A Grammar of the Persian Language/Of the Nouns

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search

OF THE NOUNS, اسْما

and First of Genders, جِنْس.

55. The reader will soon perceive with pleasure a great resemblance between the Persian and English languages, in the facility and simplicity of their form and construction; both have no difference of termination to mark the gender, either in substantives or adjectives: all inanimate things are neuter; and animals of different sexes, either have different names, as پِسر pis̤ar, a son, a boy, کنِیز‎ k̤aniz̈, a girl, اسْپ asp, a horse; مادِیان mādiyān, a mare; or are distinguished by the words نر‎ nar, male, and ماده‎ mādah, female, as شیرِ نر‎ shēray nar, a lion; شیرِ ماده‎ shēray mādah, a lioness; these particles, however, are usually applied to irrational beings.

56. Arabick words indeed are often made feminine by receiving a silent (خفی Art. 29) final ه‎, added to it, as معْشُوق‎ maعshūḳ, a friend; amicus, معْشُوقه‎ maعshūḳah, a mistress; amica, as in this verse:

گُل در برَ ومَيْ بر کّفُ و معْشُوقه بکامسْت

The rose in my bosom, the wine on my palm, and the beloved is to my desire.

57. But, if such noun do not signify a rational being, they consider it