Feminine Noun Grammar

Feminine Nouns

Most feminine nouns decline like ár, by simply adding the endings as necessary. This is true for about 73% of all feminine nouns, including those with the suffixes –ung, -þ, -þu, and –léast.

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	ár	þá	þás	ára
genitive	þǽre	þisse	áre	þǽra	þissa	ára
dative	þǽre	þisse	áre	þǽm	þissum	arum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	áre	þǽm	þissum	arum
accusative	þá	þás	áre	þá	þás	ára

NOTE: Nouns like giefu gift decline just like ár, simply by dropping the –u ending and adding the proper inflections.

NOTE: the word brú eyebrow is declined in the plural as: nominative brúa or brúwa, genitive brúna, dative brúum or brúwum.

VOCAB:

Body Parts	Time	Instruments	Emotions	Other
brú - eyebrow eaxl – shoulder mund – hand scinu – shin wamb – stomach	hwíl – space of time stund – period of time, hour þrág – time, period	bǽr – bier féol – file nafu – nave (wheel) ród – cross sagu – saw scofl – shovel sealf – ointment tang – tongs	ár – honor lufu – love scamu – shame scand – disgrace sorg – sorrow	bád – pledge bót – advantage caru – care daru – injury eax – axis faru – journey gád – goad giefu – gift heall – hall heord – herd, flock hogu – solicitude lád – way, journey láf – remnant lár – learning laþu – invitation méd – reward meord – reward notu – use racu – account, narrative rád – ride, riding reord – voice, language rún – secret sacu – strife scolu – troop stalu – theft þearf – need weard – protection
Clothing	People	Injury/Health	Nature
glóf – glove lind – linden, shield	bród – brood léod – nation snoru – daughter-in-law þéod – nation waru – people	coþu – disease cwalu – violent death wracu – revenge wund – wound	æsp – aspen-tree beorc – birch-tree denu – valley mearc – boundary rudu – redness

Two-Syllable Nouns

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	sáwol	þá	þás	sáwla
genitive	þǽre	þisse	sáwle	þǽra	þissa	sáwla
dative	þǽre	þisse	sáwle	þǽm	þissum	sáwlum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	sáwle	þǽm	þissum	sáwlum
accusative	þá	þás	sáwle	þá	þás	sáwla

NOTE: Nouns like sáwol are ceaster, frófor, and wócor. They have a long first syllable (with a long vowel or two consonants) and a short second, so they syncopate the second vowel.

NOTE: Two-syllable nouns like firen, feter, netel, and others do not syncopate in inflected forms because they have two short syllables.

NOTE: Egenu is like giefu, it drops the –u and adds the endings as appropriate.

VOCAB:

People

Things

Body Things

Other

ciefes – concubine

ádl – disease

byden – bushel

ceaster – city, fortress

egenu – chaff

feðer – feather

feter – fetter

nǽdl – needle

netel – nettle

spinel – spindle

sáwol – soul

stefn – voice

bisen – example

bisn – example

firen – crime

frófor – consolation

wócor – increase, usury

Feminine nouns that are also masculine

frófor – consolation

Nouns Ending in –þu and –ung

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	strengþu	þá	þás	strengþa
genitive	þǽre	þisse	strengþe	þǽra	þissa	strengþa
dative	þǽre	þisse	strengþe	þǽm	þissum	strengþum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	strengþe	þǽm	þissum	strengþum
accusative	þá	þás	strengþe	þá	þás	strengþa

NOTE: Nouns ending in –þu and –ung are declined just like ár and giefu.

VOCAB:

Time

Mental

Other

Nouns that end in –þ as well as -þu

ǽfnung – evening

ǽring – dawn

deorcung – twilight

ieldung – delay

costung – temptation

gemiltsung – pity

gesyntu – health

geþafung – consent

gíemelíest – carelessness, negligence

hárung – hoariness

hearpung – harping

híenþu – humiliation

hygeléast - thoughtlessness

lǽþþu – hatred

langung – longing

lárléast – ignorance

lárlíest – ignorance

myrgþ – mirth

myrigþ – mirth

niðerung – humiliation

oferméttu – pride

sǽlþ – happiness

scéawung – contemplation

slǽpléast – sleeplessness

slǽwþ – sloth

swígung – silence

tréowþ – fidelity

tríewþ – fidelity

trymþ – firmness

wénung – hope, expectation

ábídung – waiting

ærnung – riding, racing

andgietléast – folly

áscung – interrogation

bíegung – curvature

blácung – pallor

brocung – affliction

céapung – trading

glómung – gloaming

grétung – greeting

handlung – handling

hláfléast – want of bread

léasung – falsehood

léasung – lying, leasing

leornung – learning

murcnung – murmuring

rǽdung – reading

rihting – direction

scotung – shooting

strúdung – robbery

swinsung – melody

tácnung – signification

téoðung – tithing

þegnung – ministration

þingung – intercession

warnung – warning

wendung - turning

wiccung – witchcraft

wunung – dwelling

cýþþu – native country

fǽhþu – feud

gesǽlþu – prosperity

híehþu – height

hlíewþu – shelter

hríefþu – scurfiness

iergþu – cowardice

iermþu – poverty

lengþu – length

mǽgþu – family, kindred

mǽrþu – fame, glory

strengþu – strength

þíefþu – theft

wrǽþþu – anger, wrath

Further Nouns of One Syllable [jo-stems]

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	henn	þá	þás	henna
genitive	þǽre	þisse	henne	þǽra	þissa	henna
dative	þǽre	þisse	henne	þǽm	þissum	hennum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	henne	þǽm	þissum	hennum
accusative	þá	þás	henne	þá	þás	henna

NOTE: These nouns decline just like ár.

VOCAB:

Nature	Animals	Things	Concepts
brycg – bridge bytt – flagon ecg – edge íeg - island sciell – shell ýþ – wave	henn – hen hind – doe wylf – she-wolf	æx – axe bend – band cǽg – key cribb – crib crycc – crutch gierd – rod hæcc – gate, hatch secg – sword slecg – sledge-hammer	bliss – bliss blíþs – bliss hild – war, battle liss – favor, kindness líþs – favor, kindness milts – mercy, kindness nytt – use, profit sæcc – strife synn – sin wrǽc – vengeance wynn – joy
People	Other
nift – niece	benn – wound hell – hell rest – rest sibb – relationship sprǽc – speech, language syll – sill, threshold

Further Two-Syllable Nouns

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	cólnes	þá	þás	cólnessa
genitive	þǽre	þisse	cólnesse	þǽra	þissa	cólnessa
dative	þǽre	þisse	cólnesse	þǽm	þissum	cólnessum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	cólnesse	þǽm	þissum	cólnessum
accusative	þá	þás	cólnesse	þá	þás	cólnessa

NOTE: Nouns ending in –en, -rǽden, and –nes double the s/n before adding endings.

VOCAB

Animals

People

Things

Mental Descriptions

Other

biren – she-bear

fyxen – she-fox

wiergen – she-wolf

gyden – goddess

hægtes – witch

menen – female slave

mynecen – nun

þéowen – servant

þignen – handmaid

þínen – handmaid

þyften – female servant

byrgen – tomb

candel – candle

mǽdrǽden – grass mown on a meadow

sellen – gift

stréowen – bed

æðelnes – nobility

clǽnnes – purity

dréorignes – sadness

fæstnes – firmness

gléawnes – sagacity

holdrǽden – loyalty

hyldrǽden – fidelity

ídelnes – idleness

lufsumnes – amiability

mildheortnes – mercy

wærnes – prudence

wódnes – madness

biternes – bitterness

blindnes – blindness

byrþen – burden

célnes – coolness

cnéoris – generation

cólnes – coolness

éadignes – prosperity

geférrǽden – companionship

geþéodrǽden – fellowship

gíemen – care, responsibility

grénnes – greenness

hæften – custody

hǽlnes – salvation

heardnes – hardness

hengen – hanging

híwrǽden – family, household

húsrǽden - household

lygen – falsehood

mǽgrǽden – relationship

mannrǽden – allegiance, homage

oferetolnes – gluttony

rǽden – arrangement, rule

scielden – protection

slæcnes – slackness

strangnes – strength

swiftnes – swiftness

téonrǽden – injury

þingrǽden – intercession

þrínes – trinity

tréowrǽden – fidelity

tyhten – incitement

wæterséocnes – dropsy

wíterǽden - punishment

Nouns that add –we in inflected forms

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	mǽd	þá	þás	mǽdwa
genitive	þǽre	þisse	mǽdwe	þǽra	þissa	mǽdwa
dative	þǽre	þisse	mǽdwe	þǽm	þissum	mǽdwum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	mǽdwe	þǽm	þissum	mǽdwum
accusative	þá	þás	mǽdwe	þá	þás	mǽdwa

NOTE: only beadu, sinu, sceadu, mǽd, lǽs, and blódlǽs decline this way. The plurals frætwa and geatwa also decline this way.

NOTE: beadu, sinu, sceadu drop the –u and add –we, -wa, -wum in inflected forms.

VOCAB:

beadu – battle

blódlǽs – blood-letting, bleeding

frætwa – ornaments (pl)

geatwa – armaments, armor (pl)

lǽs - pasture

mǽd – meadow

sceadu – shadow

sinu – sinew

Further Feminine Nouns: Abstract Nouns

Case / Number	the/that	this	singular	the/that	this	plural
nominative	séo	þéos	strengu	þá	þás	strenga
genitive	þǽre	þisse	strenge	þǽra	þissa	strenga
dative	þǽre	þisse	strenge	þǽm	þissum	strengum
instrumental	þǽre	þisse	strenge	þǽm	þissum	strengum
accusative	þá	þás	strenge	þá	þás	strenga

NOTE: These nouns are typically formed by umlauting the stem vowel of an adjective, and adding –u.

VOCAB:

Physical Description

Mental Description

Other

bierhtu – brightness

engu – narrowness

fyllu – fullness

hǽlu – health

ieldu – age

lengu – length

micelu – size

strengu – strength

þíestru – darkness

bieldu – boldness

snytru – wisdom

wlencu – pride

hǽtu – heat

hyldu – favor

mengu – multitude

menigu – multitude

menniscu – humanity, human state

oferfierru – great distance

wæstmbǽru – fertility

Further Types of Feminine Nouns: Ending in E

These nouns were originally like masculine giest