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preceded by a fingle Vowel, and, if of more than one Syllable, having the accent on the laft Syllable, double the Confonant in the Prefent Participle, as well as in every Part of the Verb in which a Syllable is added: as put, putting, abetputteth; forget, forgetting, forgetteth; abet, ting, abetted (1).

ADVERBS

ADVER B.

DVERBS are added to Verbs, and to Adjectives, to denote fome modification or circumftance of an action, or quality: as, the manner, order, time, place, distance, motion, relation, quantity, quality, comparison, doubt, affirmation, negation, demonftration, interrogation.

In English they admit of no Variation; except fome few of them, which have the degrees of

(1) Some Verbs having the Accent on the last Syllable but one, as worship, counfel, are represented in the like manner, as doubling the last consonant in the formation of those parts of the Verb in which a Syllable is added; as worshipping, counselling. But this I rather judge to be a fault in the spelling; which neither Analogy nor Pronunciation justifies.

Comparison: as (1) often, oftener, ofteneft;" u foon, sooner, fooneft;" and thofe Irregulars, derived from Adjectives (2) in this respect likewife irregular; well, better, best;,, &c.

An adverb is fometimes joined to another Adverb, to modify or qualify its meaning; as, ❝ very much; much too little; very prudently."

(1) The formation of Adverbs in general with the Comparative and Superlative Terminations feems to be improper; at leaft it is now become almoft obfolete: as, things which generally are received,—we are hardlieft able to Touching bring fuch proof of their certainty, as may satisfy gainsayers.» Hooker, B. v. 2. "Was the caflier perfuaded." Raleigh. « That he may the fronglier provide." Hobbes, Life of Thucyd. The things highlieft important to the growing age. Shaftesbury, Letter to Mclefworth. would not be, who loved himself, and who not; but, who "The queftion loved and served himself the rightest, and after the trueft manhardly, more easily, more strongly, most highly, moft right, or It ought rather to be, moft rightly. But thefe Comparative Adverbs, however improper în prose, are sometimes allowable in Poetry.

ner." Id. Wit and Humor.

Scepter and pow'r, thy giving, I affume; And gladlier shall refign."

(2) See above, p. 39.

Milton, P. L. vi. 731,

PREPOSITION.

PREPOSITIO

REPOSITIONS fo called because they are commonly put before the words to which they are applied, ferve to connect words with one another, and to fhow the relation between them.

One great Ufe of Prepofitions in English is to express those relations, which in fome languages are chiefly marked by Cafes, or the different endings of the Noun.

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Moft prepofitions originally denote the relation of Place, and have been thence transferred to denote by fimilitude other relations. Thus, out, in, through, under, by, to, from, of, &c. Of afk of me is much the fame with from; that is, from me made of wood; " "Son of Philip; that is, fprung from him. For, in its primary sense, is pro, loco alterius, in the stead, or place, of another. The notion of Place is very obvious in all the rest (1).

(1) The Particle a before Participles, in the phrases a co ming, a going, a walking, a fhooting, &c; and before Nouns, as a-bed, a-board, a-fhore, a-foot, &c; seems

Prepofitions are alfo prefixed to words in such a manner, as to coalefce with them, and to be

and

to be a true and genuine Prepofition, a little disguised by familiar ufe and quick pronunciation. Dr. Wallis fuppofes it to be the prepofition at. I rather think it is the Prepofition on; the fenfe of which anfwers better to the intention of thofe expreffions. At has relation chiefly to place on has a more general relation, and may be applied to action, many other things, as well as place. "I was on coming, on going, "&c; that is, employed upon that particular action: so likewise those other phrases above-mentioned, a-bed, exactly answer to on bed, on board, on fhore, on foot. Dr. &c. Bentley plainly fuppofed a to be the fame with on; as appears from the following passage : He would have a learned Uni versity make Barbarisms a purpose. Differt. on Phalaris,

P. 223.

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"The depths on trembling fell. " Pf. lxxvii. 16. That is, as we now fay in common discourse, J. Hopkins, « they fell a trembling.." And the Prepofition on has manifeftly deviated into a in other inftances: thus the Saxon compounded Prepofitions ongean, onmang, onbutan, are become in English, by the rapidity of pronunciation, against, among, about; and what is in the Saxon Gospel, « Ic wylle gan on fixoth," is in the English Translation, «I John xxi. 3. Much in the fame manner, John of Nokes, go a fifhing." and John of Stiles, by very frequent and familiar use, became John a Nokes, and John a Stiles and one of the clock, or rather on the clock, is written, one o'clock, ced, one a clock. but p The phrafes with a before Participles are out of use in the folemn ftyle; but ftill prevail in familiar difcourfe. They are established by long ufage, and good authority: and there seems to be no reason, why they should be utterly rejected.

pronoun

come a part of them. Prepofitions, ftanding by themselves in Conftruction, are put before Nouns and Pronouns; and fometimes after Verbs; but in this fort of Compofition they are chiefly prefixed to Verbs: as, to outgo, to overcome, to undervalue. There are alfo certain Particles, which are thus employed in Compofition of words, yet cannot ftand by themselves in Conftruction: as, a, be, con, mis, &c; in abide, bedeck, conjoin, mistake, &c; these are called Infeparable Prepofitions.

CONJUNCTION.

THE CONJUNCTION connects or joins together Sentences; fo as out of two, to make one Sen

tence.

Thus, You, and I, and Peter, rode to London,,, is one Sentence, made up of thefe three by the Conjunction and twice employed; « You rode to London; I rode to London; Peter rode to London. Again, "You and I rode to London, but Peter ftaid at home,,, is one Sentence made up of three by the Conjunctions and

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