hugges over the thicker a neck he has, the quicker he shall be decapitated. (In this case the article is more commonly omitted).
Note 3. The indefinite article is used in connection with numerals to indicate an approximate number; Ex.: Hr. Sörensen var her i fjorten Dage Mr. S. stayed here about two weeks.
NOUNS.
GENDER OF THE NOUNS.
156. The genders of the nouns are only of importance syntactically, in so far as the adjective or the article assume different forms in conformity with the gender of the noun qualified by them. No generally binding rules can be given for the genders of the nouns in Danish-Norwegian, but the following intimations may be of some help:
1) Most words denoting living beings are of common gender. En Mand a man, en Hest a horse, en Hund a dog, en Ko a cow, en Flue a fly.
Note 1. Some nouns comprising the natural masculine and feminine genders are neuter: Kvæget, the cattle; Folket the people (also the compounds: et Mandfolk, et Kvindfolk a male, female individual), Mennesket man (generally), et Dyr an animal, et Svin a hog, et Faar a sheep, et Æsil a donkey. Also several words indicating the young ones of animals: et Lam a lamb, et Föl a colt, et Kid a kid.
2) Names of trees, plants and stones are as a rule of common gender: Bögen the beech, en Eg an oak, Rugen the rye, Graniten the granite, Flinten the flint.
Note 2. Neuter are: et Blad a leaf, et Bær a berry; (but in compounds common gender in Norwegian when used collectively; Ex.:
