Of the Articles of the Italian tongue, and of the frequent vse of them.

Note that there is no part of speech more necessary to be truly knowen of him that learneth Italian, then the Articles, forsomuch as without them no man can perfectly distinguish of genders, which are two, Masculine and Feminine; of numbers, which are also two, Singular and Plurall; and of Cases, which are sixe; Nominatiue, Genitiue, Datiue, Accusatiue, Vocatiue, and Ablatiue; and no language hath so frequent vse of them, as the Italian, I haue therefore set them downe, and how they are to be declined and vsed. The Articles are in number seuen: fiue of the Masculine, and two of the Feminine genders. Of the fiue Masculine, two are of the Singular, and three of the Plurall number. Of the two Feminine, one is of the Singular, and one of the Plurall number.

The fiue articles of the Masculine gender are.

Mas. Sing.Mas. Plu.Mas. Sing.Mas. Plu.Mas. Plu.
No.il.i.ló.gli.li.
Ge.dél.déi, de'.déllo.dégli.délli.
Da.al.ai, a'.állo.ágli.álli.
Accu.il.i.ló.gli.li.
Voca.ô.ó.ó.ó.ô.
Abla.dal.dái, da'.dállo.dágli.dálli.

All which haue but one in English, and that is, The; which serueth for both genders and numbers; for you say, the man, the men, the woman, and the women.

Fem. Sing.Fem. Plu.In English.
Nom.la.le.the.
Gen.délla.délle.of the.
Dat.álla.álle.to the.
Accu.la.le.the.
Vo.ó.ó.oh the.
Abla.dálla.dálle.from, of, or by the.

Of the true vse of these Articles.

Note that Il and I, are commonly and ought to be vsed before nounes or words that begin with consonants, as Il béne, Il dólce, Il Mále, Il líbro, Il Préncipe, Il Rẻ, &c. I béni, I dólci, I máli, I líbri, I Préncipi, I Rẻ, &c.

Note that L'ó, and Gli, are or els ought euer to be vsed before nounes or words beginning with vowels, and are commonly by the best Speakers or Writers apostrophed, and pronounced together as they were but one word, as L'abbáte, L'altáre, L'Angelo, L'amóre, L'ódio, &c. gl'abbáti, gl'altári, gl'Angeli, gl'amóri, gl'ódij, &c.

Note that forsmuch as good Italians shun as a thing most harsh among them, to haue or vse many consonants together, namely aboue two, seldome three, and never foure; and that there be diuers words of the Masculine gender that begin with S. and one or more consonants follow the same, as Spirito, Strále, Stráccio, Stromẻnto, &c. Before such words they will not, according to the foresaid rule, vse the Articles Il, and I, but will say and write, as being more pleasing in pronouncing, and to the eare, lo Spírito, lo Stráccio, lo Strále, lo Stromẻnto, gli Spíriti, gli Stráccij, gli Stráli, gli Stromẻnti, &c.

Note that the Article Li, is and may indifferently be vsed before consonants or vowels, as Li árbori, li cittadíni, li quáli, &c. and I am of opinion that were it not that some ancient Writers haue vsed the same, moderne Writers would not much vse it.

Note that La, and Le, before vowels are vsually apostrophed and pronounced as one word, whereas before consonants they are written and pronounced seuerally: as for example, L'ácqua, l'ánima, l'altézza, l'acque, l'ánime, l'altézze, &c. La bálla, la Cárne, la fáccia, la ménte, la tẻrra, &c. Le bálle, le Carni, le fáccie, le ménti, le tẻrre, &c.

Note that the foresaid particles are not euer or properly articles, except they be ioyned vnto absolute nounes, whether substantiues, adiectiues, or proper: for if they be affixed vnto verbes (as they are very often) they change their property, and become pronounes deriuatiues from the primitiues, or else demonstratiues of the Datiue and Accusatiue cases, as for example; Io gli diédi, I gaue him: Io il víddi, I saw him: Tù lo conósci, thou knowest him: Tù i Sénti, thou hearest them, Tù la tócchi, thou touchest her: Tù le fai mále, thou dost her hurt: and with verbes of priuation, as hereafter shall be better declared, Gli, and li, and le become of the Ablatiue case: as for example; Tù gli rubásti, thou stolest from him, or them. Tu li tollésti, thou tookest from him or them: Tu la furásti, thou stolest from her.

Note also that these two Articles La and Li are sometimes aduerbes of place, signifying There, or in that place, and then they are commonly accented, as Là and Lì.

Note that to the Articles are diuers times affixed these prepositions, as Di of the Genitiue case, A of the Datiue, and Da of the Ablatiue; which so ioyned, make of the Genitiue Del, Dell', Déi, De', Déllo, Dégli, Délli, Délla, Delle, and of the Datiue Al, All', Ai, A', Allo, Agli, Alli, Alla, Alle, and of the Ablatiue Dál, Dáll', Dái, Da', Dállo, Dágli, Dálli, Dálla, Dálle; which sometimes are in the Italian tongue diuersly vsed, and lose their ordinary significations: as for example; those of the Genitiue case become somtimes the signe of a comparison, in English, Then, or Then the, namely, after the Aduerbs of quantity, Più, or Méno, as thus: Tù Sẻi più dótto di mè, mà nón già déll'amíco nóstro. Other times following a verbe and being before a noune substantiue, whose quality may be diuisible, they become Aduerbs of quantity, and signifie Some, or part of, as thus, Dámmi dél páne ẻ dél vino, ẻt io tì darò délla cárne, dégl'óssi, ẻ dél pésce.

Note that Alla, being placed before any noune adiectiue, it makes the same an aduerbe of similitude; like vnto, or after the fashion of, as thus, Io procédo álla reále, I proceed like vnto an honest man, or honest-man-like. Or thus, Lui párla all'Italiána, vẻste álla Francése, béue álla Todésca, &c. He speaketh after the Italian fashion, clotheth after the French, and drinkes after the Dutch manner, &c.

And euen so doth Da, being placed before a noune substantiue, as thus, Io procédo da huómo da béne, tù vẻsti da capitáno, párli da Dottóre, ẻ fái da poltróne.

Note that all the Datiue cases A, Al, All', Allo, Alla, Ai, A', Agli, Alli, Alle, as also all these Articles, Affixes, or Pronounes deriuatiues, Mi, Ti, Si, Ci, Vi, Me, Te, Se, Ce, Ve, Ne, which are of the Datiue case, if any of them be affixed to any verbes of priuation, as Ascóndere, Furáre, Rubbáre, Tógliere, &c. contrary to all rules (and which was yet neuer noted in any Grammar that I haue seene) they all become of the Ablatiue case, and with no other verbes, as thus, Io hò leuáte le fórze a', or, alli miéi amici, Tù mi t'ascóndi, Tù ci hai furáti i nostri líbri; Dio vi torrà i vóstri piacéri, vói ne hauéte tólto il nóstro ripóso. I peccatóri non si póssono nascóndere á Dío, &c. which be meere Italianismes.

Note also that the Preposition of the Ablatiue case Da. whether alone or ioyned to any Article, as Dál, Dai, Dállo, Dágli, Dálli, Dálla, Dálle, comming after any of these verbes of motion, Andáre, Córrere, Fuggíre, Veníre, &c. so that the party or persons to whom you goe, runne, flie, or come, be named or mentioned, contrary to all rules giuen in Grammars, they become of the Datiue case. As for example, Andándo dal Signór Páolo, Córsi dálla Signóra María, volẻndo fuggíre dalli Signóri Thomaso ẻd Andrẻa, vénni dal Signór Henrico, &c.

Note also that the preposition of the Ablatiue case Da. comming before any Noune numerall or number, it serueth for the Preposition, Círca or Intórno, in English, About, as thus. Érano da venti soldáti. They were about twenty souldiers. Io vi trouái da diẻci huómini da béne. There I found about ten honest men, &c.

Note also that Da, or Da' are likewise often vsed for an Aduerbe of exception, sauing or except: but then the thing excepted must immediately follow Da, and Infuóri or in pói, must succeede the same, as Io truóuo mólte cóse da denári in fuóri. Tútti sóno huómini da béne da' furbi in pói. &c.

Note that these prepositions, Con, Pẻr, In, Nón, are often ioyned vnto Articles, and made as one word or sillable, as for Con il. Con i. Con lo. Con gli. Con la. Con le. the Italians will say and write. Col tẻmpo. Coi líbri. Co' fratẻlli. Coll'amóre. Cogl'ódij. Cólla mádre. Cólle sorẻlle, &c. in English, with or with the.

In steede of, Pẻr il. Pẻr i. Pẻr lo. Pẻr gli. Pẻr li. Pẻr la. Pẻr le. They say and write. Pẻl. Pẻi. Pẻ', Pẻllo. Pẻgli. Pẻlli. Pẻlla. Pẻlle. For, Through, or by the.

In steede of, In il. In i. In lo. In gli. In li. In la. In le. They say and write, Nél. Nei. Ne'. Néllo. Négli, Nélli. Nélla. Nélle. In English, In, Into, or in the.

In steede of, Non il. Non i. Non lo. Non gli. Non li. Non la. Non le. They say and write, Nol. Noi. No'. Nóllo. Nógli. Nólli. Nólla. Nólle. In English, Not the, not him, not her, or not them, &c. Let this suffice for the Articles and the vse of them.