so convenient is it to have one acknowledged standard to recur to; so much preferable, in matters of this nature, is a trifling degree of irregularity, to a continual change, and fruitless pursuit of unattainable perfection; that it is earnestly to be hoped, that no author will henceforth, on light grounds, be tempted to innovate."

This Dictionary, however, contains some orthogra phical inconsistencies, which ought to be rectified: such as, immovable moveable, chastely chastness, fertileness fertily, sliness slyly, fearlessly fearlesness, needlessness need' lesly. If these, and similar irregularities, were corrected by spelling the words analogically, according to the first word in each part of the series, and agreeably to the general rules of spelling, the Dictionary would doubtless, in these respects, be improved.

PART II.

ETYMOLOGY.

CHAPTER I.

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH.

THE second part of grammar is ETYMOLOGY, which treats of the different sorts of words, their various modifications, and their derivation.

There arc, in English, nine sorts of words, or, as they are commonly called, Parts Of SPEECH; namely,

1. An Article is a word prefixed to substantives, to point them out, and to show how far their signification extends: as, a garden, an eagle, the

woman.

2. A Substantive or noun is the name of any thing that exists, or of which we have any notion: as, London, man, virtue.

A substantive may, in general, be distinguished by its taking an article before it, or by its making sense of itself: as, a book, the sun, an apple; temperance, industry, chastity.

3. An Adjective is a word added to a substantive, to express its quality: as, " An industrious man; a virtuous woman."

An Adjective may be known by its making sense with the addition of the word thing: as, a good thing; a bad thing or of any particular substantive: as, a sweet apple, a pleasant prospect, a lively boy.

4. A Pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition of the same word: as, "The man is happy; he is benevolent; he is useful."

5. A Verb is a word which signifies to BE, to DO, or to SUFFER: as, "I am; I rule; I am ruled."

A verb may generally be distinguished, by its making sense with any of the personal pronouns, or the word to before it as, I walk, he plays, they write; or, to walk, to play, to write.

6. An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a verb, an adjective, and sometimes to another. adverb, to express some quality or circumstance respecting it: as, "He reads well; a truly good man; he writes very correctly."

An Adverb may be generally known, by its answering to the question, How? how much? when? or where? as, in the phrase, "He reads correctly," the answer to the question, How does he read? is, correctly.

7. Prepositions serve to connect words with one another, and to show the relation between them: as, "He went from London to York;" she is they are supported by in

above disguise;" dustry."

A Preposition may be known by its admitting after it a personal pronoun, in the objective case; as, with, for, to, &c. will allow the objective case after them; with him, for her, to them, &c.

8. A Conjunction is a part of speech that is chiefly used to connect sentences; so as, out of two or more sentences, to make but one: it sometimes connects only words: as, "Thou and he are happy, because you are good." are five."

"Two and three

9. Interjections are words thrown in between the parts of a sentence, to express the passions or emotions of the speaker: as, "O virtue! how amiable thou art!"

The observations which have been made, to aid learners in distinguishing the parts of speech from one another, may afford them some small assistance; but it will certainly be much more instructive, to distinguish them in the definitions, and an accurate knowledge of their nature.

In the following passage, all the parts of speech are exemplified:

The power of speech is a faculty peculiar to man;

5

5

7

3 7 3

2

7

and was bestowed on him by his beneficent Creator, for

1

8

6

2

8

9

the greatest and most excellent uses; but alas! how often

5

5

3 7 1

7

2

do we pervert it to the worst of purposes !

In the foregoing sentence, the words the, a, are articles; power, speech, facuity, man, Creator, uses, purposes, are substantives; him, his, we, it, are pronouns; peculiar, beneficent, greatest, excellent, worst, are adjectives; is, was, bestowed, do, pervert, are verbs; most, how, often, are

adverbs; of, to, on, by, for, are prepositions; and, but, are conjunctions; and alas is an interjection.

The number of the different sorts of words, or of the parts of speech, has been variously reckoned by different. grammarians. Some have enumerated ten, making the participle a distinct part; some eight, excluding the participle, and ranking the adjective under the noun; some four, and others only two, (the noun and the verb,) supposing the rest to be contained in the parts of their division. We have followed those authors, who appear to have given them the most natural and intelligible distribution. Some remarks on the division made by the learned Horne Tooke, are contained in the first section. of the eleventh chapter of etymology.

To assign names to objects of thought, and to express their properties and qualities, are the only indispensable requisites in language. If this be admitted, it follows, that the noun and the verb are the only parts of speech, which are essentially necessary; the former being the name of the thing of which we speak, and the latter expressing what we think of it. All other sorts of words must be regarded as subsidiaries, convenient indeed for the more easy communication of thought, but by no means indispensably requisite.

The interjection, indeed, seems scarcely worthy of being considered as a part of artificial language or speech, being rather a branch of that natural language, which we possess in common with the brute creation, and by which we express the sudden emotions and passions that actuate our frame. But, as it is used in written as well as oral language, it may, in some measure, be deemed a part of speech. It is with us, a virtual sentence, in which the noun and verb are concealed under an imperfect or indigested word.

Whilst some grammarians have objected to the usual number and arrangement of the parts of speech, others