Feminins.

§ [102]. Paradim: ansts, favor (proethnic Germanic ansti-z).

Sing.N.anstsPlur.N.ansteis
G.anstaisG.anstê
D.anstaiD.anstim
A.anstA.anstins
V.anst

§ [103]. A great number of feminins belong to this class. Exampls: qêns, woman, wife; dails, deal; wêns, hope; nauþs, nauþais, need; siuns, sight; sôkns, serch; taikns, token; fahêþs, fahêdais, joy; magaþs (þ), maid; fadreins, generation, family; arbaiþs (d), work; asans, harvest; ahaks, duv; those in -duþs, -duþais (perhaps -dûþs; cp. [§ 15], n. 1): mikilduþs, greatness; managduþs, abundance; ajukduþs, eternity; gamainduþs, communion.

Very numerous ar the verbal abstracts which may be formd from every strong verb by means of the dental suffix t (þ, d); e. g., gaskafts, creation; þaúrfts, need; ganists, salvation; fralusts, loss; gakusts, test; gabaúrþs, birth; gataúrþs, destruction; manasêþs (d), world; dêþs, deed; gahugds, thought.

Note 1. Here belong also the abstracts in -eins, -ôns, -ains, derived from the weak verbs of the I., II., and III. Weak Conjugations, respectivly; e. g., naseins (< nasjan), salvation; laiseins, doctrin; háuheins, a 'heightening', hense praise; galaubeins, belief; naiteins, blasfemy; laþôns (< laþôn), invitation; salbôns, salv, ointment; mitôns, consideration; þulains (< þulan), suffering, patience; libains, life.—But those in -eins hav the nom. and gen. pl. according to the ô-declension. Thus, for exampl:

Sing.N.naiteinsG.naiteinaisD.naiteinaiA. V. naitein
Plur.N.naiteinôsG.naiteinôD.naiteinimA.naiteinins.

So in one exampl also the dat. pl.: unkaúreinôm; II. Cor. XI, 8.—The pl. of the abstracts in -ôns, -ains is regular: mitôneis, mitônê, etc.

Note 2. Whether words ar f. or m. is doutful when they do not occur in a distinctiv case; as, lists, craftiness; fulleiþs (or fulleiþ, n.), fulness.