Page:A Danish and Dano-Norwegian grammar.djvu/143

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ETYMOLOGY.
129

The English Sir in yes, sir; no, sir is not translated unless when speaking to a superior or a person, of rank in which case the title is added: ja, Hr. Kaptain (N. Kaptein) yes, Captain; nei, Hr. General no, General. But ma’m, madam, is translated Frue (Mrs.) or Fröken (Miss) according to circumstances: Nei, Fröken, det tror jeg ikke no ma’m, I don't think so; Nei, Frue, det har jeg aldrig sagt no, ma’m; that I have never said.



THE ORDER OF THE WORDS IN THE SENTENCE.


245. In a sentence consisting only of subject and predicate the former is placed before the latter; Manden kommer the man comes; if the position is inverted, then the sentence assumes an interrogative meaning: Kommer Manden? does the man come? If the predicate has an object the order of the words is as follows: subj.–pred.–obj.; Hesten bar Rytteren the horse carried the rider. The indirect object is placed before the direct object: Fader gav Johan Bogen father gave John the book; in interrogative sentences only the position of subj. and predicate is inverted: Gav Fader Johan Bogen? did father give J. the book. An adjective as attribute is placed before the noun: en stor Hund, den store Hund a big dog, the big dog; so also a genitive before the noun governing it: Mandens Hus the man’s house; Ciceros Taler the speeches of Cicero. An adverb determining an adjective or other adverb is placed before the word which it determines, but an adverb determining a verb is placed after it: en meget smuk Mand a very handsome man; Karl gik meget hurtigt Charles walked very fast.