[§ 209]. For etymological purposes, therefore, it is necessary to limit the meaning of the word case; and, as a sort of definition, it may be laid down that where there is no change of form there is no case. With this remark, the English language may be compared with the Latin.
| Latin. | English. | |
| Sing. Nom. | Pater | a father. |
| Gen. | Patris | a father's. |
| Dat. | Patri | to a father. |
| Acc. | Patrem | a father. |
| Abl. | Patre | from a father. |
Here, since in the Latin language there are five changes of form, whilst in English there are but two, there are (as far, at least, as the word pater and father
are concerned) three more cases in Latin than in English.
It does not, however, follow that because in the particular word father we have but two cases, there may not be other words wherein there are more than two.
[§ 210]. Neither does it follow, that because two words may have the same form they are necessarily in the same case; a remark which leads to the distinction between a real and an accidental identity of form.
In the language of the Anglo-Saxons the genitive cases of the words smið, ende, and dæg, were respectively, smiðes, endes, and dæges; whilst the nominative plurals were, smiðas, endas, and dægas.
But when a change took place, by which the vowel of the last syllable in each word was ejected, the result was, that the forms of the genitive singular and the nominative plural, originally different, became one and the same; so that the identity of the two cases is an accident.
This fact relieves the English grammarian from a difficulty. The nominative plural and the genitive singular are, in the present language of England, identical; the apostrophe in father's being a mere matter of orthography. However, there was once a difference. This modifies the previous statement, which may now stand thus:—for a change of case there must be a change of form existing or presumed.
[§ 211]. The number of our cases and the extent of language over which they spread.—In the English language there is undoubtedly a nominative case. This occurs in substantives, adjectives, and pronouns (father, good, he) equally. It is found in both numbers.