Sing. Plu.
Masc. Fem. Neut. Masc. Fem. Neut.
N. der diu daz die die diu G. des der des der der der D. dem der dem den den den A. den die daz die die diu
NB: The fem. nom. is diu, whereas the fem. acc. is die. In the plural, the neut. nom. and acc. is diu, while all other forms are as in modern Ger.
There are also variant forms, such as: Sing.: Masc. or Neut. dat.: deme; Fem. gen. or dat.: dere; Plu. gen.: dere.
This word is used also as a demonstrative pronoun ('this' 'that'; or 'this one' 'that one') and as a relative pronoun ('who,"which,' or 'that'). As a relative pronoun, its meaning is often 'he, who' (mod. Ger. 'derjenige, welcher').
2. Nouns.
Nouns are traditionally divided into strong and weak nouns, unfortunate terms perhaps! The strong nouns are further traditionally identified in many grammars and dictionaries according to their historical stem vowel which has disappeared by the MHG period, all such differences having become unstressed -e. (One should note the difference between "root" vowel, which is the vowel of the "root" of the word (e.g. tragen), and the "stem" vowel, which was originally, the vowel preceeding the ending. )
Strong Nouns:
1. Masc. a-stems:
Sing. Plu. Nom. der tac die tage Gen. des tages der tage Dat. dem tage den tagen Acc. den tac die tage
2. Fem. ô-stems:
Sing. Plu. Nom. diu gebe die gebe Gen. der gebe der geben Dat. der gebe den geben Acc. die gebe die gebe
3. Neut. a-stems:
Sing. Plu. Nom. daz wort diu wort Gen. des wortes der worte Dat. dem worte den worten Acc. daz wort diu wort
1) Masc. (a-stems), aside from the orthographic variation reflecting Auslautsverhärtung (q.v.), show the same endings as modern German (cf. Tag, Tages, Tage, Tag).
2) Fem. (ô-stems) have -n in the gen. and dat. plural. To this group of nouns belong most two-syllable feminine nouns ending in -e. Note, their plural nom. and acc. are the same as the sing. nom. and acc.
3) Neut (a-stems) have no endings in the nom. and acc. plural. Thus the sing. and plural in these cases are alike. So: daz kint (nom. & acc. sing) : diu kint (nom. & acc. plu.). Note this well, for you will often be tempted to translate the plural by the singular because of modern German. The definite article or a demonstrative or a verb ending may be guides.
4) One-syllable masc. and neut. nouns with a short root-vowel and which end in -l or -r do not have the -e of the ending E.g.
Sing. Plu. Nom. daz spil diu spil Gen. des spils der spil Dat. dem spil den spiln Acc. daz spil diu spil
By the same token other nouns already have an -e in their nominative singular (-ja-stems). They are also declined like tac, but do not add an extra -e- to the one that is already there:
Sing. Plu. Nom. der site die site Gen. des sites der site Dat. dem site den siten Acc. den site die site
NB. This is the modern German word "die Sitte." (Notice the gender change!) Do not confuse nouns in this group with weak nouns or feminine nouns. This group also includes neuters, e.g. daz künne (= Engl. kin) and the very common daz mære, both of which are declined like daz wort.
5) Nouns ending in -el, -er, -em, -en also usually lose the -e of the ending. E.g.:
Sing. Plu. Nom. der ritter die ritter Gen. des ritters der ritter Dat. dem ritter den rittern Acc. den ritter die ritter
or:
Sing. Plu. Nom. daz wazzer diu wazzer Gen. des wazzers der wazzer Dat. dem wazzer den wazzern Acc. daz wazzer diu wazzer
6) Two-syllable words often lose the unaccented -e- of their rniddle syllable before the ending. E.g. Sing: dienest, dienstes, dienste, dienest. Plu: dienste, dienste, diensten, dienste.
7) Finally a few nouns preserve remnants of the old -wa- stem declension, e.g.:
Sing. Plu. Nom. der sê die sêwe Gen. des sêwes der sêwe Dat. dem sêwe den sêwen Acc. den sêwe die sêwe
Others would be der snê, der klê, der schate (gen. either schatewes or schates), daz knie (gen. des kniewes or kni[e]s).
For learning purposes, we might lump most of the nouns listed above together, and call them Group I. The following table would then indicate their endings:
Sing.
Masc. Fem. Neut. Nom. - - - Gen. -s - -s Dat. -e - -e Acc. - - -
Plu. Masc. Fem. Neut. Nom. -e - - Gen. -e -en -e Dat. -en -en -en Acc. -e - -
The next three declensions (i-stems and [old] -es-stems) could also be lumped together, since their common feature is Umlaut in the plural, and for learning purposes, be called Group II.
4. Masc. i-stems:
Nom. der gast die geste Gen. des gastes der geste Dat. dem gaste den gesten Acc. den gast die geste
5. Fem. i-stems: Sing. Plu.
Nom. diu kraft die krefte Gen. der kraft (or: krefte) der krefte Dat. der kraft (or: krefte) den kreften Acc. die kraft die krefte
NB. The Gen & Dat. sing. forms exist side by side and each of the two forms may often be used by the same author even within a few lines distant from one another.
6. Neut. es-stems. This is known facetiously as the "Landwirtschaftliche Deklination," because of the nouns belonging to it: lamp (= lamb), kalb, rint, huon, ei. Originally very few nouns belong to this group, but later many other are attracted to it.
Nom. daz lamp diu lember Gen. des lambes der lember Dat. dem lambe den lembern Acc. daz lamp diu lember
By the same token (for learning purposes), we may lump these last three declensions together to yield the following table of endings, for Group II:
Masc. Fem. Neut. Nom. - - - Gen. -es - (or ¨e) -es Dat. -e - (or ¨e) -e Acc. - - -
Plu. Masc. Fem. Neut. Nom. -¨e -¨e -¨er Gen. -¨e -¨en -¨er Dat. -¨en -¨en -¨ern Acc. -¨e -¨e -¨er
These two groups encompass the great bulk of MHG strong nouns. It should be noted that not all vowels are susceptible to Umlaut. Hence, it is a matter of importance only to the historical linguist if a masc. noun, whose root vowel cannot take Umlaut, belongs to the a-stems or the i-stems -- they are declined exactly alike (e.g. der schrit, der brief are i-stems). By the same token, fem. ô-stems and i-stems, whose root vowel cannot take Umlaut, differ only in the gen. plu., the former having (usually) the endling -en, whereas the i-stems have the ending -e. (NB the following very common i-stems: diu tugent [the root vowel -u- is too far removed and blocked by the -n- + -t- from the cause of Umlaut], diu jugent, all nouns in-heit [-keit], and -schaft [NB die eigenschefte!, etc.], diu werelt, die arbeit, die [sic!] list, diu zît, etc.
The following remarks pertain to exceptions. They are necessary because these nouns are very common:
1. der vater:
Nom. der vater die veter Gen. des vater(s) der veter Dat. dem vater den vetern Acc. den vater die veter
NB. Gen. sing. either des vaters or des vater. The root vowel of the plural is -e-.
2. der bruoder:
Nom. der bruoder die brüeder Gen. des bruoder(s) der brüeder Dat. dem bruoder den brüedern Acc. den bruoder die brüeder
NB. Like der vater, der bruoder may have a gen. sing. with or without the -s, hence, either des bruoders or des bruoder. (The normal Umlaut of -uo- is -üe-, see Chap. 1.)
NB also: diu muoter (sing.), die müeter (plu.); diu tohter (sing.), die töhter (plu.)
3) der man:
Either: Sing. Plu.
Nom. der man die man Gen. des man der man Dat. dem man den man Acc. den man die man
Nom. der man die manne Gen. des mannes der manne Dat. dem manne den mannen Acc. den man die manne
The Weak Noun:
There is practically nothing to rnemorize for this declension, for all endings (except the nom.), all genders, all numbers (except neut. acc. sing.) end in -n. But one must be very careful to note nouns whose genders are different in Mod. Ger. and nouns which were once weak and have become strong (or vice versa).
Example of the Weak Declension:
Sing. Masc. Fem. Neut. Nom. der bote diu zunge das herze Gen. des boten der zungen des herzen Dat. dem boten der zungen den herzen Acc. den boten die zungen daz herze
Plu. Masc. Fem. Neut. Nom. die boten die zungen diu herzen Gen. der boten der zungen der herzen Dat. den boten den zungen den herzen Acc. die boten die zungen diu herzen
1) There are only 4 neuter nouns in this declension: daz herze, daz ôre, daz ouge and (note well:) daz wange.
Proper names:
1) Proper names, either masc. or feminine, ending in -e are declined as weak nouns:
Nom. Hagene Uote Gen. Hagenen Uoten Dat. Hagenen Uoten Acc. Hagenen Uoten
2) Masc. proper names which do not end in -e, are declined as follows:
Nom. Sifrit Gen. Sifrides Dat. Sifride(n) Acc. Sifride(n)
3) Fem. proper names ending in a consonant are either uninflected, or else declined as follows:
Nom. Isolt Gen. Isolde Dat. Isolde Acc. Isolde
(Beware of referring to this lady [as Wagner did!] by one of the inflected forms of her name. She is Isolt [or Isôt]. And while we are on the subject of proper names, Wolfram's hero is Parzival, Wagner's is Parsifal. Keep them separate.)
1. How do the definite articles in Middle High German differ from those in New High German?
1. stein (masc. a-stem)
2. sper (neut. a-stem)
3. spîse (fem. ô-stem)
4. bach (masc. i-stem)