Among the Latins speech is divided into eight parts, but it is doubtful if among the Hebrews it is divided into so many parts. For all Hebrew words, except for a few interjections and conjunctions and one or two particles, have the force and properties of nouns. Because the grammarians did not understand this they considered many words to be irregular which according to the usage of the language are most regular, and they were ignorant of many things which are necessary to know for a proper understanding of the language. Whether they resolved that Hebrews had as many parts of speech as the Latins or less, we will, however, refer to all of them, excepting, as we have said, only the interjections and conjunctions, and one or two particles, as nouns. The reason for this and to what extent this makes the language easily understood will become clear from the following.
I shall now explain what I understand by a noun. By a noun I understand a word by which we signify or indicate something that is understood. However, among things that are understood there can be either things and attributes of things, modes and relationships, or actions, and modes and relationships of actions. Hence, we sum up easily the various kinds of nouns. For example, the noun 
is a man; 
learned, 
big, etc., are attributes of a man; 
walking, 
knowing are modes; 
between, 
under, 
above, etc., are nouns which show the relationship a man has to other things. Thus 
walking is a noun of action which has no relationship to time. This must here be noted: the mode which the Latins call infinitive is among the Hebrews a pure unadulterated noun, and therefore an infinitive knows nothing about present, nor past, nor any time whatever. Next 
quickly is a mode of motion; 
today, 
tomorrow, etc., are relationships of time which also express other modes.
There are then six kinds of nouns: 1. The substantive noun, which is divided into the proper and the common, as noted. 2. The adjective. 3. The relative or preposition. 4. The participle. 5. The infinitive. 6. The adverb. To these the pronoun is added because it takes the place of the substantive noun, like 
I, 
thou, 
he, etc.
For the rest, however, this should be pointed out: that by means of a proper substantive noun it is possible to indicate only a single individual, for each and every individual has a proper noun for himself only and so every action; and thence it is that the proper substantive noun and that the infinitive and the adverb, because they are like adjectives of action, with which they agree in number, are expressed only in the singular. The rest, however, are expressed both in the singular and plural. I say “the rest” for prepositions also have the plural number, of which see Chapter 10. Next, people, and especially the Hebrews, are accustomed to grant all things human attributes, like the earth hears, is attentive, etc., and perhaps for this or another reason all names of things are divided into masculines and feminines. But how to recognize this and for what reason a noun is inflected from the single number into the plural we shall speak of in the following chapter.