apprehende pas qu'il I am not afraid that he. arrive. will arrive. J' apprehende qu 'il n arrive I am afraid he will not pas. arrive. N ' apprehendez-vous pas Are you not afraid lest he qu'il li 'arrive? should arrive ? Je n' apprehende pas quil I am not afraid that he n' arrive pas. will not arrive. 163. The final ier in : sentier, amandier, cafier ; and in all the other names of fruit-trees, is pronounced, in all cases, as the French ie. 164. Fort, before a word beginning with a consonant, is pronouncedybr, in all its acceptations. When fort is an adjective, the t is silent before a vowel or h mute; unless a substantive immediately follows it, when it must be united : as, unfort argument ; pro- nounce, un for-targument. Sound the t of the adverb fort, before a vowel or h mute, and unite it to the following word. When fort is a substantive, the t is never sounded: as, un fort inexpugnable ; pronounce, un fo-r-inexpugnable. 165. When the collective nouns partitive: la moitie, 1c tiers, les irois quarts, $c. express a jwsitive quantity, KEY. 127 they are termed partitive nouns determinate, and come under the rule of collective nouns general, which re- quire the verb to agree with them in the singular number, though followed by a plural noun; unless they are themselves in the plural : as, La moitie des ennemis de- Half of the enemy de- serta. serted. Les trois quarts die chateau Three fourths of the cas- furent brules. tie were burnt. Sometimes a determinate number is employed for an indeterminate one. In this case, the above nouns keep to the rule of collective nouns partitive : as, La moitie des habitans One half of the inhabi- sont fous. tants are fools. 166. The final t of : ciment, contrevent, element, engoue- ment, enjouement, and entetement, is never sounded. The t in compliment, is pronounced only before an ad~ jective beginning with a vowel or h mute. 167. The past participles of repaitre, resoudre (to turn into), and traire, are repu, resous, and trait Issu, comes from issir, which infinitive is now obsolete. 168. Ce is idiomatically used instead of il, when we mean to point out an object with greater precision : as, e'est aujourd'hui lundi, to-day is Monday ; e'est demain I'anniversaire de la naissance du roi, to-morrow is the anniversary of the king's birthday. 169. Ce paraveni ne vous sert de rien, means : this folding- screen is of no use to you ; and ce paravent ne vous sert a rien, you make no use of this folding-screen. 128 KEY. 170. The final r of dernier, and entier, is silent before a word beginning with a consonant, but pronounced before a vowel or k mute, and united to it in pronun- ciation. The r in Jier is always sounded. In ecolier, Jamilier, grenier, grossier, the r is in no case pro- nounced. 171. The adverb lout, immediately preceding a noun, either of the masculine or feminine gender, is invari- able. — In the following example it is declined, because the word Jemme is taken adjectively : toute Jemme qu'elle est, though she is a woman. 172. G is mute, in : sig?iet, Regnard, Regnaud, and Clugny. 173. The final r of the following words, is in no case pronounced : guerrier, heritier, ouvrier, hospitalier, officier, huissier, meurtrier, laurier, manufacturier, pa- pier, prisonnier, particular. 174. The noun gens, signifying persons or people, is of the masculine gender when the adjective follows it, and feminine when it comes before it ; unless it is the adjective tout which precedes it, for then it is always masculine : as, tons les gens de hien ; tons les honneles gens. 175. Duche-pairie, and aulomne, are of both genders, though the masculine seems likely to predominate. Garde, a guard, is masculine when a single person is meant : as, un garde national, a citizen soldier ; but when it signifies a company, it is feminine : as, la garde natiouale, the national guard. KEY. 129 176. The c in arc and arc-en-ciel, is always sounded ; but mute, in : arc-de-triomphe, arc-boutant, and arc-bouter. 177. Aider quelqu'un, signifies : to assist a person, with- out actually partaking of his labour ; and aider a quelqu'un, to help a person, by taking part of his work off his hands : as, // Va aide - sound the t . It en resta huit. J Ts in puits, is always mute in the singular number : as, un puits prqfond ; un puits a sec ; pronounce, pui. In the plural the t is silent, and the * sounded before a word beginning with a vowel or k mute, to which it is united as a z ; as, les puits etoient a sec ; pro- nounce, pui-zetoient. 252. The participle is indeclinable when it is followed by a verb (expressed or understood), governing the preceding noun or pronoun — example : N 2 148 KEY. Les niontres qu'il a fait He would not pay for the faire, il ne les a pas watches he ordered to voulu payer. be made. II a dit toutes les raisotis He has given all the rea- qu'il a voulu. sons he wished. In the last example, the verb dire is understood ; viz. , qu'il a voulu dire. When the preceding noun or pronoun is governed of the tense compound, and not of the verb following the participle, the latter must agree with the direct object in gender and number : as, La resolution que vous avez The resolution you have prise d'aller a la cam- formed of going into pagne the country. 253. Sound the t in : rut, brut, and luth, in every situa- tion. The t in defunt and emprunt, is never pro- nounced. In but, the t is silent before a word begin- ning with a consonant, and sounded before a vowel or h mute, and at the end of a sentence : as, Le but que vous vous pro- The end you aim at. posez.(ipron. le bu que,Sfc) Jouer but d but. (pron. 6m- To play even hands. id but.) Viser au but. (pron. the t.) To aim at the mark. 254. Un pauvre auteur, is : an author of very little merit ; and un auteur pauvre, an author whose purse is low. 255. When we speak of persons, or of things personified, we must always employ the possessive pronoun son, sa, or ses ; thus we say of a man or woman : sa tele est belle, he or she has a fine head ; and not, la tete en est belle. But in speaking of things not personified, the possessive pronouns are never used, except when it is impossible to employ en ; therefore, in speaking of a statue, we say : la tete en est belle. We say also : si la KEY. 1*9 ville a ses agrimens, la campagne a les siens, if it is pleasant in town, it is not less so in the country ; be- cause in this instance it would be impossible to substi- tute en for the pronoun possessive. 256. The z of the termination iez, in the second person plural of various tenses of verbs, is mute before a consonant, but sounded before a vowel or h mute : as, Pronounce, Vous aimiez Vitude. Vous aimie V etude. Vous souriez avec grace. Vous sourii-zavec grace. 257. C'est un vilain homme, signifies : he is a nasty* disagreeable man ; and c'est un homme vilain, he is a niggardly fellow. 258. The word plupart used absolutely, requires the verb to be in the plural, because the noun understood is supposed to be in that number : as, L.a plupart furent d 'avis. Most of them were of opinion. ( that is, la plupart des gens.) When plupart is followed by a noun expressed, in the singular number, the verb of course agrees with it, it in the singular : as, La plupart du monde vou- Most people wished. loit. 259. The r in singulier, is never sounded but before a noun beginning with a vowel or h mute. The rs in volontiers, is in every case mute. 260. Mes deux cousins sont prets a mourir, signifies : my two cousins are ready or prepared to die; and, mes deux cousins sont pres de mourir, my two cousins are on the point of death. N 3 T50 KEY. The t in : odorat, plat, and rat, is pronounced only before an adjective beginning with a vowel or h mute. Sound the t in vivat and chut, in every ease. The adjective desagreable, construed with the verb etre, requires the preposition a before the next infini- tive ; unless etre is impersonal, in which case desa- greable must be followed by de. La maison dont il sort, signifies : the family he is descended from ; and la maison d 'ou il sort, the house he is coming out of. 264. Sound the r in kier, in all situations ; and unite it to the next word beginning with a vowel or h mute. The final r in premier is mute ; except before a sub- stantive beginning with a vowel or h mute, where it must be united in pronunciation. 265. The noun aide is feminine when it signifies help ; but masculine when it means a male person who asssists another. The adjective agrees accordingly. The final c in Cotignac, is silent before a consonant, and pronounced as a k before a vowel or h mute. C in broc de vin, and marc d'or, is mute. Sound the c in Marc, a man's name, in every situation. The adjectives fat and chdtain have [no feminine. The r in sieur is always sounded. In ^messieurs, the r and the s are both mute before a consonant ; and before a vowel or h mute the r is dropped, and the x united a6 a z. KEY. 151 When the object asked for denotes an action, the verb demander is followed by the preposition a : as, il demande a vous suivre. But when that object does not imply the doing of an action, de must be used : as, il demande de ne pas vous suivre. 269. G in sang and rang, is silent before a consonant ; but pronounced as a k before a vowel or h mute : as, il a le sang echauffe ; un rang honorable ; pronounce, il a le san-kechauffe, un ran-khonorable. Orang-outang is pronounced as written ; that is, without uniting the first g to the succeeding vowel. 270. Un peuple cruel, is • a barbarous people ; and un cruel peuple, an unruly people. 271. F in nerf, is silent before a consonant, and pro- nounced at the end of a sentence. Before a vowel or h mute, it is united as a v. F is mute in bceuf-gras, and ceufdur. — See 279. 272. The participles vicu and pu, like ele and Jallu, are never declined. 273. Les termes propres, signifies : the proper or suitable expressions ; and les propres termes, the identical ex- pressions. 274. The final t in tot is never sounded ; except in tot ou tard. The t in prevot, is mute before a word begin- ning with a consonant, as well as before a vowel or h mute, if there is the least pause after it : as, le prevdt, accable par le nombre, succomba ; pronounce, prevo ac- able. Where there is no pause after prevot, the t is 152 KEY. sounded, and united to a succeeding vowel or h mute : as, un prevot insouciant ; pronounce, privS-tinsouciant. The t in rot, is never sounded. 275. Je Vai vue peindre, signifies : I saw her painting, or drawing ; and je Vai vu peindre, I saw somebody taking her likeness. Je les ai vus piller, I saw them plundering ; and Je les ai vu piller, I saw them plun- dered, (or being plundered). — See 252. 276. The verb comprendre, followed by the conjunction que, requires the following verb to be in the indicative in affirmative sentences, and in the subjunctive in negative ones. The same is observable of conclure, to conclude. 277. Done is pronounced donk, at the beginning of a sentence or proposition, and before a word beginning with a vowel or h mute : as, je pense : doncj'existe ; vous etes done instruit de cet evenement ; pronounce donk, in both cases. The c of this word is sometimes pronounced even at the end of a sentence : as, eh quoi.' tout le monde me quitte done ? When done occurs in the middle of a phrase, fol- lowed by a consonant, the c is silent : as, votre pert est done sorti. In jonc and tronc, the c is mute before a consonant, but united as a k, to a word beginning with a vowel or h mute. 278. Un homme grand, signifies : a tall man ; and un grand homme, a great man ; but the signification of grand in these situations, is reversed when one or more words qualifying it are superadded : as, un grand homme sec, a tall, lean man ; un homme grand dans ses projets, a great man in forming plans. 279. Fs is silent in : bceufs, nerfs, and ceufs, before a word beginning with a consonant, and at the end of a sen- KEY. 153 tence. Sound the f before a vowel or h mute, and unite the s as a z. When two or more subjects, or nouns in the nomi- native case, contribute alternately and under different circumstances towards producing an habitual action, the verb is put in the plural ; for though those sub- jects are separated by a disjunctive, yet each has its share in producing that action : as, Le temps ou la mort sont Time or death is our nos remedes. remedy. 281. i' annee derniere, is : the year immediately pre- ceding the present one: as, j'ai cesse de voyager V annee derniere, I left off travelling last year. La der- niere annee, is : the last year of any particular epoch ; that is, the last in succession : as, la derniere annee du bail, the last year of the lease ; la derniere annee de son regne, the last year of his reign. H is aspirated in Henri ; except in familiar conver- sation, where it is dropped. In Henriade it is always sounded. H in hangar, is aspirated in some provinces of France, in others not. The former seems the preferable pronunciation. 283. The noun aigle is feminine in heraldry : as, Vaigle romaine, the Roman Eagle ; une aigle eployee, a spread eagle ; also when it signifies the constellation aquila. In all other cases it is masculine. 284. _ Never sound the d in grand ; unless a noun begin- ning with a vowel or h mute follows it, when it must be pronounced as a. t; example : I'komme grand, et le grand homme, sont deux choses bien diffe rentes ; pronounce, I' homme gran, \etle gran-thomme, fyc. 154 KEY. The d in quand, is silent before a consonant, and united as a t to the next word beginning with a vowel or h mute : as, quand il viendra ; pronounce, quan-til viendra. In most other words ending in and, the final d is silent even before a vowel. 285. Une clef fausse, is : a wrong key ; and une fausse clef, a false key, or a duplicate of the right one. When chacun occurs in a sentence after the collect- ive sense is complete, the possessive pronoun must agree with it distributively ; that is, son, sa, or ses must be used instead of leur or leurs : as, II faut remettre ces livres Every one of these books chacun a, sa place. must be put in its place again. Here, il faut remettre ces livres, forms a collective sense complete ; and chacun coming after it, we use the distributive sa, instead of the collective leur. But when chacun precedes the collective sense com- plete, the pronoun leur or leurs must be used : as, Lesjuges ont donne chacun Every judge gave his leur avis, suivant leurs opinion according to lumieres. his conviction. In this example, chacun occurs before the collective sense is complete, which would only be after avis ; consequently leur is employed. Notwithstanding, we say : il a dit a chacun son fait, he has told every one his own : because there being no noun in the sen- tence with which the possessive pronoun can agree collectively, the word chacun determines the sense distributively. 287. Sound the_/ in :fef, grief, and relief, before a word beginning with a consonant ; and pronounce it as a v, before a vowel or h mute. KEY. 155 288. Un conte plaisant, signifies : an amusing story ; and un plaisant conte, an absurd and contemptible story. The t in : alphabet, billet, and jet, is silent before a consonant ; but united to the next word beginning with a vowel or h mute. The t in : ballet, et, and guet, is never pronounced. In net and tacet, the final t is always sounded. 290. The verb following croire must be put in the in- dicative, when the person who speaks is confident that the thing expressed by the second verb will not take place: as, croyez-vous qu'il le fera? — If he has a doubt about it, himself, the subjunctive is used : as, croyez-vous qu'il le fasse ? 291. Donner chasse, and donner la chasse, both signify : to give chase to ; but the former is said of vessels at Sea ; and the latter when the pursuit is on land : as, Donner chasse d. un brigan- To chase a brig. tin. Donner la chasse aux en- To pursue the enemy. nemis. ( on the land.) 292. Pronounce the c in bouc, and the g in joug, in every case. The I in soul, is never sounded. Ls in pouls, is mute before a consonant. Before a vowel or k mute the I is silent, and the s united as a z ; example : pouls intermittent > pronounce, pou-zintermittent. 293. The preposition d is used after comparer, when there is some analogy or resemblance between the two things compared : as, il n'y a point d'eglise que I 'on puisse comparer a Saint Pierre de Rome, there is no church to be compared to St. Peter's at Rome. But 156 KEY. when there is no ground for a comparison, the two objects being the reverse of each other, we use avec : as, que Von compare la docilite du chien, avec la Jierte et la ferocite du tigre, let the docility of a dog be compared with the fierceness and ferocity of a tiger. 294. Parler mal, signifies : to speak incorrectly ; and mal parler, to speak ill : as, il nefaut ni parler mal des absens, ni mal parler devant les savans, we ought neither to speak ill of absent persons, nor speak incorrectly before the learned. 295. Pronounce David and Cid, as if spelled Davide and Cide. When a vowel or h mute follows, unite the d : as, David est un des prophetes de I'Ecriture Sainte ; pronounce, Davi-dest, SfC. The d in muid and nid, is in no case sounded. 296. Mortel, placed before a noun, generally signifies : very great, or excessive : as, il y a vingt mortelles lieues, it is twenty long leagues. When it follows the noun, it signifies mortal : as, tous les hommes sont mor- tels, all men are mortal. 297. The termination ein in nouns; as, plein, dessein, Sj-c. is nasal ; and the n never united to the succeeding vowel or h mute. In adjectives immediately preceding a substantive beginning with a vowel or h mute, the n loses its nasal sound, and is united in pronunciation to the following word : as, en plein ete ; pronounce,, en ple-nete. 298. The noun amour is masculine in the singular, and feminine in the plural ; except when it signifies cupids, for then it is masculine in the plural also. 299. Une eau mortc, is a standing or stagnant water ; and tine morte eau, low water, or the ebb. KEY. 157 300. The k in heros is aspirated, and hiro'ique. but mute in heroine 301. Je ne puis plus. Je n'en puis plus. II est en maisoti. II est dans la maison. (de M. un tel). Je ne sals ouj'en suis. Je ne sais oiije suis. Se prendre ti quelqu'un. S'en prendre a quelqu'un. On en Uoit venu si avant, qu'il falloit vaincre on mourir. On etoit venu si avant, qu 'il falloit vaincre 6u mourir. Elle est en I 'air. Elle est dans Vair, or dans les airs. Notre predicateur est en chaire. Notre predicateur est dans la chaire. II est dans I'eau, II est en eau. I am no longer able. I am exhausted, or, I can hold out no longer. He is provided with a situation. He lives at (Mr. such a one's). I am completely non- plused ; I do not know what I am doing. I do not know where I am. To catch hold of one ; to attack one. To lay the blame on one ; to find fault with one. were come to a pitch, that Things such there was no alterna- tive between death and victory. They had advanced so far, that they must either conquer or die. She is up in the air. She is exposed to the air, surrounded by the air. Our minister is preach- Our minister is within the pulpit. He is in the water. He is quite in a perspira- 158 KEY. Nous somtnes en hiver. We are in the winter season. Nous sommes dans I 'hiver. Winter has now come on. . 302. Sound both the s and the t, in : Est, Quest, lest, and zest !, and unite the t to the next word, if it begins with a vowel or h mute. 303. Tomber par terre, signifies : to fall down ; and tomber a terre, to fall to the ground (from a certain height). 304. R is always silent in the following words, and the e preceding that letter has the close sound : baiser, berger, boucher, boulanger, clocher, cocker, and archer. Sound the r in amer and cancer, in every situation ; and give the grave sound to the e. 305. Le haut ton, signifies : a haughty tone ; and le ton haut, a loud tone. 306. The final d of hasard, bavard, and all other words ending in ard, is in every situation silent. 307. When proper names are used merely to designate by their surnames two or more persons of the same family, they take no s in the plural ; example : Les Ciceron tie se sont pas The Ciceros did not ren- egalement illuslres. der themselves equally illustrious. But when they are used in a metaphorical sense, or as common nouns, they take an s as the sign of the plural : as, lis sont les Cesars do leur They arc the Caesars of siecle. that age. See e riehe qui 3 'enorgueillit. FINIS. ERRATA. Page 4, N°. 17, for reveil, read reveil. 10, — 42, for poetes, read po'ctes. 20, — 84, for conquerer, read conqueror. 22, — 91, for venal, read venal. 25, — 109, for Xerxes, read JCer^t*. . 26, — 114, for et cmtera and et coetera, read et ceetera and et caetera. ____ 35, — 160, for apricot and brulot, read ahricot and brulot. 41, — 196, for paleur, read paleur. — _. 60, — 310, for credo, read credo. 65, — 345, for ecrits, read ecrits. , 91, — 32, for 6a, read oa. A 93, — 41, for pont aux Anes, read pont-aux-Anes. 108, — 96, for 6a, read o& (in both places). 139, — 229, for 6a and oaz, read oa and oa%. ^ m ^ 150, — 265, for asssists, read assists. «DWABD BA1NJS8, PRINTER, LFBDS, Deacidified using the Bookkeeper pro* Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: Sept. 2006 PreservationTechnologii A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATIC 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township. PA 16066 (724)779-2111 UBRARY OF CONGRESS ■■■ 003 117 924 5 ■■■III aaggasstsasn am mm m Wm HI mm W&Sm EBfflgWffff|«H l iH 1