2. Etymology explains the _accidents_ or _properties_ peculiar to each
class or sort of words, and their present _modifications_. By
modifications, I mean the changes produced on their _endings_, in
consequence of their assuming different relations in respect to one
another. These changes, such as fruit, fruit_s_, fruit'_s_; he, h_is_,
h_im_; write, write_st_, write_th_, write_s_, wr_ote_, writ_ten_,
writ_ing_, write_r_; a, a_n_; ample, ampl_y_, and the like, will be
explained in their appropriate places.
3. Etymology treats of the _derivation_ of words; that is, it teaches
you _how one word comes from_, or _grows out of_ another. For example,
from the word speak, come the words speak_est_, speak_eth_, speak_s_,
speak_ing_, sp_oke_, spo_ken_, speak_er_, speak_er's_, speak_ers_.
These, you perceive, are all one and the same word, and all, except the
last three, express the same kind of action. They differ from each other
only in the termination. These changes in termination are produced on
the word in order to make it correspond with the various _persons_ who
speak, the _number_ of persons, or the _time_ of speaking; as, _I_
speak, _thou_ speak_est_, the _man_ speak_eth_, or speak_s_, the _men_
speak, _I_ sp_oke_; The speak_er_ speak_s_ another speak_er's_ spe_ech_.
The third part of Etymology, which is intimately connected with the
second, will be more amply expanded in Lecture XIV, and in the
Philosophical notes; but I shall not treat largely of that branch of
derivation which consists in tracing words to foreign languages. This is
the province of the lexicographer, rather than of the philologist. It is
not the business of him who writes a practical, English grammar, to
trace words to the Saxon, nor to the Celtic, the Greek, the Dutch, the
Mexican, nor the Persian; nor is it his province to explain their
meaning in Latin, French, or Hebrew, Italian, Mohegan, or Sanscrit; but
it is his duty to explain their properties, their powers, their
connexions, relations, dependancies, and, bearings, not at the period in
which the Danes made an irruption into the island of Great Britain, nor
in the year in which Lamech paid his addresses to Adah and Zillah, but
_at the particular period in which he writes_. His words are already
derived, formed, established, and furnished to his hand, and he is bound
to take them and explain them as he finds them _in his day_, without any
regard to their ancient construction and application.
CLASSIFICATION. In arranging the parts of speech, I conceive it to be
the legitimate object of the practical grammarian, to consult _practical
convenience_. The true principle of classification seems to be, not a
reference to essential differences in the _primitive_ meaning of words,
nor to their original combinations, but to the _manner in which they are
at present employed_. In the early and rude state of society, mankind
are quite limited in their knowledge, and having but few ideas to
communicate, a small number of words answers their purpose in the
transmission of thought. This leads them to express their ideas in
short, detached sentences, requiring few or none of those _connectives_,
or words of transition, which are afterwards introduced into language by
refinement, and which contribute so largely to its perspicuity and
elegance. The argument appears to be conclusive, then, that every
language must necessarily have more parts of speech in its refined, than
in its barbarous state.
The part of speech to which any word belongs, is ascertained, not by the
_original_ signification of that word, but by its present _manner_ of
meaning, or, rather, _the office which it performs in a sentence_.
The various ways in which a word is applied to the idea which it
represents, are called its _manner of meaning_. Thus, The painter dips
his _paint_ brush in _paint_, to _paint_ the carriage. Here, the word
_paint_, is first employed to _describe_ the brush which the painter
uses; in this situation it is, therefore, an _adjective_; secondly, to
_name_ the mixture employed; for which reason it is a _noun_; and,
lastly, to _express the action_ performed; it therefore, becomes a
_verb_; and yet, the meaning of the word is the same in all these
applications. This meaning, however, is applied in different ways; and
thus the same word becomes different parts of speech. Richard took
_water_ from the _water_ pot, to _water_ the plants.