where _mankind_ and _man_ may change places without making any alteration
in the sense. _A man_ means some one or other of that kind, indefinitely;
_the man_ means, definitely, that particular man, who is spoken of: the
former therefore is called the Indefinite, the latter the Definite,
Article[1].
Example: “_Man_ was made for society, and ought to extend his good-will
to all _men_: but _a man_ will naturally entertain a more particular
kindness for _the men_ with whom he has the most frequent intercourse;
and enter into a still closer union with _the man_, whose temper and
disposition suit best with his own.”
It is of the nature of both the Articles to determine or limit the thing
spoken of: _a_ determines it to be one single thing of the kind, leaving
it still uncertain which; _the_ determines which it is, or of many which
they are. The first therefore can only be joined to Substantives in the
singular number[2]; the last may also be joined to plurals.
There is a remarkable exception to this rule in the use of the Adjectives
_few_ and _many_, (the latter chiefly with the word _great_ before it)
which, though joined with plural Substantives, yet admit of the singular
Article _a_: as, _a few men_, _a great many men_;
“Told of _a many thousand_ warlike French:”—
“The care-craz’d mother of _a many children_.”