Page images
PDF
EPUB

3. Martyr: a man is said to be a martyr, or to suffer martyrdom, for the cause (or for the truth) in which he suffers;-a martyr to any ailment which is habitual; thus, a martyr to headache."

66

4. Meddle in, is followed by that in which a person meddles. Meddle with, is followed either by such thing, or by the name of the individual interfered with.

5. Moor to, is followed by that to which a vessel is tied. Moor in, by the place or waters in which a vessel rides at anchor.

6. Natural for, is followed by an individual; to, the thing which it is natural to do; as, "It was natural for him to wish to see his friends."

7. Obey, takes the object direct of the person obeyed; and in, introducing the thing in which obedience is exhibited; as, "He obeyed me in going home yesterday."

8. Object, as a noun, signifying aim or end, is followed by of; as a verb, signifying to refuse, is followed by to.

9. Occur: a thought occurs to an individual; a passage occurs in a certain part of an author's works.

10. Offence: a man takes offence at something which offends, and gives offence to somebody whom he displeases. 11. Party: a man is said to be a party to a measure, or an act, when he sanctions it and brings it about.

12. Patient in, is followed by that which is suffered; the opposite, impatient, is sometimes followed by of; as, "Impatient of servitude," which means not able to bear it. Whilst "impatient in servitude" would imply that a person was uncomfortable whilst bearing it, whether or not he was able to bear it well.

13. Present, present at the latter introduces the thing witnessed; present is the verb, and is followed by the name of the individual introduced by to, who receives something which is placed as the direct object of the verb.

14. Reduced under, is to be subdued; as, "The Britons were reduced under the Romans." Reduce to, is followed by the state to which a person or thing is brought; thus, "To reduce to slavery."

15. Resemblance to, introduces the person resembled ; in, the thing in which there is a likeness; thus, "He bore a strong resemblance to you in his external appearance.”

16. Subscribe: a man subscribes to a document to

which he attaches his signature; and, figuratively, to opinions which he holds; also, to a fund sought to be raised; and subscribes towards an object or purpose sought to be achieved.

17. Taste a taste of a thing signifies the actual possession of a part thereof; taste for, implies a talent or disposition which enables one to cultivate a branch of knowledge.

18. Think this word is constructed with of and on, both introducing the same object; as, "Think on (or of) me." 19. Transported: a man is transported to the country whither he is sent, and from that which he leaves.

20. United, constructed by in, is followed by that in regard of which the union exists; by with, is followed by the individual with whom some individual agrees; as, "United with me in the bonds of brotherly affection."

21. Verdict of, introduces the person or persons who give their opinion or judgment; for the party in whose favour the opinion is given; and against him whom such opinion does not favour.

22. Weary of, and with, introduce equally that which tires; there appears, however, a difference in the usage. We say, "A man is weary of (not with) life;" and, "Weary with (not of) his journey."

23. We write to a person of or about some thing or person; against some one, or proposition, or opinion; for some person, or in behalf of somebody.

SUPPLEMENTARY OBSERVATIONS

On certain Grammatical Principles not previously adverted to, and on the Usage of certain Words.

ADJECTIVES.

1. The definite adjective, the, does not precede nouns which refer to the whole cf a species; thus, "Wheat makes bread," not "The wheat;" wheat here referring to all wheat, wherever found. On the contrary, when reference is made to some particular portion of the species, the limiting

the is prefixed; thus, "The potatoes are blighted;" meaning those growing at the time, or in some particular locality.

2. The indefinite adjective, a, is used before many nouns referring to a portion of time; as, "A hundred a year;" "Ten shillings a day." A here does not signify for, but for is understood, governing the noun which follows a; as, "The man earns ten pounds (for) a month;" that is, "at the rate of ten pounds for a month;" that is, "ten pounds (as an equivalent for the service of) a month."

He

3. If several nouns require, some a, some an, the appropriate one must be prefixed to each; we do not say, ate a roll and egg for breakfast;" but because the noun egg requires an before it, we say, "He ate a roll and an egg for breakfast." [See Observation 9 on the etymology of the Adjective.]

4. The definite adjective, the, and indefinite, a, should be prefixed to the first only of several other adjectives qualifying the same noun; as, "A good, wise, and successful man. When, however, each of the adjectives to which a or the is prefixed refers to a distinct kind, the a or the must be prefixed to each such, though they may all qualify the same noun; as, "He sent the long and the thick volumes in one parcel." This conveys a different idea from —“ He sent the long and thick volumes," &c. In the first expression, there are two distinct kinds of volumes—one long, the other thick; in the second, there is but one kind of volume, that which was thick and long at the same time. [See also Observation 10 on the etymology of the Adjective.]

5. An and other, are frequently united in one word; as, "He bought another farm." The word any is sometimes substituted by way of emphasis for an; as, "The succession was settled upon the survivor of the existing royal pair; next upon the Princess Anne and her children; and, finally, upon the children of William by any other consort," This is more emphatic than another; for that other possibly might have been selected by the nation, whereas any other implies without any limitation whatever.

6. Other, is frequently followed by that or those, or some such word, when between the individual or thing for which such words stand and that preceding other, a sort of comparison is intended; thus, "He pleaded his cause

with a voice other than that wherewith a man is wont to plead when conscious of guilt." [See, also, Observation 13 on the etymology of the Adjective.]

7. Each, every, either, neither, are all used with a noun in the singular number only. Each, is used when reference is made to one and the other of two individuals; as, "I saw each of your brothers yesterday;" where the number of brothers should (grammatically) be only two. Every, refers to any number more than two, when all are referred to individually; thus, "Every man must account for himself." Either, refers to one or other of two individuals. Neither, means not either, that is, not the one or the other of two.

8. The adjective, in the English language, is not inflected in gender, number, or case, as it is in other languages; if it were, in the expression, "I saw excellent horses in the fair," excellent should be in the masculine gender, plural number, and objective case, to agree in these several particulars with the noun horses. This has been stated in the etymology of the Adjective; and to it may be added, that, though differing from the classical languages in this respect, the English language yet imitates them in using an adjective in many instances as an adverb. Of this an example is to be found in the Dissertation on the etymology of the Adverb. In such cases, the English adjective, like the Latin, would be in the neuter gender, were the adjective in English inflected as it is in Latin.

9. "I found your letter last." This is no example of the adjective used as an adverb; the word last is an adjective, agreeing with the word letter, and the expression is equivalent to, "I found your letter the last letter;" or, "I found your letter in the position of the last letter." Different from this in meaning is the expression, “I found your letter at last ;" wherein at last is the adverbial phrase qualifying found, and thereby pointing out merely the time, after a long search, at which the letter was found, without any reference to the time at which another letter may have been found.

10. An adjective and an adverb sometimes appear equivalent in force when used as substitutes for each other in qualifying the same verb: this, however, is not the case; the adjective always qualifies the noun; thus, " He performed his journey easy;" wherein easy is an adjective,

[graphic]

2. In the form his itself, the & has that it has in father's, &e.

3. In the Slavonie, Lithuanie, and the genitive ends in &, just as it does in Ea if the words father his would account for it would not account for the Sanskrit foot, the Greek ocorros, the Latin dentis

QUESTIONS ON CASE

What appears to be the cause of so opinion on the true meaning of case? ing ideas attached by grammarians to the difficulties attending the acceptat sively. How have these difficulties bee many cases, then, are admitted general Give the essential characteristics of eac term nominative is defective. Give an e the possessive, and show that it does not in meaning to the possessive. What case and prepositional form sometimes they so called? What cases are always How are they distinguished? How is gular formed? How the possessive plur rule which obtains in placing the apostro sive singular and plural? What is the rule? How do nouns ending in s for Give examples. What is the reason gen the formation of the possessive by the le by any other letter? Give the subst remarks in opposition to this reason.

ON THE VERB.

THE Noun, it has been shewn, is the na men talk of; the Verb is used to make the noun. The importance of this class of in the name thereof, verbum signifying though, in thus naming this class, we 1

tion

and

« PreviousContinue »