lös fruitless, magteslös, krafteslös powerless, stundeslös fidgety, trösteslös disconsolate). The genitive is especially frequently used when the first part of the composition is itself a compound word: Kirketaarnsur a church steeple clock (but Taarnur a tower clock): Sandstensmur a sand stone wall (but Stenmur a stone wall). Such possessives may sometimes be found as first part of a composition even if there is no corresponding nominative; Ex.: Fralandsvind a land breeze (Vinden staar fra Land the breeze sets from land).
Note: Neither possessive nor af is used to connect a name of material to a name of measure: el Glas Öl a glass of beer, en floske Vin a bottle of wine, en Tönde Poteter a barrel of potatoes etc.
165. Remains of an old gen. plur. are found in a great many compound words the first part of which ends in e (O. N. a). Sengested bedstead, Stoleben chair's leg, Barneaar years of childhood (Börnebal childrens ball, Börnehave kindergarten are exclusively Danish, in N. they say — or are taught to say — Barnebal, Barnehave).
166. Remains of an old dative is found in the adverbial phrases: ad Aare next year, itide in due time, ilive alive, paafærde abroad, at work, igjære in progress, etc.
THE FORMATION OF THE PLURAL.
167. The plural is formed in the following manners:
I) by adding r or er to the singular, with or without “mutation” (see § 149).
II) by adding e to the singular, in a few cases with “mutation.”
III) the plural has the same form as the singular, except that in a few cases the vowel is changed by “mutation”.
