The Nouns following are Feminine, and have no Singular Number; as, Nozze a Wedding, Efequie Funeral, Minacce Threatnings, Spezie Drugs. III. Nouns ending in i are but fifteen in Number, and do not change in the Plural, but are only distinguished by their Article, whether they be fimple Subftantives, or the Names of Men or Cities. the Day, Example. il Di Plural. i Dì. i Lùnedi. le Diocefi. le Iri. Giovanni. Parigi. Napoli, &c. Nouns of Number also end in i; as, Dieci Ten, Undici Eleven, Vinti Twenty. IV. NOUNS ending in o are all of the Masculine Gender, except la Mano a Hand, and make their Plural in i; as, il Fratello a Brother, i Fratelli Brothers; la Mano a Hand, le Mani Hands. Huomo a Man, makes Huomini in the Plural. Note. Some Subftantives in o, for the greater Elegance, make their Plural in a rather than in i, and then their Plurals are of the Feminine Gender; they are these that follow. Panello, Panello, il braccio, il budello, il calcagno, il cerchio, il ciglio, il corno, il dito, il ditello, il filo, il grido, il gufcio, il ginocchio, il labro, il lenzuolo, il legno, il muro, il migliaio, l'orecchio, I offo, il paio, il pomo, il pugno, lo ftaio, il rifo, l'uove, il rubbio, il veftigio, Nouns, ending in co and go, of two Syllables only, take an h in the Plural to avoid a harth Pronunciation: Example; il Fuoco, i Fuochi, the Fires; il Luogo the Place, i Luoghi the Places; except il Parco Porco a Hog, il Greco a Greek, which make i Porci, i Greci, Plural. Figlio a Son, makes Figli; Baccio a Kifs, Baci ; Occhio an Eye, Occhi in the Plural Number: In like manner, other Words form their Plural, by leaving out the final o of the fingular Number; Words alfo ending in io, end their Plural in two ii; as, vario several, varii; tempio, tempii, Temples; incendio, incendii, Burnings; natio, natii, Natives; or as fome Authors write them, varij, tempij, incendij, natij. V. There are only fix Nouns in the Italian Tongue that end in u, and these are all of the Feminine Gender, and change not their Terminations in the Plural Number: They are here fet down, viz. OBSERVATIONS on the NOUNS. HE Italians have a peculiar Method of increafing or diminishing the Signification of their Nouns, by the Addition of certain Syllables to the End of each Noun; this Addition ferves to add to, or take from, the Merit of the Thing expreffed, or to exprefs its remarkable Quality, be it either good or bad, great or little. I. The Augmentatives, in a good or enlarged Senfe, are formed by changing the last Vowel into one, ona, otto, otta; as, Capello a Hat, Capellone a great large Hat. Donnona a good Woman. Caftellotto a great large Castle. Cafotta or Cafone a large spacious [House. 1. Let it be observed, that these Augmentatives are frequently of the Masculine Gender, though the original Nouns are themselves of the Feminine; as, Cafa is Feminine, Cafotta or Cafone Masculine. 2. The other Augmentatives, which declare the Thing mean, or of fmall Account, are formed by changing the laft Vowel into accio Mafculine, accia Feminine; as, Capello a Hat, Capellaccio a great ugly Hat. Donna a Woman, Donnaccia a large bad Woman. Cafa a House, Cafaccia a great filthy House. II. The Diminutives are of two Sorts, that is, of Kindnefs and Flattery, or of Compaffion or Mocking. 1. Thofe of Kindness and Flattery, make their Termination or Ending in ino, etto, ello Mafculine, ina, etta, ella Feminine; Example, Paftore a Shepherd, Paftorello a little Shepherd; Paftora a Shepherdefs, Paftorella a little pretty Shep herdefs. 2. Diminutives of Compaffion and Mockery end in uccio, uzzo, icciuolo Mafculine, and make their Feminines by changing o into a; as, from Huomo a Man, a Man, is formed Huomuccio, Huomuzzo, Huomicciuolo, a poor little Man; from Donna a Woman, is formed Donniciuola a poor filly Woman; and the like as will be found in the Dictionary. Diminutives, it is to be obferved, are frequently of the Masculine Gender, though the first Noun be Feminine; as, Camera a Chamber, Fem. Camerino a little Chamber, Mafc. Nouns of Plenty or Multitude take the Addition of ame, or aglia; as, here are much People ecco Gentame, or Gentaglia. Of NOUNS ADJECTIVES. Adjectives have two Terminations only, O and Thofe ending in are of the culine Gender in the Singular Number, and make their Plural in I; as, bello fair, belli; fanto holy, Janti, Plur. The Feminine Gender of thefe Nouns in O is formed by changing the O into A in the Singular Number, and into E in the Plural; as, bello, fanto, Mafc. bella, fanta, Fem. belle, fante, Plur. Adjectives, which end in E, form both the Mafculine and Feminine Gender in the Singular Number without any Change, and make their Plural in I only for both Genders; as, un huomo prudente a prudent Man, una donna prudente a prudent Woman, duoi huomini prudenti two prudent Men, due donne prudenti two prudent Women. Adjectives are compared by più more, meno lefs, meglio better, and the Word an, which follows in Comparison, is rendered by di, del, che, che |