as men, women, oxen, swine, and
more anciently eyen, shoon. This formation is that which generally
prevails in the Teutonick dialects.

Words that end in f commonly form their plural by ves, as loaf, loaves;
calf, calves.

Except a few, muff, muffs; chief, chiefs. So hoof, roof, proof, relief,
mischief, puff, cuff, dwarf, handkerchief, grief.

Irregular plurals are teeth from tooth, lice from louse, mice from
mouse, geese from goose, feet from foot, dice from die, pence from
penny, brethren from brother, children from child.

Plurals ending in s have no genitives; but we say, Womens excellencies, and
Weigh the mens wits against the ladies hairs.

Dr. Willis thinks the Lords' house may he said for the house of Lords;
but such phrases are not now in use; and surely an English ear rebels
against them. They would commonly produce a troublesome ambiguity, as
the Lord's house may be the house of Lords, or the house of a Lord.
Besides that the mark of elision is improper, for in the Lords' house
nothing is cut off.

Some English substantives, like those of many other languages, change
their termination as they express different sexes; as prince, princess;
actor, actress; lion, lioness; hero, heroine. To these mentioned by Dr.
Lowth may be added arbitress, poetess, chauntress, duchess, tigress,
governess, tutress, peeress, authoress, traytress, and perhaps othets.
Of these variable terminations we have only a sufficient number to make
us feel our want; for when we say of a woman that she is a philosopher,
an astronomer, a builder, a weaver, a dancer, we perceive an
impropriety in the termination which we cannot avoid; but we can say
that she is an architect, a botanist, a student. because these
terminations have not annexed to them the notion of sex. In words which
the necessities of life are often requiring, the sex is distinguished
not by different terminations but by different names, as a bull, a cow;
a horse, a mare; equus, equa; a cock, a hen; and sometimes by pronouns
prefixed, as a he-goat, a, she-goat.

* * * * *

Of ADJECTIVES.

Adjectives in the English language are wholly indeclinable; having neither
case, gender, nor number, and being added to substantives in all relations
without any change; as, a good woman, good women, of a good woman; a good
man, good men, of go