nounced like gz. Ex. xylon, cotton-plant; Xavier, Xénophon, Xante, Xantippe. Xerxès is pronounced gzercess. x following an initial e, and preceding a vowel or an h, is also sounded like gz. Ex. exil, exile; examiner, to examine; exhiber, to exhibit. x not following an initial e, but coming between two vowels, sounds like ks. Ex. axe, axis; luxe, luxury; Alexandre, Alexander; maxime, maxim; sexe, sex. x sounds like ss in the following words: six, six; dix, ten; soixante, sixty; Bruxelles, Brussels; Auxonne, Auxerre, Aixen-Provence. In sixième, dixième, deuxième, dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, it is pronounced like z in zone. x final is generally silent. Ex. prix, price; croix, cross; voix, Exceptions: x is sounded like ks at the end of names of The x of deux, six, dix, coming before a consonant is silent, x when carried to the next word, sounds like z. 23. Z sounds as in the English words zinc, zone. zénith, zenith. Ex. zèle, zeal; z final is generally silent. Ex. nez, nose; chez, with, &c., allez, go. Exceptions: gaz, gas. In Metz, Suez, &c., it sounds like ss. z final is generally carried to the next word when that word commences with a vowel, or an h mute. EXERCISE 4. 5. (b) baume, balsam; blessure, wound; brun, brown; absolution, absolution; abstrait, abstract; abbaye, abbey; Jacob, Jacob. 6. (c) cacher, to conceal; coin, corner; décuple, decuple; cire, wax, cinq, five; chercher, to seek; je cache, I conceal; patriarche, patriarch; patriarchat, patriarchate; chambre, chamber; arche, arch; changer, to change; orchestre, orchestra; charbon, coal; sac, bag; suc, juice; clerc, clerk; banc, bench; flanc, flank; second, second; fécond, fruitful; façon, fashion; reçu, received. 7. (d) daim, deer; don, gift; admirer, to admire; bord, border; nord, north; sud, south; Obed, Obed; Talmud, Talmud; grand âge, advanced age; rend-il, does he render? prend-il, does he take? 8. (f) foin, hay; faim, hunger; froid, cold; bref, short; soif, thirst ; suif, tallow; clef, key; chef, chief; chef-d'œuvre, masterpiece; œuf, egg; œufs, eggs; œuf frais, fresh egg; bœuf, ox, beef; bœufs, oxen; neuf maisons, nine houses; neuf chevaux, nine horses; neuf amis, nine friends. 9. (g) gager, to bet; gosier, throat; gibier, game; guide, guide; ligue, league; il ligua, he leagued; nous liguons, we league; aiguille, needle; aiguillon, goad; ciguë, hemlock; digne, worthy; règne, reign; Espagne, Spain; Pologne, Poland; brugnon, nectarine; soignant, taking care; joignant, joining; stagnant, stagnant; rang honorable, honorable rank. 10. (h) hâte, haste; honte, shame; haut, high; herbe, herbage; almanach, almanac. 11. (j) jujube, jujube; jeune, young; juger, to judge; jurer, to swear; jonc, rush; joindre, to join; déjeûner, to breakfast; Juif, Jew; jeu, play. 12. (1) lame, blade; loi, law; illégal, illegal; illicite, unlawful; paille, straw; soleil, sun; pareil, similar; bail, lease; railler, to rail; souiller, to soil; caille, quail; canaille, rabble; ville, town; village, village; mille, mile, thousand; péril, peril ; pointilleux, punctilious; baril, barrel; fusil, gun; gentilhomme, nobleman; gentilshommes, noblemen; bouteille, bottle. 13. (m n) mon, my; marge, margin; nom, name; champ, field; moine, monk; prompt, quick; condamner, to condemn; faim, hunger; son argent, his money; bon appétit, good appetite; lien étroit, close connection. 15. (p) partir, to go away; coup, blow; temps, weather; drap, cloth; sept, seven; baptême, baptism; cap, cape; Alep, Aleppo. 16. (q) quérir, to fetch; quitter, to leave; musique, music; logique, logic; quarante, forty; quoi, what; aquatique, aquatic; Quintilien, Quintilian; cinq, five; cinq livres, five books. 17. (r) ranger, to arrange; errer, to err; arriver, to arrive; verser, to pour; je courrai, I will run; je courais, I was running; jouir, to enjoy; car, for; plaisir, pleasure; amer, bitter; parler, to speak; changer, to change; fer, iron; hiver, winter. 18. (s) silence, silence; soin, care; sans, without; base, base; rose, 19. (t) rose; chose, thing; observer, to observe; rasoir, razor; parasol, parasol; science, science; schisme, schism; scie, saw; scheme, scheme; gras, fat; pas, step; lambris, wainscot; Barras, Barras; Romulus, Samos; vous avez, you have; nous aimons, we love. tiers, third; tiare, tiara; tort, wrong; portion, portion; sanction, sanction; essential, essential; partialité, partiality, section, section; question, question; bastion, bastion; observation, observation; minutie, minutia; démocratie, democracy; amitié, friendship; initiation, initiation; mot, word; lot, lot; sept, seven; sept livres, seven books; et, and; vingt livres, twenty books. 20. (v) voir, to see; va, go; lève, raise; lever, to raise; visage, face; vive, f. lively. 21. (w) Westphalie, Weimar, Wurms, Wurtemberg. 22. (x) xylon, cotton plant; Xénophon; exiler, to exile; excuser, to excuse; luxe, luxury; Alexandre, Alexander; maxime, maxim; soixantième, sixtieth; six, six; sixième, sixth; six livres, six books; Bruxelles, Brussels; Aix-la-Chapelle; dix, ten; Phénix; Ajax; deux hommes, two men; dix amis, ten friends. 23. (z) zèle, zeal; zone, zone; zoologie, zoology; vous lisez, you read; nez, nose; Metz; allez-y, go there; venez ici, come here. For the division of words into syllables, see READING LESSONS, page 474. LEÇON IV. LESSON IV. THE ARTICLE LE, LA. -GENDER. 1. In French the article [§ 13, (2.)] has, in the singular, a distinct form for each gender. Le fils, the son; Le frère, the brother; La fille, the daughter, the girl; La sœur, the sister. 2. Before a word commencing with a vowel or an h mute, [L. 3, 10,] the article is the same for both genders. [§ 13, (7.)] Ex. L'aïeul, the grandfather; L'hôte, the landlord; L'aïeule, the grandmother; L'hôtesse, the landlady. 3. There are in French only two genders, the masculine and the feminine. [§ 4.] Every noun, whether denoting an animate or an inanimate object, belongs to one of these two genders. MASC. L'homme, the man; Le livre, the book; FEM. La femme, the woman; Le lion, the lion; La lionne, the lioness; 4. AVOIR, TO HAVE, IN THE PRESENT OF THE INDICATIVE. 5. The e of the pronoun je is elided, when that pronoun comes before a vowel or an h mute. [§ 146.] 6. In interrogative sentences, when the third person singular of a verb ends with a vowel, and is immediately followed by a pronoun, a t, called euphonic, must be placed between the verb and the pronoun. A-t-il? Has he? A-t-elle ? Has she? The father has the meat, you have the coffee, and I have the water. The man has the bread, the child has the salt, and we have the pepper. EXERCISE 5. Frère, m. brother; Pain, m. bread; 1. Qui a le pain? 2. Le boulanger a le pain. Plume, f. pen; 3. A-t-il la farine? 4. Oui, monsieur; il a la farine. 5. Avons-nous la viande ? 6. Oui, monsieur; 8. Le vous avez la viande et le pain. 7. Le meunier a la farine. boulanger a la farine et le blé. 9. Avons-nous le livre et la plume? 10. Oui, mademoiselle; vous avez le livre et la plume. 11. Le boucher a la viande. 12. Le meunier a la viande, et j'ai le café. 13. Avezvous l'eau et le sel? 14. Oui, monsieur; nous avons l'eau, le sel, et l'avoine. 15. Avons-nous le thé? 16. Non, monsieur; la fille a le thé, le vinaigre et le sel. 17. Ai-je le vin? 18. Non, madame; vous avez seulement le vinaigre et la viande. 19. Avez-vous la table? 20. Oui, madame; j'ai la table. 1. Have you the wheat? 2. Yes, sir; I have the wheat. 3. Who has the meat? 4. The butcher has the meat and the salt. 5. Has he the oats? 6. No, madam; the horse has the oats. 7. Have we the wheat? 8. You have the wheat and the flour. 9. Who has the salt? 10. I have the salt and the meat. 11. Have we the vinegar, the tea, and the coffee? 12. No, sir; the brother has the vinegar. 13. Who has the horse? 14. The baker has the horse. 15. Have we the book and the pen? 16. No, miss; the girl has the pen, and the miller has the book. 17. Have you the table, sir? 18. No, sir; I have only the book. 19. Who has the table? 20. We have the table, the pen, and the book. LEÇON V. LESSON V. CONTRACTION OF THE ARTICLE, &c. 1. The article le, with the preposition de preceding, must be contracted into du, when it comes before a word in the masculine singular, commencing with a consonant or an h aspirated. [L. 3, 10; § 13, (8.) (9.)] Du frère, of the brother; Du château, of the castle; 2. Before feminine words, and before masculine words commencing with a vowel, or an h mute, the article le is not blended with the preposition. De la dame, f. of the lady; De l'argent, m. of the money; De l'amie, f. of the female friend; 3. In French, the name of the possessor follows the name of the object possessed. [§ 76, (10.)] La maison du médecin, L'arbre du jardin, La lettre de la sœur, The physician's house; |