INTRODUCTION.

THE following Dictionary being chiefly designed for the use of young persons, the words are arranged under their respective parts of speech, and classed in alphabetical order, according to the number of syllables, for the purpose of exercising the mind of the learner. After a little practice in ascertaining the parts of speech, and distinguishing the number of syllables contained in any word, of which the explanation may be required, the reference to the Dictionary will become easy and pleasant. To such as may not be disposed to take that trouble, the Index at the end of the book will be found useful. The Author, however, would recommend, that all young persons should accustom themselves to use the Dictionary without having recourse to the Index, and no pains should be spared to attain that end.

Though the verb, noun, adnoun, and adverb, have been selected as the only parts of speech which admit of any variety of explanation, yet the noun and verb are the most prominent and important, and are the foundation on which all the rest depend. The noun comprehends the names of all objects which can be submitted to the test of any of the

senses, of the abstract qualities of persons and things, and of whatever distinct idea the mind can comprehend or contemplate, to which the article can be prefixed.

The Verb declares the existence or being any thing, and affirms or asserts whatever is done or suffered.

of

The Adnoun expresses the nature, number, quantity, quality, or some particular property of a noun. And,

The Adverb is joined to a verb to shew the manner, time of action, &c.; to an adnoun to heighten, diminish, or in some way to qualify its signification; to a participle to explain some circumstance concerning it; or to another adverb to form the degrees of comparison, to give it all the varied shades of meaning, or restrain its application.

The Pronoun is a substitute for the noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition.

The Preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun, to shew the relation which it bears to something else, and when joined to a verb, is the sign of the infinitive mood.

The Conjunction connects words together, and is, as it were, the hinge on which certain members of a sentence turn.

The Article is the peculiar property of the noun, and is the sign by which it is distinguished from the other parts of speech.

The Participle, which some Grammarians consider a distinct part of speech, is derived from the verb, partakes of its nature in regard to time, and is allied to the adnoun in signification.

But a fuller explanation of all the Parts of Speech, with suitable examples, will be given in another place.

The principal part of these remarks may be illustrated by a few observations on the following example:

"And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked : and on the same day was the Sabbath." John v. 9.

Here the conjunction and connects the subject of this verse with something preceding or going before. Immediately is an adverb, formed from the adnoun immediate, by the addition of ly, and points out the time when the transaction took place, that is, as soon as Jesus spake the word. Man is a noun, because it represents an object of our senses, and has the definite article the before it, which is also a sign peculiar to the noun, and points out that he was some particular person; and by referring to the preceding verses, we find in the 5th verse a certain man named, who, in the 7th verse, is also called the impotent man, to whom Jesus in the 8th verse, said,

Man governs the verb was made, and requires it to be in the third person of the singular number. Was made is a verb passive, in the past tense, consisting of the verb substantive was and the passive participle made from the verb make, and has for its nominative case man. The passive verb has the object for its b

nominative case, and we must look to the former verse for the agent, who is Jesus. The man was made whole by Jesus, who said, arise, &c. The active verb has the agent for its nominative case and the object following. Therefore, to use an active verb here, it would be, Jesus made the man whole, by saying, &c. Whole is an adnoun, because it denotes the circumstance of the man being restored to health, and is governed by the verb was made. Took. is a verb active, past tense, and so is walked; and the conjunction and repeated connects. them with the passive verb was made, having the same nominative case. Without the conjunctions, that pårt of the sentence would have been, the man was made whole, the man took up his bed, the man walked. The conjunctions are to avoid the repetition of the noun or nominative case. The pronoun he might,' with some propriety, have been used before took, having man for its antecedent. Up is an adverb, signifying in what manner he took his bed; as without it the expression would have had a contrary import. His is a pronoun possessive, referring to man, as the owner of the bed. Bed is a noun, because it is an object of sight, in the accusative or objective case, and is governed by the verb took. And is a conjunction copulative, joining the two members of the sentence; the latter being an additional circumstance, which connects this subject with what follows, and contains the cause why the Jews reproved the man for carrying his bed; because it was the Sabbath day, and they considered the act un

lawful on that sacred day. On is a preposition, and shews the relation which Day bears to Sabbath. Same is an adnoun, and agrees with the substantive day. Day is a noun, cxpressing a division of time, having the definite article before it, pointing out that it was some particular day, and is governed by the preposition on. Was is the third person singular, past tense, from the verb substantive to be, and is governed by the noun sabbath. Sabbath is a noun, and, being a particular day of the week, has the article before it, and is nominative case to the verb was. By putting the nominative case before the verb, the arrangement of the words would have bech thus; the Sabbath was on the same day.

It may here be remarked, that this alteration in the arrangement of words in a sentence is called Transposition, or the state of being put out of one place into another. But in the

English language, this change is subject to certain limitations.

Before entering on a fuller explanation of the Parts of Speech, according to the arrangement made in the Dictionary, it may be necessary to notice the pronoun, which is a distinct part of speech, and is used as a substitute for the noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition. It will be found very profitable to the pupils, if the teacher would require them to point out the antecedent to the pronoun, and thus cause them to connect the subject, understand the sense, and read with greater attention. But as the pronouns have particular states, and vary as they come before or follow after the