or aen, one, applied to a new use, as the German ein, and the French un;
the n being cut off before a consonant in the speed of utterance.

Grammarians of the last age direct, that an should be used before h; whence
it appears that the English anciently asperated less. An is still used
before the silent h; as an herb, an honest man; but otherwise a; as

A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse. Shakespeare.

An or a can only be joined with a singular: the correspondent plural is the
noun without an article, as, I want a pen, I want pens; or with the
pronominal adjective some, as, I want some pens.

THE.

The has a particular and definite signification.

The fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world. Milton.

That is, that particular fruit, and this world in which we live. So, He
giveth fodder for the cattle, and green herbs for the use of man; that is,
for those beings that are cattle, and his use that is man.

The is used in both numbers.

I am as free as Nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began,
When wild in woods the noble savage ran. Dryden.

Many words are used without articles; as

1. Proper names, as John, Alexander, Longinus, Aristarchus, Jerusalem,
Athens, Rome, London. GOD is used as a proper name.

2. Abstract names, as blackness, witch-craft, virtue, vice, beauty,
ugliness, love, hatred, anger, good-nature, kindness.

3. Words in which nothing but the mere being of any thing is implied: This
is not beer, but water; this is not brass, but steel.

* * * * *

Of NOUNS SUBSTANTIVE.

The relations of English nouns to words going before or following are not
expressed by cases, or changes of termination, but, as in most of the other
European languages, by prepositions, unless we may be said to have a
genitive case.

Singular.

Nom. Magister, a Master, the Master.

Gen. Magistri, of a Master, of the Master,
or Master's, the Master's.

Dat. Magistro, to a Master, to the Master.

Acc. Magistrum, a Master, the Master.

Voc. Magister, Master, O Master.

Abl. Magistro, from a Master, from the Master.

Plural.

Nom. Magistri, Masters, the Masters.

Gen. Magistrorum, of Masters, of the Masters.

Dat. Magistris, to Masters, to the Masters.

Acc. Magistros, Masters,