As the happiness and increasing prosperity of a people essentially
depend on their advancement in science and the arts, and as
language, in all its sublime purposes and legitimate bearings, is
strictly identified with these, it may naturally be supposed, that
that nation which continues, through successive generations,
steadily to progress in the former, will not be neglectful of the
cultivation and refinement of the latter. The truth of this remark
is illustrated by those who have, for many ages, employed the
English language as their medium for the transmission of thought.
Among its refinements may be ranked those procedures by which verbs
and nouns have been so modified and contracted as to form what we
call adverbs, distributives, conjunctions, and prepositions; for I
presume it will be readily conceded, that conciseness, as well as
copiousness and perspicuity in language, is the offspring of
refinement. That an immense amount of time and breath is saved by
the use of adverbs, the following development will clearly
demonstrate. He who is successful in contracting one mode of
expression that is daily used by thirty millions, doubtless does
much for their benefit.
Most adverbs express in one word what would otherwise require two or
more words; as, "He did it _here_," for, He did it _in this place;
there_, for, _in that place; where_, for, _in what place; now_, for,
_at this time. Why_ means _for what reason; how--in what mind, mood,
mode_, or _manner; exceedingly--to a great degree; very--in an
eminent degree; often_ and _seldom_ signify _many times, few times_.
The procedures by which words have been contracted, modified and
combined, to form this class of words, have been various. The most
prolific family of this illegitimate race, are those in _ly_, a
contraction of _like. Gentleman-ly_, means _gentleman-like, like_ a
gentleman. We do not yet say, _ladily_, but _lady-like_. The north
Britons still say, _wiselike, manlike_, instead of, _wisely, manly_.
_Quick_ comes from _gwick_, the past part. of the Anglo-Saxon verb
_gwiccian_, to vivify, give life. _Quick-ly_ or _live-ly_, means, in
a _quick-like_ or _life-like_ manner; in the manner of a creature
that has _life. Rapid-ly--rapid-like, like a rapid_; a _quick-ly_ or
_swift-ly_ running place in a stream.
_Al-ways_, contraction of _in all ways_. By a slight transition, it
means _in_ or _at all times. Al-one_, contraction of _all-one.
On-ly--one-like. Al-so--all the same_ (thing.) _Ever_--an _age_. For
_ever_ and _ever_--for _ages_ and _ages_. Ever is not synonymous
with always. _Never_--_ne ever_. It signifies _no age, no period of
time. No_, contraction of _not. Not_, a modification of _no-thing,
noth-ing, naught_. "He is _not_ greater"--is greater _in
naught_--_in no thing_.
_Adrift_ is the past part. _adrifed, adrif'd, adrift_; from the
Saxon _drifan_, or _adrifan_, to drive. _Ago_, formerly written
_ygo, gon, agon, gone, agone_, is the past part. of the verb _to
go_. It refers to time _gone by. Asunder_, the Saxon past part.
_asundren_, from the verb _sondrian_ or _asondrian_, to separate.
_Aloft--on the loft, on luft, on lyft; lyft_ being the Anglo-Saxon
word for _air_ or _clouds. Astray_, the part. of _straegan_, to
stray. _Awry_, part. of _wry than_, to writhe.
_Needs_--_need-is_; anciently, _nedes_, nede is.
To-_wit_, the infinitive of _witan_, to know. It means, _to be
known_. _Ay_ or _yea_ signifies _have it, enjoy it. Yes_ is _ay-es_,
have, possess, enjoy _that_. Our corrupt _o-yes_ of the crier, is
the French imperative, _oyez_, hear, listen. _Straight way_--by a
straight way. _While--wheel_; period in which some thing _whiles_ or
_wheels_ itself round. _Till_--to while. _Per_, Latin,--the English
_by_. Perhaps--per haps, per chance. These examples of derivation
are given with the view to invite the attention of the intelligent
pupil to the "Diversions of Purley, by John Horne Tooke."
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