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ETYMOLOGY.
45

the French put a double Monsieur on the backs of their letters.

Editors say "We," instead of "I," out of modesty.

The Quakers continue to say "thee" and "thou," in the use of which pronouns, as well as in the wearing of broad-brimmed hats and of stand-up collars, they perceive a peculiar sanctity.

Gender has to do only with the third person singular of the pronouns, he, she, it. He is masculine; she is feminine; it is neuter.

Pronouns have the like cases with substantives; the nominative, the possessive, and the objective.

Would that they were the hardest cases to be met with in this country!

The personal pronouns are thus declined:—

CASE. FIRST PERSON SINGULAR. FIRST PERSON PLURAL.
Nom. I We.
Poss. Mine Ours.
Obj. Me Us.
CASE. SECOND PERSON. SECOND PERSON.
Nom. Thou Ye or you.
Poss. Thine Yours.
Obj. Thee You.

Now the third person singular, as we before observed, has genders; and we shall therefore decline it in a different way. Variety is charming.

THIRD PERSON SINGULAR.
CASE. MASC. FEM. NEUT.
Nom. He She It.
Poss. His Hers Its
Obj. Him Her It.
CASE. PLURAL.
Nom. They.