Nouns are the names of persons, places, things, and concepts or ideas
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Adjectives as nouns
Infinitives as nouns
Infinitive stems as nouns
Past infinitive stems as nouns
-er
- 1. denotes the agent: erziehen = to educate; der Erzieher = educator
2. denotes resident of
a place: Kölner = man from Köln, Berlinerin = female from Berlin
-in - denotes feminine: König = King, Königin = queen, Kalorfornienin(sp) = California girl
-chen and -lein - diminutive ending denotes endearment, neatness, tenderness: Frau => Fraulein
-e forms abstract feminine nouns from adjectives: gut = good; die Güte = kindness NOT READY
-heit and -keit: frei = free, die Freiheit = freedom; deutlish = distinct. Deutlishkeit = distinctness
-ei = profession or place when the work occurs Backerei
-ling - one who possesses the quality: jung = young, der Jüngling = youth
-nis - affixed to verb root denotes action, effect, or place: wild = wild, wildnis = wilderness
-sal - affixed to verbal root gives manifestion of action: laben = refresh; die Labsal = refreshment
-schaft - cognate of -ship: Freund = friend; Freundschaft = friendship
-tum - cognate with -dom of kingdom: Priester = priest; Priestertum = priesthood
-ung - cognate with ing of ending. warnen = to warn; warnenung = warning
Ant- similar to ent- and emp- of verbs: die antwort = answer; das Antliß = face
Erz- cognate of English arch meaning chief: der Erzengel = archangel
Ge- forms collectives, associations: Gewässer = waters; das Spiel => Gespiele = playmate
Miß- cognate with mis in mistake meas wrong: Brauch = usage; der Mißbrauch = misuse
Un- congnate with un in unfair; denotes opposite meaning: die Art = manner; die Unart = misbehavior
Ur- old or ancient, primitive: Wald = forest; Urwald = primeval forest, virgin forest
Suggestions, corrections, and comments are appreciated: Contact Harold Eddleman indbio@disknet.com