▁different ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁classes ▁of ▁nom inal ▁decl ension . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁a ▁general ▁distinction ▁between ▁strong ▁and ▁weak ▁n oun s . ▁Event ually ▁even ▁these ▁started ▁to ▁become ▁confused , ▁with ▁the ▁strong ▁and ▁weak ▁end ings ▁slowly ▁beginning ▁to ▁merge ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁decl ension ▁class ▁by ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Dutch ▁period . ▁ ▁Str ong ▁n oun s ▁ ▁The ▁strong ▁n oun s ▁generally ▁origin ated ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁a - st em , ▁i - st em ▁and ▁u - st em ▁inf lections . ▁They ▁mostly ▁had ▁a ▁nomin ative ▁singular ▁with ▁no ▁ending , ▁and ▁a ▁nomin ative ▁pl ural ▁in ▁- e ▁or , ▁for ▁some ▁neut er ▁n oun s , ▁with ▁no ▁ending . ▁Most ▁strong ▁n oun s ▁were ▁mascul ine ▁or ▁neut er . ▁Fem in ines ▁in ▁this ▁class ▁were ▁former ▁i - st ems , ▁and ▁could ▁lack ▁an ▁ending ▁in ▁the ▁d ative ▁singular , ▁a ▁rem nant ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁inf lection . ▁In ▁some ▁rare ▁occasions , ▁the ▁gen itive ▁singular ▁was ▁also ▁ending less . ▁Some ▁n oun s ▁ended ▁in ▁- e ▁in ▁the ▁singular ▁also ; ▁these ▁were ▁primarily ▁former ▁ja - st ems , ▁which ▁were ▁mascul ine ▁or ▁neut er . ▁A ▁few ▁were ▁former ▁i - st ems ▁with ▁short ▁st ems . ▁N oun s ▁of ▁this ▁type ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁drawn ▁into ▁the ▁weak ▁inf lection ▁by ▁anal ogy .