PC 2111 .B6 Copy 1 MOOERH UH60IGE fiOTES flass T>C,2U \ Book___3 G Coplghl N° COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. MODERN LANGUAGE NOTES FRENCH Part I Class-room Parlance - - Page 3 Part II Pronunciation - - - - / Part III Grammar ----- 22 Part IV Measurement - - - - 28 Part V Correspondence - - - 44 A. D. MkCIvACHLAN 502 boylston Street Boston OCT 8 1306 eopVs COPYRIGHT, I906 BY JOHN BIGEI.OW, JR. CLASS-ROOM PARLANCE Messieurs, si vous avez trouve dans cette legon quelques difficulties que vous n'ayez pas pu vaincre, dites-moi, s'il vous plait, en quoi elles consistent, afin que je vous les explique. Gentlemen, if you have found any difficulties in this lesson which you were not able to overcome, please let me know what they are, that I may ex- plain them to you. Allez au tableau noir. Go to the blackboard. Ecrivez en frangais ce que je vais ecrire sur ce tableau-ci en anglais. Write in French what I am going to write on this board in English. Ecrivez, s'il vous plait, en frangais (anglais) ce que je vais vous dieter. Please write in French {English) what I am going to dictate to you. 3 Je vais relire ce que je viens de lire. Suivez- moi et corrigez vos exercices aussi bien que vous le pouvez sans consulter le texte. / will read again what I have just read. Follow me, and correct your exercises as well as you can without referring to the text. Prenez maintenant chacun la place de Tetu- diant h votre droite et corrigez son exercice. Now take, each of you, the place of the student on your right and correct his exercise. Cest assez, messieurs, asseyez-vous, s'il vous plait. That will do, gentlemen, please take your seats. Voulez vous ouvrir vos livres a la page 38? Open your books at page 38. Je vais lire un peu seul, suivez-moi dans vos livres. J am going to read a little alone, follow me in your books. 4 Lisons tous ensemble k haute voix. Let us all read together aloud. Avez-vous tous compris ce passage? Did you all understand this passage? Sinon dites-moi ce que vous n'avez pas com- pris. If not, tell me what you did not understand. Monsieur, je ne comprends pas ce que veut dire k la page 30, ligne 10, le mot "entremise" (la phrase ''vous avez beau dire"). Professor, I do not understand the meaning on page 30, line 10, of the word il entremise ,} (the sen- tence "vous avez beau dire"). Monsieur Jones, voulez vous lire en fran^ais, en commengant k la ligne 13? Mr. Jones, will you read in French, commencing at line 13? Monsieur, j'aimerais vous expliquer mon ab- sence de la derniere recitation. J'ai ete retenu dans le laboratoire de chimie. Professor, I should like to explain my absence from the last recitation. I was detained in the chemical laboratory. J'ai assiste k une conference sur P61ectricite. / attended a lecture in electrical engineering. Messieurs, il est temps de finir. Gentlemen , it is time to stop. La prochaine legon comprendra, dans Fran- cois, les exercices XVII et XVIII. The next lesson will take in "Francois" exercises XVII and XVIII. La prochaine le$on est sur le tableau noir. The next lesson is on the blackboard. PART II. PRONUNCIATION— EXERCISES IN THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE ESSENTIAL SOUNDS OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE. first exercise;. The first paragraph consists of the alphabet. In the second paragraph the vowels are given first by themselves, and then preceded by those consonants and combination of consonants which offer some difficulty to English speaking people. The French w, which has two sounds (Tenth Exercise), should here be given its more common sound, or that of v. This exercise should be practised along the horizontal lines, and along the vertical lines, or columns. Especial attention should be given to the "u" sound. 1. a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, 1, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z. a e i o u y ou oi e e e ha he hi ho hu va ve vi vo vu wa we wi wo wu ga ge gi go gu ja je ji jo ju cha che chi cho chu qua que qui quo qu ra re ri ro ru ca ce ci CO cu ea QO £U SECOND EXKRCISB. The vowels are used in this exercise as parts of words. In some of these they sound as when alone ; in others their sound is affected by other vowels, by adjacent consonants, by accents, or by diaereses. There are sounds that are easy to pronounce separately, but present considerable difficulty when occurring together. One may be able to pronounce the u and the ou sounds, each by itself, but not the two united, as in the word voulu. For this reason special attention should be given to the portion of paragraph 6 following the word "aout'\ In this and the following exercises vertical lines | are used as warning signals where changes of sound are to be made. The more important changes are signalled by double vertical lines ||. Room is left at the end of each exercise for the no- tation of other words by the student. Genders are indicated by articles or the abbrevi- ations m. masculine, /. feminine. The English is given where it differs from the French. 1. la, the; ta, thy; sa, his; mal, badly; | la Saale; un ane, an ass; une ame, a soul; || laid, ugly; mais, but; jamais, never; || du mais, maize; Sinai, Sinai; || au, to the; le corbeau, the crow; des chevaux, horses; | le Maure, the Moor; lc Minotaure, the Minotaur; restaure, restore. 2. tie, not; me; se, one's self; te, thee; le, the; | le jeu, the game; les oeufs, the eggs; le noeud, the knot; le vceu, the vow; \ un oeuf, an egg; seul, alone; leur, /feeir; la veuve, J&e widow. 3. les, tte; mes, my; et, and; parler, £0 speak; mener, to lead; du ble, corn; cher, dear; le sel, the salt; le sexe, the sex; la peine, tte pain; la vSeine ; la neige, the snow; la terre, the earth; cette, ^/zi^; nette, clean; tres, i^ry; le pere, the father; meme, same; || le poele, the stove; le poelier, Jfce stove-maker; 4. ni, neither; si, i/; fini, ended; | Nimes, Nimes; ftmes, did; vive, live; assise, seated. 10 5. le dos, the back; gros, big; le mot, the word; le trone, the throne; | bonne, good; folle, mad; molle, soft; comme, as; la personne, the person; | moi, me; soi, one's self; vois, see; le foie, the liver; | noye, drowned; le noyau, the kernel; | la boite, the box; boiter, to limp; boiteux, lame; la coiffe, the cap; coiffer, to dress the hair; le coiffeur, the hair-dresser; \\ Moise, Moses; ego'iste, selfish. 6. du, of the; le mur, the wall; je fume, / smoke; futur, future; la suture, the suture; \ luire, to shine; la liure, the rope; | le nuage, the cloud; au fur et a mesure, in proportion; \\ suer, to sweat; tuer, to kill; la sueur, the perspiration; le tueur, the killer; \\ louer, to let; nouer, to knot; le loueur, the lender; le noueur, the binder; \ j mou, soft; fou, mad; aofit, August; \\ sus, upon; sous, under; \\ au dessus, above; \ au dessous, below; || sur, on; \ sourd, deaf; \\ pur, pure; pour, for; || surtout, specially; \ pourvu, provided; \\ du tout, not at all; voulu, wished. 11 THIRD EXERCISE. The nasal sounds are given in paragraph 1 of this exercise by themselves, and in paragraphs, in combination with other letters, forming words. They should be pronounced without any twang. There are nasal sounds which, like the sounds u and on (Second Exercise), are particularly hard to render distinctly one immediately after the other. This exercise affords practice in doing this. The non-nasal sound of am, em, om, on, and en, is illustrated in paragraph 3. 1. an, en in on un oin am, em ain om eun ean ein 12 2. le ban, the ban; le flanc, the flank; dans, in; Jean; mangeant, eating; le vent, the wind; le sens, the sense; le serment, the oath; le champ, the field; la jambe, the leg; ce temps, this weather; le membre, the member; | la fin, the end; malin, sly; du pain, bread; le bain, /fee bath; le sein, /fee bosom; le frein, /fee bridle; | bon, good; le don, /fee gift; le plomb, /fee /ead; allons, let us go; | aucun, not any; quelqu'un, somebody; a jeun, fasting; || du foin, hay; le coin, /fee corner; le point, /fee point; || menti, lied; il monta, fee as- cended; | un enfant, a child; \\ le maintien, the maintenance; lointain, remote; || mentant, lying; | montons, let us ascend; | le menton, the chin; montant, ascending; || trempons, let us steep; | trompant, deceiving; \\ enfin, finally; singeant, aping; en plein, right in the; pin^ant, pinching; \ enfantin, childish; un intendant, a steward; T embonpoint, stoutness. 3. la flamme, the flame; la femme, the woman; ardemment, ardently; patiemment, patiently; comme, as; la personne, the person; \ solennel, solemn. 13 FOURTH EXERCISE. One may pronounce the several syllables of a word perfectly, and yet betray one's unfamil- iarity with the word and with the language to which it belongs, by misplacing the tonic accent. An Englishman or American says: il character ," placing the accent on the first syllable ; a French- man says : "caract&re, " placing it on the last syll- able; a German says: il charakter," placing it on the second, or middle syllable. Thus in pro- nouncing practically one and the same word, one is speaking English, French, or German, according to where one places the tonic accent. In French the tonic accent is invariably placed on the last syllable, words joined by a hyphen being pro- nounced in this respect as a single word. The tonic accent is ordinarily soft, gentle, often hardly perceptible, but it is always there. Let it be misplaced by only one syllable, and an ear used to the harmony of the French language will not fail to hear its false ring. Beginners in this exercise may unduly emphasize the last syllable, or exaggerate the tonic accent, but this fault will correct itself. 14 This exercise consists of three paragraphs. The first gives words of two syllables followed by words of three or more, formed by additions to the original words. The pronunciation of these words calls for a continual transference of the tonic accent to the last syllable. The second paragraph consists of words which are spelled the same, or nearly the same, in Eng- lish as in French. Great care or proficiency is required to avoid putting the emphasis where it belongs in English instead of where it belongs in French. The last paragraph is formed of a few words and phrases containing hyphens. 1. le dessin, the drawing; dessiner, to draw; engage, engage; engager, to engage; desengager, to disengage; la personne, the person; personnel, personal; impersonnel, impersonal; impersonnelle- ment, impersonally; avant, before; un avantage, an advantage; le desavantage, the disadvantage; desavantageux, disadvantageous ; desavanta- geusement, dis advantageously. 15 2. la science; le cordon, the string; le cordage, the ropes; le bureau, the office; une union; un caractere, a character; caracteristique, character- istic; du chocolat, chocolate; la carcasse, the car- cass; le cardinal; le bataillon, the battalion; la discipline, discipline; un institut, an institute; une universite, a university; la technologie, tech- nology; la culture, culture; la sepulture, the sepul- ure; Jules Cesar, Julius Coesar; Napoleon Bona- parte, Napoleon Bonaparte. 3. peut-etre, perhaps; moi-meme, myself; viens-tu, art thou coming ; va-t-en, go away. FIFTH EXERCISE. This is an exercise in the liquid /. 1. ail eil euil ille ouille uille aille eille euille ceil 16 2. le bail, the lease; le detail, the detail; cette paille, that straw; il tressaille; he thrills; le conseil, the advice; la veille, the watch; vieille, old; une abeille, a bee; \ le deuil, mourning; un accueil, a reception; qu'il veuille, may he be willing ; la feuille, the leaf ; ; | la fille, the daughter; la fouille, the excavation; mouille, wet; \ une aiguille, a needle; juillet, July; un ceil, an eye. SIXTH EXERCISE. The first paragraph of this exercise is devoted especially to the letter r. It is made up of words containing that letter, and having the same form, or spelled alike, in French and in English. To bring out the difference between the English r and the French r, each of these words should be pronounced first in English and then in French. The second and third paragraphs are devoted to the terminations re and le respectively. Eng- lish-speaking people are prone to pronounce these like the English terminations er and le; to sound the last syllable in the French words ' 'sabre'' 17 and " sable' ' like the last syllable in the English words "saber" and " sable/ ' In the French word the e is heard, if at all, after the r or I; the sound of the r or / immediately follows that of the preceding consonant. 1. rat, rare, respect, ridicule, robe, rude, rupture, lucre, bronze, profit, quadrille, Rome, Paris, arc; 2. battre, to beat; une acre; le fiacre, the cab; un arbre, a tree; du marbre, marble; | le cadre, the frame; un sabre, a saber; apre, rough; acre, acrid; | neutre, neutral; du feutre, felt; || une lettre, a letter; une guetre, a gaiter; le negre, the negro; Talgebre (f), algebra; le maitre, the master; || une vitre, a pane of glass; du cidre, cider; || mordre, to bite; propre, clean; || la foudre, lightning; coudre, to sew; la poudre, powder; pourpre, purple; 1 1 le sucre, sugar; le lustre, the chandelier; lugubre, lugubrious; une huitre, an oyster; cette encre, that ink; le gendre, the son-in-law; | le timbre, the postage stamp; peindre, to paint; moindre, less; | contre, against; la montre, the watch; le monstre, the monster; Montmartre; | croitre, to grow. 18 3. la fable; le sable, the sand; la table; la debacle, breaking up; ce peuple, this people; le meuble, the piece of furniture; | la regie, the rule; le siecle, the century; un aigle, an eagle; faible, weak; || la cible, the target; nuisible, hurtful; | noble; | double; | multiple; quintuple; le muscle; || il semble, it {he) seems; il tremble, he trembles; || simple; une epingle, a pin; || au comble, at the height; un ongle, a nail; un oncle, an uncle; | humble; || miserable, miserable; for- midable; inevitable, inevitable; . SEVENTH EXERCISE. The French have two sounds of gn: one liquid, as in the English word singing; one hard, as in the English word ignorant. Both are illustrated in this exercise. l'Espagne, Spain; espagnol, Spanish; baigna, bathed; saigna, bled; le seigneur, the lord; signifier, to signify; magnifique, splendid; le magnolier, the magnolia; Boulogne; un ivrogne, a drunkard; ignoble, base; ignorer, to be ignorant of; impregner, to impregnate; ignorant; || igne, igneous; stag- nant; inexpugnable, impregnable. 19 EIGHTH EXERCISE. This exercise is devoted to the pronunciation of the French ti, followed by a, o, or e. It never has the sh sound of the English ti in such words as "attention." partial; initial; insatiable; la Dalmatie, Dal- matia; la facetie, the jest; la democratic, the democracy; Taristocratie, the aristorcacy; cap- tieux, captious; f actieux, factious; facetieux, face- tious; ambitieux, ambitious; initier, to initiate] balbutier, to stammer; partiel, partial; essentiel, essential; la fiction; la friction; la faction; la fraction; la nation; rational; une association; un Bgyptien, an Egyptian; || la tiare, the tiara] le centiare ; la partie, the part; la sortie, the exit ; septieme, seventh; le maintien, the maintenance] le soutien, the support. NINTH EXERCISE. Words containing h mute and h aspirate, une habitude, a habit] un hiver, a winter] un hotel, a hotel] j'hesite, / hesitate] | le bonheur, 20 happiness; aujourd'hui, today; exhaler, to exhale; inhabile, unskilful; exhausser, to raise; Texhaus- sement, the raising; enhardir, to embolden; en- harnacher, to harness ; deharnacher, to unharness ; la cohorte, the cohort; dehors, outside; envahir, to invade; | la haine, hate; les haines, the hatreds; je hais, / hate; la halte, the halt; le heros, the hero; | le chapeau d'Henri, Henry's hat; la mort de Henri IV, the death of Henry the IV. TENTH EXERCISE. This exercise is devoted to the letter w at the beginning of certain words. In the words pre- ceding the sign | it is sounded like v. In the words following that sign it is sounded as in English. The i is sounded as in French (First Exercise). The ey in "whiskey" is pronounced like i. The h is not sounded. le Wurtemberg ; le wagon ; Watteau ; Wagram ; | le whig; le whist; le whiskey; Wiclef, Wiclifje; Windsor. 21 PART IIL GRAMMAR— A FEW GRAMMATICAL AND KINDRED TERMS. Grammar Syntax To spell Spelling, orthography Parsing, analysis The parts of speech The definite article The indefinite article The noun The common noun The proper noun The adjective The pronoun The verb The conjugation The principal parts The adverb The preposition The conjunction La grammaire La syntaxe Epeler L'orthographe (f) L' analyse (f) Les parties du diseouts L' article defini L' article indefxiii Le substantif Le nom commun Le nom propre L'adjectif Le pronom Le verbe La conjugaison Les temps primitifs L' ad verbe La preposition La conjunction 22 The interjection The mood The tense The infinitive The present participle The past participle The indicative The imperfect The pluperfect The past definite The past indefinite The past anterior The future The future anterior The present conditional The past conditional The imperative The subjunctive L'interjection Le mode Le temps L/itifiiiitif Le partieipe present Le partieipe passe L'indicatif L'imparfait Le plus-que-parfait Le passe defini Le passe indeiini Le passe anterieur Le futur simple Le futur anterieur Le conditionnel present Le conditionnel passe L'imperatif Le subjonctif A capital a A small a Un a majuscule Un a minuscule The subject The direct object Le sujet Le regime (Fobjet, le complement direct 23 The indirect object Le r6gime (robjet, le complement indirect) The acute accent / L/ accent aigu The grave accent \ L' accent grave The circumflex accent A L' accent circonflexe The cedilla q La cedille The diaeresis • Le trema The punctuation marks Les marques de ponctua- tion The comma , La virgule The semicolon ; Le point et virgule The colon : Les deux points The period Le point The interrogation point ? Le point d'interroga- tion The exclamation point ! Le point d'exclama- tion The notes of suspension . . . Les points de suspen- sion The quotation marks " Les guillemets The parenthesis () La parenth&se The brackets [] Les crochets 24 The brace j 1/ accolade The asterisk * L/asterisque The dagger f La croix de renvoi The dash — Le tiret The hyphen - Le trait d'union The apostrophe ' 1/ apostrophe In italics En italique The sentence La phrase The paragraph Le paragraphe PARSING. Analysons les phrases suivantes: Cette grande maison que vous voyez Id fut bdtie par un architecte fran$ais. Quoiqu'elle soit simple, elle a beaucoup de style. Cette Adjectif demonstratif, feminin, singulier, determine maison. grande Adjectif qualificatif, feminin, singu- lier, qualifie maison. maison Nom commun, feminin, singulier, $u]etde fori bdtie. que Pronom relatif, complement direct de voyez. 25 vous voyez la fut batie par un architecte fran^ais quoique Pronom personnel, 2&me personne, pluriel, sujet de voyez. Verbe actif, 3&me conjugaison, 2&me personne, pluriel, indicatif, pre- sent. Adverbe, modifie voyez Verbe auxiliaire etre, 4&me conju- gaison, 3eme personne, singulier, passe defini. Verbe actif batir, 2&me conjugaison, fdminin, singulier, participe passe, formant avec fut le passe defini du verbe passif etre bdti. Preposition, lie fut batie a architecte. Article indefini, masculin, singulier, determine architecte. Nom commun, masculin, singulier, regime directe de par. Adjectif qualificatif, masculin, singu- lier, qualifie architecte. Conjonction, lie elle soit simple k elle a beaucoup de style. 26 elle Pronom personnel, 3£me personne, feminin, singulier, sujet de soit, represente maison. soit Verbe substantif etre, 4eme conju- gaison, 3eme personne, singulier, subjonctif, present. simple Adjectif qualificatif, feminin, singu- lier, attribut de elle. elle Pronom personnel, feminin, 3eme personne, singulier, sujet de a, represente maison. a Verbe transitif avoir, 3eme personne, singulier, indicatif, present. beaucoup Adverbe pris substantivement, com- plement direct de a. de Preposition, lie beaucoup a style. style Nom commun, masculin, singulier, complement direct de de. 27 PART IV- MEASUREMENT — EXPRESSIONS OF MEASURE. In these tables the quantities given in whole numbers are exact. Those given in fractions or mixed numbers are in certain cases exact, in others more or less close approximations. Other abbre- viations than those of the tables are given in the Typical Sentences following them. GENERAL— NON-METRIC. FRENCH AMERICAN FRENCH AMERICAIn Un pouce 1 inch Un noeud 1 knot Une toise 2.1 yards Une lieue 0.9 league Une aune 1.3 " Un millier 0.98 ton Un pied 1.1 feet Un picotin 1 peck Un mille 1.1 miles 2(3, 4, etc.) chevaux vapeur — 2 (3, 4, etc.) horse- power. 28 FRENCH AMERICAN Un micrometre (u) * 0.000001 m 0.000039 inch |" millimetre l inches TYPICAL SENTENCES. 1 Make me a box 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 1 foot 6 inches deep. Jaites-moi une boite longue de m , 90 (quatre vingt dix centimetres), large de m , 60, et haute de m , 45. 2 This building has a front of 24 feet, a depth of 180 feet, and a height of 110 feet. Ce batiment a 7 m , 20 (sept metres, vingt centi- metres) de largeur, 54 m de prof ondeur et 33 m de hauteur. 3 He walked 12^ miles. II a fait 20 kilometres a pied. 4 The distance from Boston to New York is 234 miles. 30 La distance entre Boston et New York est de 374 kilometres. 5 That steamer makes 15 knots an hour. Ce paquebot file 15 noeuds a Pheure. 6 My horse walks 4 miles an hour, trots 9 miles an hour, and gallops 15 miles an hour. Mon cheval fait au pas 6 km , 400 (six kilometres, quatre cents metres) a Pheure, il fait au trot 14 km , 400 a Pheure, et il fait au galop 24 km a Pheure. 7 An express train goes at a speed of fifty miles an hour. Un train express marche a une vitesse de 80 km a Pheure. 8 The speed of this train is not more than 20 miles an hour. La vitesse de ce train ne depasse pas 32 km par heure. 9 My automobile can make 35 miles an hour. Mon automobile peut faire 56 km a Pheure (marche a 56 km Pheure). 10 Make me an engine of 800 horse power. Construisez-moi une machine de 800 chevaux (chevaux vapeur.) 31 AREA. FRENCH AMERICAN Un millimetre carre (mm2) 0.00 1 6 sq. in. " centimetre carre (cm2) 0.16 " decimetre carr6 (dm2) 15.5 sq. ins. " metre carre, centiare (m8) 1.2 sq. yards " are, decametre carre (dcm2) 119.6 " " " hectare, hectometre carr6 (hm2) 2.5 acres " kilometre carrd (km2) 0.39 sq. mile " myriametre carre (mym2) 38.6 "miles AMERICAN FRENCH square inch (sq. in.) foot (sq. ft.) yard (sq. yd.) rod (sq. rd.) chain sq. ch.) acre (A) square mile (sq. mi.) 6.5 centimetres carres 0.09 m&tre carr6 0.8 " 25.3 metres carres 404.7 " 0.4 hectare 2.6 kilometres carres 32 TYPICAL SENTENCES. 1 The area of this field is 300 acres. L/aire (Tetendue, la superficie, la contenance) de ce champ est de 120 hectares. 2 A lot 100 feet square contains 10,000 square feet. Un lot de 30 metres en carre contient 900 metres carres. 33 VOLUME. FRENCH Un millimetre cube (mm3 > " centimetre cube (cm3) " decimHrecube (dra3 > " m^tre cube (m3 > j " centilitre (cl) O^Ol " decilitre (dl > l .l " litre f I 1 . \ " decalitre (dcl > 10 1 " hectolitre (hl) 100 1 " kilolitre (kl) 1000 1 " st^re (st) % AMERICAN 0.00006 cubic inch 0.06 0.035 cubic foot 1.3 cubic yards 35.3 cubic feet 0.6 cubic inch 6.1 cubic inches 1.06 liq.qts.-(0.9 dry qt) 0.11 peck 10.6 quarts I. U peck 2.8 bushels 26.4 gallons 264.2 ga/fotw 0.28 cord f 1 decimetre cube J 1 metre cube AMERICAN FRENCH 1 cubic inch (cu. in.) 16.4 centimetres cubes 34 T . . . tMSk f 28.3 decimetres cubes 1 cubic foot {en. ft.) < noo ' ■ I 0.028 metre cube 1 " yard (a*, yd.) 0.8 metre cube 1 gill (gi.) 1.2 decilitres 1 pint (pt.) 4.8 decilitres 1 liquid quart (qt.) 0.9 litre 1 dry quart (qt.) 1.1 litres 1 gallon (gal.) 3.79 litres 1 peck (pk). 8.8 litres 1 bushel (bu.) 0.35 hectolitre 1 cord 3.6 steres TYPICAL SENTENCES. 1 The capacity of that car is 1873 cubic feet. La capacite de ce wagon (cette voiture) est de 52 m3 , 44 (52 metres cubes ,440 decimetres cubes). 2 The capacity of that store house is 276,477. 73,312 cubic feet. La capacite de ce magasin est de 7832 m3 , 2304 (7 decametres cubes, 832 metres cubes, 230 deci- metres cubes, 400 centimetres cubes; 7832 metres cubes, 230400 centimetres cubes). 35 3 V n contains W m ; l qm contains 100^ w ; l cbm contains 1000 cdm . l m contient 10 dm ; l m2 contient 100 dm2 ; l m3 contient 1000 dm \ 4 A decimetre (or decimeter) is the tenth part of a metre (or meter); a square decimetre is the hun- dredth part of a square metre; a cubic decimetre is the thousandth part of a cubic metre. Un decimetre est la dixi&tne partie d'un m&tre; un decimetre carre est la centime partie d'un m&tre carre; un decimetre cube est la millifeme partie d'un metre cube. 5 Send me three quarts of milk a day. Envoyez-moi 3 1 , 3 (3 litres, 3 decilitres) de lait par jour. 36 WEIGHT. FRENCH Un milligramme O ff .001 11 centigramme O ff .01 " decigramme & .l gramme I s " decagramme 10 g 11 hectogramme 100 ff kilogramme 1000 g f " myriagramme 10000 g f Weight of 1 AMERICAN 0.02 grain 0.15 " 1.5 grains il5.4 u Avoirdupois 0.04 ounce 0.32 " Troy 154.3 grains 1,543.2 grains Avoir d. 0.27 pounds Troy 2.2 " Avoirdupois 2.68 " Troy 22. u Avoirdupois 26.8 " Troy litre of water. AMERICAN FRENCH 1 grain (gr.) 0.06 gramme 1 pennyweight (dwt.) 1.56 grammes 1 ounce (oz) Avoirdupois (28.4 grammes 1 ounce Troy (31.1 grammes 37 1 pound (lb.) Avoirdupois f 0.45 kilogramme 1 pound Troy (0.37 1 hundredweight (cwt) % 4.54 kilogrammes 1 long h'd'w't (long cwt)* 50.8 1 ton (t) t 907.2 1 long ton (long t) ° 1000 J 100 pounds. *112 pounds. t2,000 pounds. ° 2,240 pounds. TYPICAL SENTENCES. 1 I eat 3 pounds of food a day. Je consomme 1,5 kilogramme d'aliments par jour. 2 My trunk weighs 131 pounds. Ma mallepese 65 kg , 5 (65 kilogrammes, 5 hecto- grammes). 38 MONEY. FRENCH AMERICAN AMERICAN FRENCH Un centime 0.2 cents 1 dollar 5 francs " sou 1 cent 1 cent 1 sou " franc 20 cents 1 " 5 centimes TYPICAL SENTENCES. 1 He invested $15,000 dollars in government bonds. II a place une somme de 75000 frs . (75000 fr,) en rente sur l'Etat. 2 They say that the late Marshall Field was worth from one hundred to two hundred million dollars. On dit que feu Marshall Field a laissd une fortune de 500 k 1000 millions de francs. 3 Our dinner cost us $3.47. Notre diner nous a cotite 17 fr , 35 (17 francs 35 centimes; 17.35 francs; 17 francs 7 sous). 39 4 His hotel bill was seventeen dollars and sixty-two cents. Sa note a l'hotel etait de 88 frs , 10. 5 This tea costs $0.50 a pound. Ce the coute 5 fr. le kilogr. 6 / have received an invoice of $11.50. J'ai regu tine facture de fr. 57.50 (fr. 57.50c; 57 fr. 50 cent). 7 We forward you herewith $1221.60. Notts vous remettons sous ce pli frs. 6,108 (six mille, cent liuit francs). 8 / forward you herewith $827.40. Je vous remets ci-inclus Fr. 4,137.20. 9 Send him a draft of $4,000.00. Envoyez-lui une traite de Frs. 20,000 (vingt mille francs). 10 He owes me $1.15. II me doit f.5.75 (5 francs 75). 11 / have paid him 90 cents. Je lui ai paye F. 4.50. 40 Formulas for converting a ther- mometer reading Centigrade into a thermometer reading Fahrenheit, and the converse. ^ C represents the number of degrees Centigrade, and F the number of de- grees Fahrenheit. CENTIGRADE TO FAHRENHEIT. o. The reading Centigrade being above : 9 C x — + 32= F 5 b. The reading Centigrade being below : 9 — C x — —32 = F 5 FAHRENHEIT TO CENTIGRADE. a. The reading Fahrenheit being above 32° : 5 (F— 32) x — = C 9 41 b. The reading Fahrenheit being below 32° : 5 — (F + 32) x — = C 9 TYPICAL SENTENCES. 1 The temperature of that room is 68° Fahrenheit. La temperature de cette chambre est de 20° C (vingt degres Centigrade). 2 This patient has a temperature of 103° Fahrenheit. Ce malade a une temperature de 39°, 4 C (39 degres, 4 dixi&mes Centigrade). 42 MATHEMATICAL PHRASES AND EX- PRESSIONS. 2X3 + 7 — 1= 12 — Deux fois trois plus sept moins un egale douze. a x — a un, or a indice un. a 2 — a deux, or a indice deux. a' — a prime. a", a'", a' v , a v/ , £/c. — a seconde, a tierce, a quarte, a sixte, e/c. a 'i — a prime un. or a prime indice un. a 2 — a carre, or a au carre, or a deux, or a exposant deux. a 3 — a cube, or a au cube, or a trois, or a ex- posant trois. a 6 — a six, or a exposant six, or a sixi&me puissance, or a a la sixieme puissance. 13 PART V. CORRESPONDENCE. INVITATION A UNE SOIREE MUSICALE. Paris. Cher Monsieur, Nous aurons mardi prochain une soiree musicale; nous serons tr£s-flattes de vous pos- s£der et d'y mettre vos talents k contribution. Ne trompez pas notre espoir. Votre devout, JEAN d'AUMONT. Vendredi soir. INVITATION TO A MUSICALE. Paris. Dear Sir: On Tuesday next we are to have a musicale; we shall feel extremely flattered if you will be kind enough to attend and contribute with your talent to our entertainment. Do not disappoint us! Yours very cordially y JEAN d'AUMONT Friday evening. 44 REPONSE. Paris. Monsieur, Le plaisir de passer une soiree dans la char- mante societe que je trouve toujours chez vous, m' engage a accepter votre obligeante invitation, et si je puis, d'une mani&re quelconque, me rendre utile, vous n'avez qu'a me commander. Votre affectionne, ANDR£ LESAGE. Samedi matin. ANSWER. Paris. Sir: . The pleasure of passing an evening in the de- lightful society I always meet at your house prompts me to accept your kind invitation, and if I can in any way be of assistance to you y you have only to command me. Yours very truly, ANDRE LESAGE. Saturday morning. 45 A UNE PERSONNE, SUR LA PERTE DE SA SCBUR. J'ai appris avec une veritable douleur, Monsieur, la perte que vous avez faite de Ma- demoiselle votre sceur. Jem'en afflige avec vous, car j'avais l'honneur de la cotmaitre. Je me contenterai d'ajouter qu'il ne peut rien vous arriver sans que je m'y interesse ex- tremement. ALPHONSE DUVAL. Lundi soir. TO A PERSON WHO HAS LOST HIS SISTER. My dear Sir: I hear with real sorrow of the loss you have sustained in the death of your sister. I sympathize with you deeply, for I had the honor of knowing her. May I add that nothing can happen to you that will not interest me deeply. Very cordially yours, ALPHONSE DUVAL. Monday evening. 46 DEMANDE DE BILLETS POUR VISITER LES MUSEES ET AUTRES ETABLISSE- MENTS Paris, le 5 juilletl897. A Monsieur le Ministre de l'lnterieur. Monsieur le Ministre. Me trouvant & Paris pour un nombre limite de jours, je desirerais en profiter pour visiter les musees, galeries, manufactures et autres etablisse- ments de l'Etat. Je viens done prier Votre Excellence d' auto- riser M. le chef de son cabinet a m'envoyer quel- ques entrees pour ces etablissements. J'ai Thonneur d'etre avec respect, De Votre Excellence, Le tres-humble et tres-obeissant serviteur, MITRAUD TERRIER. REQUEST FOR TICKETS TO VISIT THE MUSEUMS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS. Paris, July 5, 1897. The Honorable the Secretary of the Interior. Dear Sir: Finding myself in Paris for a limited number 47 of days, I should like to make the most of this time by visiting the museums, galleries, factories, and other institutions of the municipality. I beg your Excellency to authorize your private secretary to send me a few admission tickets to these institutions. Very respectfully yours, MITRAUD TERRIER. LETTRE A UN JEUNE HOMME QUI VIENT DE REUSSIR DANS SES EXAMENS. Paris, le 6 juillet 1879. Monsieur, Rien ne pouvait me faire plus de plaisir que d'apprendre votre admission a l'Ecole Polytech- nique. Voici le premier pas fait dans la vie de lutte et de travail. Courage et perseverance, et vous deviendrez un citoyen utile et cher k votre pays en le servant dans la mesure de vos forces, et je m'en r£jouirai, ayant pour vous, Monsieur, une amitie sincere et profonde. GUILLAUME REY. 48 LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN WHO HAS JUST PASSED HIS EXAMINATIONS SUCCESSFULLY. Paris, July 6, 1879. Dear Sir: Nothing could have given me more pleasure than to learn of your admission to the Ecole Poly- technique. This is the first step in your life of struggle and labor. Courage and perseverance, and you will, by serving your country to the full extent of your power, become a useful and estimable citizen; and I shall be delighted, for I feel a sincere and deep interest in your welfare. GUILLAUME REY. LETTRE DE FELICITATION A UNE PER- SONNE QUI VIENT D'OBTENIR UNE PLACE. Marseille, le 31 mars 1879. Mon cher Monsieur, J'apprends avecun vif plaisir que vous avez obtenu la place que vous sollicitiez. On vous a 40 enfin rendu justice, car mil n'est plus propre que vous a la remplir convenablement. A present, je suis persuade que vous n'en resterez point la et qu'avec le temps, apprecie par vos chefs, vous serez eleve a un emploi superieur. Recevez done, mon cher Monsieur, mes sin- ceres compliments, etc. JEAN-MARIE GAUDET. LETTER CONGRATULATING A PERSON WHO HAS JUST SECURED A SITUA- TION. Marseilles, March 31, 1879. My dear Sir: I learn with great pleasure that you have se- cured the situation for which you applied. Justice has at last been done you, for no one is better suited than you to fill it properly. I am convinced that you will not stop there, and that in time, appreci- ated by your chiefs, you will be promoted to a higher position. Accept, my dear Sir, my sincere regards, etc., JEAN-MARIE GAUDET. 50 DEMANDE D'UN BREVET D'INVENTION. Bordeaux, le 27 Janvier 1900. A son Excellence Monsieur le Ministre de Y Agriculture et du Commerce. Monsieur le Ministre, Je viens vous prier de vouloir bien m/ac- corder un brevet d' invention de cinq annees pour une machine que j'ai inventee . . . .Ci- joint les pieces necessaires pour Tobtention que je sollicite. J'ai l'honneur d'etre avec respect, Monsieur le Ministre, Votre tres-humble et tres-obeissant serviteur, THOMAS VERNAL. REQUEST FQR A PATENT. Bordeaux, January 27, 1900. His Excellency, The Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce. Dear Sir: I write to ask you to be kind enough to grant me a five year patent for a machine of my invention . . . . I enclose the documents called for by my application. Very respectfully yours, THOMAS VERNAL. 51 LETTRE D' ENCOURAGEMENT RELATIVE A UNE PERTE D'ARGENT. Paris, le Ier octobre 1878. J'ai appris avec bien du regret, mon cher Laforet, que vous etiez compris pour une forte somme dans la deconfiture de M. N . II est cruel, sans doute, d'etre atteint aussi gravement dans sa fortune. Mais je connais votre intelligence, votre courage et votre activite, en sorte que, profitant de T experience acquise par cette rude legon, vous aurez bientot repare votre perte. J'en ai la con- viction, et vous prie de T accepter comme motif de consolation de la part de votre meilleur ami. Je suis, en attendant de vos nouvelles, Votre devoue et afifectionne ren£ GROSBOIS. LETTER OF ENCOURAGEMENT RELA- TIVE TO A FINANCIAL LOSS. Paris, October 1, 1878. / have learned with much regret, my dear Laforet, that you were involved for a large sum in Mr. N 's failure. 52 It is hard y no doubt, to have one's fortune so seriously impaired. But I know your intelli- gence, your courage, and your activity, by virtue of which — profiting by the experience acquired in this rough lesson — you will soon have retrieved your loss. I beg you to accept this assurance as an attempt at consolation on the part of your best friend. Waiting to hear from you, I am, Yours affectionately, RENE GROSBOIS. LETTRE POUR DEMANDER UNE RECOM- MANDATION. Hambourg, le 20 mai 1878. Monsieur, On m'a assure que vous etiez tres-lie avec M. N. : votre obligeance connue et surtout Tin- t£ret que vous avez paru me temoigner en plu- sieurs occasions, m'enhardissent a vous prier de me donner une lettre de recommandation aupres de ce monsieur. J'ai a lui demander un service important pour moi, et je suis convaincu que la consideration generale dont vous jouissez me vaudra un accueil favorable de sa part. 53 Dans Tespoir que vous voudrez bien m'ac- corder cette recommandation, j'ai Thonneur de vous saluer avec une par- faite consideration. CHARLES BOISOT. LETTER REQUESTING A RECOMMENDA- TION. Hamburg, May 20, 1878. Dear Sir: I have been informed that you are very intimate with Mr. N. : your well-known kindness and espec- ially the interest you have seemed to take in me on several occasions encourage me to beg you to give me a letter of recommendation to that gentleman. I have an important favor to ask of him , and I am convinced that the general consideration you enjoy will procure me a favorable reception from him. Hoping that you will kindly grant me this recommendation, I remain. Your very obedient servant, CHARLES BOISOT. 54 LETTRB A UN HOMME DE LOI, OU A UN AVOUE POUR LE CHARGER D'UNE AFFAIRE. Paris, le Ier juin 1901. Monsieur, I/excellente r6putation dont vous jouissez m'engage a m'adresser a vous, pour une affaire tres-importante pour moi. * * * Voulez-vous avoir la bonte, Monsieur, de vous charger de cette affaire? Dans ce cas, veuillez me dire quelles sont les pieces que je dois vous envoyer, et quelle est la forme k donner & la procuration qui vous est necessaire. Vous me ferez egalement connaitre la somme que je devrai ajouter a renvoi pour les premiers frais. Recevez, Monsieur, les assurances de ma parfaite consideration. E. AUBERT. LETTER TO A LAWYER OR AN AT- TORNEY, ENTRUSTING A CASE TO HIM. Paris, June 1st, 1901. Dear Sir: The excellent reputation you enjoy leads vie 55 to apply to you in a very important matter. * * * Will you be good enough to undertake this business? In that case, kindly tell me what docu- ments I should send you, and what form to give to the power of attorney necessary for you. Pray let me know also the sum that I should forward with these papers for the first expenses. Believe me Sir, Very sincerely yours, E. AUBERT. LETTRE D'AVIS D'UN ENVOI. Paris, le 15 decembre 1898. Monsieur, J'ai Thonneur de vous donner avis que j'ai remis hier au chemin de fer de Rouen (petite vitesse) les divers articles de votre demande, dont ci-jointe la facture montant h 256 fr. 60 c. Vous voudrez bien m'en faire passer le montant, apres reception, en une valeur sur Paris, sinon je disposerai de cette somme sur vous, sans autre avis, pour la fin du mois prochain. J'ai Thonneur de vous saluer. /. DESBOIS. m LETTER ADVISING OF A CONSIGNMENT. Paris, December 15, 1898. Dear Sir: I beg to advise you that I delivered yesterday to the Rouen Railroad (slow freight) the various articles as per your order, for which the enclosed invoice amounts to $51.32. Kindly forward me the amount on receipt by draft on Paris; if not, I shall draw on you for this sum, without further notice, by the end of next month. Faithfully yours, J. DESBOIS. DEMANDK DU REMBOURSEMENT D'UN PR&T D' ARGENT. Calcutta, le 15 aout 1873. Monsieur, Vous vous rappelez sans doute qu'& la fin du mois d'octobre 1872, vous vintes me prier de vous preter une somme de 300 francs que vous promites de me rendre k la fin de l'ann£e. Comme 57 j'avais cette comme disponible dans le moment, je vous la pretai avec plaisir. Je vous rappelle que Tepoque du rembourse- ment est passee. Cette spmme, sur laquelle j'avais compte, me fait faute en ce moment, en sorte que je me trouve gen6. Veuillez done avoir la complaisance de me Tapporter le plus tot qu'il vous sera possible. J'ai Thonneur de vous saluer. JEAN BAILLY. REQUEST FOR THE PA YMENT OF A LOAN Calcutta, August 15, 1873. Sir: You will recollect without doubt that at the end of the month of October, 1872, you came and asked me to lend you the sum of $60, which you promised to return by the end of the year. As I had that amount available at the time, I lent it to you with pleasure. I would remind you that the date of payment has gone by. I now need the sum, on which I had reckoned, so that I find myself embarrassed. Will . 58 you have the kindness to let me have it at the earliest possible moment? Your obedient servant, JEAN BAILLY. AUTRE RECLAMATION DE PAIEMENT. Nantes, le 5 avril 1903. ' Monsieur, Je vous ai fait, le 8 octobre dernier, un envoi de marchandises, conformement a votre demande en date du 30 septembre. Cette facture se monte h la somme de 460 fr. Je vous ai ecrit plusieurs fois pour en de- mander le solde, et je n'ai regu aucune reponse. Je vous donne avis de ma disposition sur vous, pour la dite somme de 460 fr., en une traite a un mois de date. Veuillez en prendre bonne note et faire honneur a ma signature, pour eviter des frais qui retomberaient sur vous. J'ai Thonneur de vous saluer. TEAN DE PREAMENEUX. 59 ANOTHER REQUEST FOR PAYMENT. Nantes, April 5, 1903. Sir: I sent you a consignment of goods the 6th of last October, in accordance with your request under date of the 30th of September. This invoice amounts to $92. / have written you several times to ask for settle- ment, and have received no reply. I give you notice that I shall draw on you for the said amount of $92 by draft payable in a month from date. Be good enough to attend to this matter and honor my signature, in order to avoid the charges which will be made against you. Your obedient servant, JEAN DE PREAMENEUX. RRPONSE.— DBMANDK D'UN DELAL Londres, le 18 fevrier 1904. Monsieur. Je conviens que je merite vos reproches; mais une perte considerable que j'ai eprouvee, il y a peu de temps, et le mauvais etat des affaires 60 commerciales m'ont mis dans une grande gene. Je viens vous proposer de vous payer la somme de quatre cent quatre-vingt-cinq francs cinquante centimes, plus les interets du retard, en cinq termes egaux: a raison de cent fr. par mois a partir de ce jour. Si vous acceptez ma proposition, j'en serai tres-reconnaissant, et je vous le prouverai par mon exactitude a remplir mon engagement. J'ai Thonneur de vous saluer avec considera- tion. M. LEFEVRE. REPLY.— REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME. London, February 18, 1904. Dear Sir: I admit that I deserve your reproaches; but a considerable loss that I experienced a short time ago together with the poor condition of business has subjected me to great embarrassment. I write to propose that I pay you the sum of $97.10, plus the interest for the period of delay in 61 five equal instalments at the rate of $20 a month be- ginning with this day. If you accept my proposition, I shall be very grateful, and will prove it to you by my punctuality in fulfilling my engagement. Your obedient servant, M. LEFEVRE. 62 OCT 8 1906