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GRAMMAR
- mŏgtlder, warmth, from mŏgil, warm.
- tŏmder, heat, from tŏm (or tŭbm), hot.
- downder, depth, from down, deep.
- sehter (or zehar), drought, from segh, dry.
- ewhelder, height, from ewhel, high.
- crevder, strength, from crev, strong.
Some adjectives ending in s revert to an original t in this formation. Thus :
- calletter, hardness, from cales, hard.
- goscotter, shelter, from goskes, sheltering.
- ponvotter, trouble, from ponvos, trouble.
It will be seen that this der or ter answers to the English termination ness, and may be added to almost any adjective to form the corresponding abstract noun. 2. Abstract nouns are derived from other nouns or adjectives by the addition of eth or neth.
- gwiryoneth, truth, from gwiryon, truthful.
- cosoleth, rest, peace, from cŏsel, quiet.
- skiantoleth, wisdom, from skiantol, wise.
- folneth, folly, from fol, a fool.
- materneth, royalty, from matern, a king.
- gokeneth, stupidity, from goky, a fool.
- mescogneth,[1] madness, from mescok, a madman.
- gowegneth, falsehood, from gowek, a liar.
- roweth, bounty, from ro, a gift.
This termination answers more or less to the Latin itas or English ity.
3. Abstract nouns are derived from verbs by the addition of ans. Thus:—
- crejyans, belief, from cresy (or crejy), to believe.
- givyans, forgiveness, from gava, to forgive.
- deskyans, learning, from desky, to learn.
- ↑ There is also a doubtful form mescatter, from *mescat.
