published in 1790, we find, among other equally ingenious improvements of
our orthography, a general omission of the final _e_ in all words ending in
_ive_, or rather of all words ending in _ve_, preceded by a short vowel;
as, "_primitiv, derivativ, extensiv, positiv, deserv, twelv, proov, luv,
hav, giv, liv_." This mode of spelling, had it been adopted by other
learned men, would not only have made _v_ a very frequent final consonant,
but would have placed it in an other new and strange predicament, as being
subject to reduplication. For he that will write _hav, giv_, and _liv_,
must also, by a general rule of grammar, write _havving, givving_, and
_livving_. And not only so, there will follow also, in the solemn style of
the Bible, a change of _givest, livest, giveth_, and _liveth_, into
_givvest, livvest, givveth_, and _livveth_. From all this it may appear,
that a silent final _e_ is not always quite so useless a thing as some may
imagine. With a levity no less remarkable, does the author of the _Red
Book_ propose at once two different ways of reforming the orthography of
such words as _pierceable, manageable_, and so forth; in one of which, the
letter _j_ would be brought into a new position, and subjected sometimes to
reduplication. "It would be a useful improvement to change this _c_ into
_s_, and _g_ into _j_;" as, _piersable, manajable_, &c. "Or they might
assume _i_;" as, _piercibe, managible_, &c.--_Red Book_, p. 170. Now would
not this "useful improvement" give us such a word as _allejjable_? and
would not one such monster be more offensive than all our present
exceptions to Rule 9th? Out upon all such tampering with orthography!
OBS. 26.--If any thing could arrest the folly of innovators and dabbling
reformers, it would be the history of former attempts to effect
improvements similar to theirs. With this sort of history every one would
do well to acquaint himself, before he proceeds to disfigure words by
placing their written elements in any new predicament. If the orthography
of the English language is ever reduced to greater regularity than it now
exhibits, the reformation must be wrought by those who have no disposition
either to exaggerate its present defects, or to undertake too much. Regard
must be had to the origin, as well as to the sounds, of words. To many
people, all silent letters seem superfluous; and all indirect modes of
spelling, absurd. Hence, as the learner may perceive, a very large
proportion of the variations and disputed points in spelling, are such as
refer to the silent letters, which are retained by some writers and omitted
by others. It is desirable that such as are useless and irregular should be
always omitted; and such as are useful and regular always retained. The
rules which I have laid down as principles of discrimination, are such as
almost every reader will know to be generally true, and agreeable to
present usage, though several of them have never before been printed in any
grammar. Their application will strike out some letters which are often
written, and retain some which are often omitted; but, if they err on
either hand, I am confident they err less than any other set of rules ever
yet formed for the same purpose. Walker, from whom Murray borrowed his
rules for spelling, declares for an expulsion of the second _l_ from
_traveller, gambolled, grovelling, equalling, cavilling_, and all similar
words; seems more willing to drop an _l_ from _illness, stillness,
shrillness, fellness_, and _drollness_, than to retain both in _smallness,
tallness, chillness, dullness_, and _fullness_; makes it one of his
orthographical aphorisms, that, "Words taken into composition often drop
those letters which were superfluous in their simples; as, _Christmas,
dunghil, handful_;" and, at the same time, chooses rather to restore the
silent _e_ to the ten derivatives from _move_ and _prove_, from which
Johnson dropped it, than to drop it from the ten similar words in which
that author retained it! And not only so, he argues against the principle
of his own aphorism; and says, "It is certainly to be feared that, if this
pruning of our words of all the superfluous letters, as they are called,
should be much farther indulged, we shall quickly antiquate our most
respectable authors, and irreparably maim our language."--_Walker's Rhyming
Dict._, p. xvii.
OBS. 27.--No attempt to subject our orthography to a system of phonetics,
seems likely to meet with general favour, or to be free from objection, if
it should. For words are not mere sounds, and in their _orthography_ more
is implied than in _phonetics_, or _phonography_. Ideographic forms have,
in general, the advantage of preserving the identity, history, and lineage
of words; and these are important matters in respect to which phonetic
writing is very liable to be deficient. Dr. Johnson, about a century ago,
observed, "There have been many schemes offered for the emendation and
settlement of our orthography, which, like that of other nations, being
formed by chance, or according to the fancy of the earliest writers in rude
ages, was at first very various and uncertain, and [is] as yet sufficiently
irregular. Of these reformers some have endeavoured to accommodate
orthography better to the pronunciation, without considering that this is
to measure by a shadow, to take that for a model or standard which is
changing while they apply it. Others, less absurdly indeed, but with equal
unlikelihood of success, have endeavoured to proportion the number of
letters to that of sounds, that every sound may have its own character, and
every character a single sound. Such would be the orthography of a new
language to be formed by a synod of grammarians upon principles of science.
But who can hope to prevail on nations to change their practice, and make
all their old books useless? or what advantage would a new orthography
procure equivalent to the confusion and perplexity of such an
alteration?"--_Johnson's Grammar before Quarto Dict._, p. 4.
OBS. 28.--Among these reformers of our alphabet and orthography, of whose
schemes he gives examples, the Doctor mentions, first, "_Sir Thomas Smith_,
secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth, a man of real learning, and much
practised in grammatical disquisitions;" who died in 1597;--next, "_Dr.
Gill_, the celebrated master of St. Paul's School in London;" who died in
1635;--then, "_Charles Butler_, a man who did not want an understanding
which might have qualified him for better employment;" who died in
1647;--and, lastly, "_Bishop Wilkins_, of Chester, a learned and ingenious
critic, who is said to have proposed his scheme, without expecting to be
followed;" he died in 1672.
OBS. 29.--From this time, there was, so far as I know, no noticeable
renewal of such efforts, till about the year 1790, when, as it is shown
above on page 134 of my Introduction, _Dr. Webster_, (who was then only
"_Noah Webster, Jun._, attorney at law,") attempted to spell all words as
they are spoken, without revising the alphabet--a scheme which his
subsequent experience before many years led him to abandon. Such a
reformation was again attempted, about forty years after, by an other young
lawyer, the late lamented _Thomas S. Grimke_, of South Carolina, but with
no more success. More recently, phonography, or phonetic writing, has been
revived, and to some extent spread, by the publications of _Isaac Pitman_,
of Bath, England, and of _Dr. Andrew Comstock_, of Philadelphia. The system
of the former has been made known in America chiefly by the lectures and
other efforts of _Andrews and Boyle_, of _Dr. Stone_, a citizen of Boston,
and of _E. Webster_, a publisher in Philadelphia.
OBS. 30.--The
pronunciation of words being evidently as deficient in regularity, in
uniformity, and in stability, as is their orthography, if not more so,
cannot be conveniently made the measure of their written expression.
Concerning the principle of writing and printing by sounds alone, a recent
writer delivers his opinion thus: "Let me here observe, as something not
remote from our subject, but, on the contrary, directly bearing upon it,
that I can conceive no [other] method of so effectually defacing and
barbarizing our English tongue, no [other] scheme that would go so far to
empty it, practically at least and for us, of all the hoarded wit, wisdom,
imagination, and history which it contains, to cut the vital nerve which
connects its present with the past, as the introduction of the scheme of
'phonetic spelling,' which some have lately been zealously advocating among
us; the principle of which is, that all words should be spelt according as
they are sounded, that the writing should be, in every case, subordinated
to the speaking. The tacit assumption that it ought so to be, is the
pervading error running through the whole system."--_R. C. Trench, on the
Study of Words_, p. 177.
OBS. 31.--The phonographic system of stenography, tachygraphy, or
short-hand writing, is, I incline to believe, a very great improvement upon
the earlier methods. It is perhaps the most reliable mode of taking down
speeches, sermons, or arguments, during their delivery, and reporting them
for the press; though I cannot pronounce upon this from any experience of
my own in the _practice_ of the art. And it seems highly probable, if it
has not been fully proved, that children may at first be taught to read
more readily, and with better articulation, from phonetic print, or
_phonotypy_, as it has been called, than from books that exhibit words in
their current or established orthography. But still it is questionable
whether it is not best for them to learn each word at first by its peculiar
or ideographic form--the form in which they must ultimately learn to read
it, and which indeed constitutes its only _orthography_.
IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.
ERRORS IN SPELLING.
UNDER RULE I.--OF FINAL F, L, OR S.
"He wil observe the moral law, in hiz conduct."--_Webster's Essays_, p.
320.
[FORMULES--1. Not proper, because the word "_wil_" is here spelled with one
_l_. But, according to Rule 1st, "Monosyllables ending in _f, l_, or _s_,
preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant." Therefore, this
_l_ should be doubled; thus, _will_.
2. Not proper again, because the word "_hiz_" is here spelled with _z_.
But, according to the exceptions to Rule 1st, "The words _as, gas, has,
was, yes, his_, &c., are written with single _s_." Therefore, this _z_
should be _s_; thus, _his_.]
"A clif is a steep bank, or a precipitous rock."--See _Rhyming Dict._ "A
needy man's budget is ful of schemes."--_Old Adage_. "Few large
publications in this country wil pay a printer."--_Noah Webster's Essays_,
p. x. "I shal, with cheerfulness, resign my other papers to
oblivion."--_Ib._, p. x. "The proposition waz suspended til the next
session of the legislature."--_Ib._, p. 362. "Tenants for life wil make the
most of lands for themselves."--_Ib._, p. 366. "While every thing iz left
to lazy negroes, a state wil never be wel cultivated."--_Ib._, p. 367. "The
heirs of the original proprietors stil hold the soil."--_Ib._, p. 349. "Say
my annual profit on money loaned shal be six per cent."--_Ib._, p. 308. "No
man would submit to the drudgery of business, if he could make money az
fast by lying stil."--_Ib._, p. 310. "A man may az wel feed himself with a
bodkin, az with a knife of the present fashion."--_Ib._, p. 400. "The
clothes wil be ill washed, the food wil be badly cooked; and you wil be
ashamed of your wife, if she iz not ashamed of herself."--_Ib._, p. 404.
"He wil submit to the laws of the state, while he iz a member of
it."--_Ib._, p. 320. "But wil our sage writers on law forever think by
tradition?"--_Ib._, p. 318. "Some stil retain a sovereign power in their
territories."--_Ib._, p. 298. "They sel images, prayers, the sound of bels,
remission of sins, &c."--_Perkins's Theology_, p. 401. "And the law had
sacrifices offered every day for the sins of al the people."--_Ib._, p.
406. "Then it may please the Lord, they shal find it to be a
restorative."--_Ib._, p. 420. "Perdition is repentance put of til a future
day."--_Old Maxim_. "The angels of God, which wil good and cannot wil evil,
have nevertheless perfect liberty of wil."--_Perkins's Theology_, p. 716.
"Secondly, this doctrine cuts off the excuse of al sin."--_Ib._, p. 717.
"Knel, the sound of a bell rung at a funeral."--_Johnson_ and _Walker_.
"If gold with dros or grain with chaf you find,
Select--and leave the chaf and dros behind."--_Author_.
UNDER RULE II.--OF OTHER FINALS.
"The mobb hath many heads, but no brains."--_Old Maxim_.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_mobb_" is here spelled with
double _b_. But, according to Rule 2d, "Words ending in any other consonant
than _f, l_, or _s_, do not double the final letter." Therefore, this _b_
should be single: thus, _mob_.]
"Clamm, to clog with any glutinous or viscous matter."--_Johnson's Dict._
"Whurr, to pronounce the letter _r_ with too much force."--_Ib._ "Flipp, a
mixed liquor, consisting of beer and spirits sweetened."--_Ib._ "Glynn, a
hollow between two mountains, a glen."--_Churchill's Grammar_, p. 22.
"Lamm, to beat soundly with a cudgel or bludgeon."--_Walker's Dict._ "Bunn,
a small cake, a simnel, a kind of sweet bread."--See _ib._ "Brunett, a
woman with a brown complexion."--_Ib._ and _Johnson's Dict._ "Wad'sett, an
ancient tenure or lease of land in the Highlands of Scotland."--_Webster's
Dict._ "To _dodd_ sheep, is to cut the wool away about their tails."--_Ib._
"_In aliquem arietare_, CIC. To run full but at one."--_Walker's
Particles_, p. 95. "Neither your policy nor your temper would permitt you
to kill me."--_Philological Museum_, Vol. i, p. 427. "And admitt none but
his own offspring to fulfill them."--_Ib._, i, 437. "The summ of all this
Dispute is, that some make them Participles," &c.--_Johnson's Gram._
_Com._, p. 352. "As, the _whistling_ of winds, the _buz_ and _hum_ of
insects, the _hiss_ of serpents, the _crash_ of falling timber."--_Blair's
Rhet._, p. 129; _Adam's Lat. Gram._, p. 247; _Gould's_, 238. "Vann, to
winnow, or a fan for winnowing."--_Walker's Rhyming Dict._ "Creatures that
buz, are very commonly such as will sting."--_Author_ "Begg, buy, or
borrow; butt beware how you find."--_Id._ "It is better to have a house to
lett, than a house to gett."--_Id._ "Let not your tongue cutt your
throat."--_Old Precept_. "A little witt will save a fortunate man."--_Old
Adage_. "There is many a slipp 'twixt the cup and the lipp."--_Id._
"Mothers' darlings make but milksopp heroes."--_Id._ "One eye-witness is
worth tenn hearsays."--_Id._
"The judge shall jobb, the bishop bite the town,
And mighty dukes pack cards for half a crown."--POPE:
_in Joh. Dict., w. Pack._
UNDER RULE III.--OF DOUBLING.
"Friz, to curl; frized, curled; frizing, curling."--_Webster's Dict._, 8vo.
Ed. of 1829.
[FORMULE--Not proper, because the words "_frized_" and "_frizing_" are here
spelled with the single _z_, of their primitive _friz_. But, according to
Rule 3d, "Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable, when they
end with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double their final
consonant before an additional syllable that begins with a vowel."
Therefore, this _z_ should be doubled; thus, _frizzed, frizzing_.]
"The commercial interests served to foster the principles of
Whigism."--_Payne's Geog._, Vol. ii, p. 511. "Their extreme indolence
shuned every species of labour."--_Robertson's Amer._, Vol. i, p. 341. "In
poverty and stripedness they attend their little meetings."--_The Friend_,
Vol. vii, p. 256. "In guiding and controling[126] the power you have thus
obtained."--_Abbott's Teacher_, p. 15. "I began, Thou beganest, He began;
We began, You began, They began."--_Alex. Murray's Gram._, p. 92. "Why does
_began_ change its ending; as, I began, Thou beganest?"--_Ib._, p. 93.
"Truth and conscience cannot be controled by any methods of
coercion."--_Hints on Toleration_, p. xvi. "Dr. Webster noded, when he
wrote 'knit, kniter, and knitingneedle' without doubling the _t_."--See
_El. Spelling-Book_, 1st Ed., p. 136. "A wag should have wit enough to know
when other wags are quizing him."--_G. Brown_. "Bon'y, handsome, beautiful,
merry."--_Walker's Rhyming Dict._ "Coquetish, practicing coquetry; after
the manner of a jilt."--_Webster's Dict._ "Potage, a species of food, made
of meat and vegetables boiled to softness in water."--See _ib._ "Potager,
from potage, a porringer, a small vessel for children's food."--See _ib._,
and _Worcester's_. "Compromit, compromited, compromiting; manumit,
manumitted, manumitting."--_Webster_. "Inferible; that may be inferred or
deduced from premises."--_Red Book_, p. 228. "Acids are either solid,
liquid, or gaseous."--_Gregory's Dict., art. Chemistry_. "The spark will
pass through the interrupted space between the two wires, and explode the
gases."--_Ib._ "Do we sound _gases_ and _gaseous_ like _cases_ and
_caseous?_ No: they are more like _glasses_ and _osseous_."--_G. Brown_. "I
shall not need here to mention _Swiming_, when he is of an age able to
learn."--_Locke, on Ed._, p. 12. "Why do lexicographers spell _thinnish_
and _mannish_ with two Ens, and _dimish_ and _ramish_ with one Em,
each?"--See _Johnson_ and _Webster_. "_Gas_ forms the plural regularly,
_gases_."--_O. B. Peirce's Gram._, p. 38. "Singular, Gas; Plural,
Gases."--_S. W. Clark's Gram._, p. 47. "These are contractions from
_sheded, bursted_."--_Hiley's Grammar_, p. 45. "The Present Tense denotes
what is occuring at the present time."--_Day's Gram._, p. 36, and p. 61.
"The verb ending in _eth_ is of the solemn or antiquated style; as, he
loveth, he walketh, he runeth."--_P. Davis's Gram._, p. 34.
"Thro' freedom's sons no more remonstrance rings,
Degrading nobles and controling kings."--_Murray's Sequel_, p. 292.
UNDER RULE IV.--NO DOUBLING.
"A bigotted and tyrannical clergy will be feared."--_Brown's Estimate_,
Vol. ii, p. 78.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the final _t_ of _bigot_ is here doubled in
"_bigotted_." But, according to Rule 4th, "A final consonant, when it is
not preceded by a single vowel, or when the accent is not on the last
syllable, should remain single before an additional syllable." Therefore,
this _t_ should be single; thus, _bigoted_.]
"Jacob worshipped his Creator, leaning on the top of his staff."--_Key in
Merchant's Gram._, p. 185. "For it is all marvelously destitute of
interest."--_Merchant's Criticisms_. "As, box, boxes; church, churches;
lash, lashes; kiss, kisses; rebus, rebusses."--_Murray's Gram._, 12mo, p.
42. "Gossipping and lying go hand in hand."--_Old Maxim_. "The substance of
the Criticisms on the Diversions of Purley was, with singular industry,
gossipped by the present precious secretary of war, in Payne the
bookseller's shop."--See _Key_. "Worship makes worshipped, worshipper,
worshipping; gossip, gossipped, gossipper, gossipping; fillip, fillipped,
fillipper, fillipping."--_Nixon's Parser_, p. 72. "I became as fidgetty as
a fly in a milk-jug."--_Blackwood's Mag._, Vol. xl, p. 674. "That enormous
error seems to be rivetted in popular opinion."--_Webster's Essays_, p.
364. "Whose mind iz not biassed by personal attachments to a
sovereign."--_Ib._, p. 318. "Laws against usury originated in a bigotted
prejudice against the Jews."--_Ib._, p. 315. "The most criticcal period of
life iz usually between thirteen and seventeen."--_Ib._, p. 388.
"Generallissimo, the chief commander of an army or military force."--See
_El. Spelling-Book_, p. 93. "Tranquillize, to quiet, to make calm and
peaceful."--_Ib._, p. 133. "Pommeled, beaten, bruised; having pommels, as a
sword or dagger."--_Webster_ and _Chalmers_. "From what a height does the
jeweler look down upon his shoemaker!"--_Red Book_, p. 108. "You will have
a verbal account from my friend and fellow traveler."--_Ib._, p. 155. "I
observe that you have written the word _counseled_ with one _l_
only."--_Ib._, p. 173. "They were offended at such as combatted these
notions."--_Robertson's America_, Vol. ii, p. 437. "From libel, come
libeled, libeler, libeling, libelous; from grovel, groveled, groveler,
groveling; from gravel, graveled and graveling."--See _Webster's Dict._
"Wooliness, the state of being woolly."--_Ib._ "Yet he has spelled
chappelling, bordeller, medallist, metalline, metallist, metallize,
clavellated, &c. with _ll_, contrary to his rule."--_Cobb's Review of
Webster_, p. 11. "Again, he has spelled cancelation and snively with single
_l_, and cupellation, pannellation, wittolly, with _ll_."--_Ib._ "Oilly,
fatty, greasy, containing oil, glib."--_Rhyming Dict._ "Medallist, one
curious in medals; Metallist, one skilled in metals."--_Johnson, Webster,
Worcester, Cobb, et al._ "He is benefitted."--_Town's Spelling-Book_, p. 5.
"They traveled for pleasure."--_S. W. Clark's Gram._, p. 101.
"Without you, what were man? A groveling herd,
In darkness, wretchedness, and want enchain'd."
--_Beattie's Minstrel_, p. 40.
UNDER RULE V.--OF FINAL CK.
"He hopes, therefore, to be pardoned by the critick."--_Kirkham's Gram._,
p. 10.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_critick_" is here spelled with a
final _k_. But, according to Rule 5th, "Monosyllables and English verbs end
not with _c_, but take _ck_ for double _c_; as, rack, wreck, rock, attack:
but, in general, words derived from the learned languages need not the _k_,
and common use discards it." Therefore, this _k_ should be omitted; thus,
_critic_.]
"The leading object of every publick speaker should be to
persuade."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 153. "May not four feet be as poetick
as five; or fifteen feet, as poetick as fifty?"--_Ib._, p. 146. "Avoid all
theatrical trick and mimickry, and especially all scholastick
stiffness."--_Ib._, p. 154. "No one thinks of becoming skilled in dancing,
or in musick, or in mathematicks, or logick, without long and close
application to the subject."--_Ib._, p. 152. "Caspar's sense of feeling,
and susceptibility of metallick and magnetick excitement were also very
extraordinary."--_Ib._, p. 238. "Authorship has become a mania, or, perhaps
I should say, an epidemick."--_Ib._, p. 6. "What can prevent this republick
from soon raising a literary standard?"--_Ib._, p. 10. "Courteous reader,
you may think me garrulous upon topicks quite foreign to the subject before
me."--_Ib._, p. 11. "Of the Tonick, Subtonick, and Atoniek
elements."--_Ib._, p. 15. "The subtonick elements are inferiour to the
tonicks in all the emphatick and elegant purposes of speech."--_Ib._, p.
32. "The nine atonicks, and the three abrupt subtonicks cause an
interruption to the continuity of the syllabick impulse."--_Ib._, p. 37.
"On scientifick principles, conjunctions and prepositions are but one part
of speech."--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 120. "That some inferior animals should
be able to mimic human articulation, will not seem wonderful."--_Murray's
Gram._, 8vo, Vol. i, p. 2.
"When young, you led a life monastick,
And wore a vest ecelesiastick;
Now, in your age, you grow fantastick."--_Johnson's Dict._
UNDER RULE VI.--OF RETAINING.
"Fearlesness, exemption from fear, intrepidity."--_Johnson's Dict._
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_fearlesness_" is here allowed to
drop one _s_ of _fearless_. But, according to Rule 6th, "Words ending with
any double letter, preserve it double before any additional termination not
beginning with the same letter." Therefore, the other _s_ should be
inserted; thus, _fearlessness_.]
"Dreadlesness; fearlesness, intrepidity, undauntedness."--_Johnson's Dict._
"Regardlesly, without heed; Regardlesness, heedlessness,
inattention."--_Ib._ "Blamelesly, innocently; Blamlesness,
innocence."--_Ib._ "That is better than to be flattered into pride and
carelesness."--TAYLOR: _Joh. Dict._ "Good fortunes began to breed a proud
recklesness in them."--SIDNEY: _ib._ "See whether he lazily and listlesly
dreams away his time."--LOCKE: _ib._ "It may be, the palate of the soul is
indisposed by listlesness or sorrow."--TAYLOR: _ib._ "Pitilesly, without
mercy; Pitilesness, unmercifulness."--_Johnson_. "What say you to such as
these? abominable, accordable, agreable, &c."--_Tooke's Diversions_, Vol.
ii, p. 432. "Artlesly; naturally, sincerely, without craft."--_Johnson_. "A
chilness, or shivering of the body, generally precedes a fever."--_Murray's
Key_, p. 167. "Smalness; littleness, minuteness, weakness."--_Rhyming
Dict._ "Gall-less, a. free from gall or bitterness."--_Webster's Dict._
"Talness; height of stature, upright length with comparative
slenderness."--See _Johnson et al_. "Wilful; stubborn, contumacious,
perverse, inflexible."--_Id._ "He guided them by the skilfulness of his
hands."--_Psal._ lxxviii, 72. "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness
thereof."--_Murray's Key_, p. 172. "What is now, is but an amasment of
imaginary conceptions."--GLANVILLE: _Joh. Dict._ "Embarrasment; perplexity,
entanglement."--See _Littleton's Dict._ "The second is slothfulness,
whereby they are performed slackly and carelesly."--_Perkins's Theology_,
p. 729. "Instalment; induction into office; part of a large sum of money,
to be paid at a particular time."--See _Johnson's Dict._ "Inthralment;
servitude, slavery."--_Ib._
"I, who at some times spend, at others spare,
Divided between carelesness and care."--_Pope_.
UNDER RULE VII.--OF RETAINING.
"Shall, on the contrary, in the first person, simply foretels."--_Murray's
Gram._, p. 88; _Ingersoll's_, 136; _Fisk's_, 78; _Jaudon's_, 59; _A.
Flint's_, 42; _Wright's_, 90; _Bullions's_, 32.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_foretels_" does not here retain
the double _l_ of _tell_. But, according to Rule 7th, "Words ending with
any double letter, preserve it double in all derivatives formed from them
by means of prefixes." Therefore, the other _l_ should be inserted; thus,
_foretells_.]
"There are a few compound irregular verbs, as _befal, bespeak_,
&c."--_Ash's Gram._, p. 46. "That we might frequently recal it to our
memory."--_Calvin's Institutes_, p. 112. "The angels exercise a constant
solicitude that no evil befal us."--_Ib._, p. 107. "Inthral; to enslave, to
shackle, to reduce to servitude."--_Walker's Dict._ "He makes resolutions,
and fulfils them by new ones."--_Red Book_, p. 138. "To enrol my humble
name upon the list of authors on Elocution."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 12.
"Forestal; to anticipate, to take up beforehand."--_Walker's Rhym. Dict._
"Miscal; to call wrong, to name improperly."--_Johnson_. "Bethral; to
enslave, to reduce to bondage."--See _id._ "Befal; to happen to, to come to
pass."--_Rhym. Dict._ "Unrol; to open what is rolled or
convolved."--_Johnson_. "Counterrol; to keep copies of accounts to prevent
frauds."--See _id._ "As Sisyphus uprols a rock, which constantly overpowers
him at the summit."--_Author_. "Unwel; not well, indisposed, not in good
health."--See _Red Book_, p. 336. "Undersel; to defeat by selling for less,
to sell cheaper than an other."--See _id._, p. 332. "Inwal; to enclose or
fortify with a wall."--See _id._, p. 295. "Twibil; an instrument with two
bills, or with a point and a blade; a pickaxe, a mattock, a halberd, a
battle-axe."--See _Dict._ "What you miscal their folly, is their
care."--_Dryden_. "My heart will sigh when I miscal it so."--_Shakspeare_.
"But if the arrangement recal one set of ideas more readily than
another."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 130.
"'Tis done; and since 'tis done, 'tis past recal;
And since 'tis past recal, must be forgotten."--_Dryden_.
UNDER RULE VIII.--OF FINAL LL.
"The righteous is taken away from the evill to come."--_Perkins's Works_,
p. 417.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_evill_" is here written with
final _ll_. But, according to Rule 8th, "Final _ll_ is peculiar to
monosyllables and their compounds, with the few derivatives formed from
such roots by prefixes; consequently, all other words that end in _l_, must
be terminated with a single _l_." Therefore, one _l_ should be here
omitted; thus, _evil_.]
"Patroll; to go the rounds in a camp or garrison, to march about and
observe what passes."--_Webster's Amer. Dict._, 8vo. "Marshall; the chief
officer of arms, one who regulates rank and order."--See _Bailey's Dict._
"Weevill; a destructive grub that gets among corn."--See _Rhym. Dict._ "It
much excells all other studies and arts."--_Walker's Particles_, p. 217.
"It is essentiall to all magnitudes, to be in one place."--_Perkins's
Works_, p. 403. "By nature I was thy vassall, but Christ hath redeemed
me."--_Ib._, p. 404. "Some, being in want, pray for temporall
blessings."--_Ib._, p. 412. "And this the Lord doth, either in temporall or
spirituall benefits."--_Ib._, p. 415. "He makes an idoll of them, by
setting his heart on them."--_Ib._, p. 416. "This triall by desertion
serveth for two purposes."--_Ib._, p. 420. "Moreover, this destruction is
both perpetuall and terrible."--_Ib._, p. 726. "Giving to severall men
several gifts, according to his good pleasure."--_Ib._, p. 731. "Untill; to
some time, place, or degree, mentioned."--See _Red Book_, p. 330. "Annull;
to make void, to nullify, to abrogate, to abolish." "Nitric acid combined
with argill, forms the nitrate of argill."--_Gregory's Dict., art.
Chemistry_.
"Let modest Foster, if he will, excell
Ten Metropolitans in preaching well."--_Pope_, p. 414.
UNDER RULE IX.--OF FINAL E.
"Adjectives ending in _able_ signify capacity; as, _comfortable, tenable,
improvable_."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 33.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_improveable_" here retains the
final _e_ of _improve_. But, according to Rule 9th, "The final _e_ of a
primitive word is generally omitted before an additional termination
beginning with a vowel." Therefore, this _e_ should be omitted; thus,
_improvable_.]
"Their mildness and hospitality are ascribeable to a general administration
of religious ordinances."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 336. "Retrench as much as
possible without obscureing the sense."--_James Brown's Amer. Gram._, 1821,
p. 11. "Changable, subject to change; Unchangeable, immutable."--_Walker's
Rhym. Dict._ "Tameable, susceptive of taming; Untameable, not to be
tamed."--_Ib._ "Reconcileable, Unreconcileable, Reconcileableness;
Irreconcilable, Irreconcilably, Irreconcilableness."--_Johnson's Dict._ "We
have thought it most adviseable to pay him some little attention."--
_Merchants Criticisms_. "Proveable, that may be proved; Reprovable.
blameable, worthy of reprehension."--_Walker's Dict._ "Moveable and
Immovable, Moveably and Immovably, Moveables and Removal, Moveableness and
Improvableness, Unremoveable and Unimprovable, Unremoveably and Removable,
Proveable and Approvable, Irreproveable and Reprovable, Unreproveable and
Improvable, Unimproveableness and Improvably."--_Johnson's Dict._ "And with
this cruelty you are chargable in some measure yourself."--_Collier's
Antoninus_, p. 94. "Mothers would certainly resent it, as judgeing it
proceeded from a low opinion of the genius of their sex."--_British Gram.,
Pref._, p. xxv. "Titheable, subject to the payment of tithes; Saleable,
vendible, fit for sale; Loseable, possible to be lost; Sizeable, of
reasonable bulk or size."--_Walker's Rhyming Dict._ "When he began this
custom, he was puleing and very tender."--_Locke, on Ed._, p. 8.
"The plate, coin, revenues, and moveables,
Whereof our uncle Gaunt did stand possess'd."--_Shak._
UNDER RULE X.--OF FINAL E.
"Diversly; in different ways, differently, variously."--_Rhym. Dict._, and
_Webster's_.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_Diversly_" here omits the final
_e_ of its primitive word, _diverse_. But, according to Rule 10th, "The
final _e_ of a primitive word is generally retained before an additional
termination beginning with a consonant." Therefore, this _e_ should be
retained; thus, _Diversely_.]
"The event thereof contains a wholsome instruction."--_Bacon's Wisdom of
the Ancients_, p. 17. "Whence Scaliger falsly concluded that articles were
useless."--_Brightland's Gram._, p. 94. "The child that we have just seen
is wholesomly fed."--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 187. "Indeed, falshood and
legerdemain sink the character of a prince."--_Collier's Antoninus_, p. 5.
"In earnest, at this rate of managment, thou usest thyself very
coarsly."--_Ib._, p. 19. "To give them an arrangment and diversity, as
agreeable as the nature of the subject would admit"--_Murray's Pref. to
Ex._, p. vi. "Alger's Grammar is only a trifling enlargment of Murray's
little Abridgment."--_Author_. "You ask whether you are to retain or omit
the mute _e_ in the word judgment, abridgment, acknowledgment, lodgment,
adjudgment, and prejudgment."--_Red Book_, p. 172. "Fertileness,
fruitfulness; Fertily, fruitfully, abundantly."--_Johnson's Dict._
"Chastly, purely, without contamination; Chastness, chastity,
purity."--_Ib._, and _Walker's_. "Rhymster, _n._ One who makes rhymes; a
versifier; a mean poet."--_Johnson_ and _Webster_. "It is therefore an
heroical achievment to dispossess this imaginary monarch."--_Berkley's
Minute Philos._, p. 151. "Whereby, is not meant the Present Time, as he
imagins, but the Time Past."--_Johnson's Gram. Com._, p. 344 "So far is
this word from affecting the noun, in regard to its definitness, that its
own character of definitness or indefinitness, depends upon the name to
which it is prefixed."--_Webster's Philosophical Gram._, p. 20.
"Satire, by wholsome Lessons, wou'd reclaim,
And heal their Vices to secure their Fame."
--_Brightland's Gr._, p. 171.
UNDER RULE XI.--OF FINAL Y.
"Solon's the veryest fool in all the play."--_Dryden, from Persius_, p.
475.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_veryest_" here retains the final
_y_ of its primitive _very_. But, according to Rule 13th, "The final _y_ of
a primitive word, when preceded by a consonant, is generally changed into
_i_ before an additional termination." Therefore, this _y_ should be
changed to _i_; thus, _veriest_.]
"Our author prides himself upon his great slyness and
shrewdness."--_Merchant's Criticisms_. "This tense, then, implys also the
signification of _Debeo_."--_B. Johnson's Gram. Com._, p. 300. "That may be
apply'd to a Subject, with respect to something accidental."--_Ib._, p.
133. "This latter accompanys his Note with a distinction."--_Ib._, p. 196.
"This Rule is defective, and none of the Annotators have sufficiently
supply'd it."--_Ib._, p. 204. "Though the fancy'd Supplement of Sanctius,
Scioppius, Vossius, and Mariangelus, may take place."--_Ib._, p. 276. "Yet
as to the commutableness of these two Tenses, which is deny'd likewise,
they are all one."--_Ib._, p. 311. "Both these Tenses may represent a
Futurity implyed by the dependence of the Clause."--_Ib._, p. 332. "Cry,
cries, crying, cried, crier, decrial; Shy, shyer, shyest, shyly, shyness;
Fly, flies, flying, flier, high-flier; Sly, slyer, slyest, slyly, slyness;
Spy, spies, spying, spied, espial; Dry, drier, driest, dryly,
dryness."--_Cobb's Dict._ "Cry, cried, crying, crier, cryer, decried,
decrier, decrial; Shy, shyly, shily, shyness, shiness; Fly, flier, flyer,
high-flyer; Sly, slily, slyly, sliness, slyness; Ply, plyer, plying,
pliers, complied, compiler; Dry, drier, dryer, dryly, dryness."--_Webster's
Dict._, 8vo. "Cry, crier, decrier, decrial; Shy, shily, shyly, shiness,
shyness; Fly, flier, flyer, high-flier; Sly, slily, slyly, sliness,
slyness; Ply, pliers, plyers, plying, complier; Dry, drier, dryer, dryly,
dryness."--_Chalmers's Abridgement of Todd's Johnson_. "I would sooner
listen to the thrumming of a dandyzette at her piano."--_Kirkham's
Elocution_, p. 24. "Send her away; for she cryeth after us."--_Felton's
Gram._, p. 140. "IVYED, _a._ Overgrown with ivy."--_Todd's Dict._, and
_Webster's_.
"Some dryly plain, without invention's aid,
Write dull receipts how poems may be made."--_Pope_.
UNDER RULE XII.--OF FINAL Y.
"The gaiety of youth should be tempered by the precepts of age."--_Mur.
Key_, p. 175.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_gaiety_" does not here retain the
final _y_ of the primitive word _gay_. But, according to Rule 12th, "The
final _y_ of a primitive word, when preceded by a vowel, should not be
changed into _i_ before an additional termination." Therefore, this _y_
should be retained; thus, _gayety_.]
"In the storm of 1703, two thousand stacks of chimnies were blown down, in
and about London."--See _Red Book_, p. 112. "And the vexation was not
abated by the hacknied plea of haste."--_Ib._, p. 142. "The fourth sin of
our daies is lukewarmness."--_Perkins's Works_, p. 725. "God hates the
workers of iniquity, and destroies them that speak lies."--_Ib._, p. 723.
"For, when he laies his hand upon us, we may not fret."--_Ib._, p. 726.
"Care not for it; but if thou maiest be free, choose it rather."--_Ib._, p.
736. "Alexander Severus saith, 'He that buieth, must sell: I will not
suffer buyers and sellers of offices.'"--_Ib._, p. 737. "With these
measures fell in all monied men."--SWIFT: _Johnson's Dict._ "But rattling
nonsense in full vollies breaks."--POPE: _ib., w. Volley_. "Vallies are the
intervals betwixt mountains."--WOODWARD: _ib._ "The Hebrews had fifty-two
journies or marches."--_Wood's Dict._ "It was not possible to manage or
steer the gallies thus fastened together."--_Goldsmith's Greece_, Vol. ii,
p. 106. "Turkies were not known to naturalists till after the discovery of
America."--_See Gregory's Dict._ "I would not have given it for a
wilderness of monkies."--See _Key_. "Men worked at embroidery, especially
in abbies."--_Constable's Miscellany_, Vol. xxi, p. 101. "By which all
purchasers or mortgagees may be secured of all monies they lay
out."--TEMPLE: _Johnson's Dict._ "He would fly to the mines and the gallies
for his recreation."--SOUTH: _Ib._
"Here pullies make the pond'rous oak ascend."--GAY: _ib._
------------"You need my help, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies."--SHAKSPEARE: _ib._
UNDER RULE XIII.--OF IZE AND ISE.
"Will any able writer authorise other men to revise his works?"--_Author._
[FORMULES.--1. Not proper, because the word "_authorise_" is here written
with _s_ in the last syllable, in stead of _z_. But, according to Rule
13th, "Words ending in _ize_ or _ise_ sounded alike, as in _wise_ and
_size_, generally take the _z_ in all such as are essentially formed by
means of the termination." Therefore, this _s_ should be _z_; thus,
_authorize_.
2. Not proper again, because the word "_revize_" is here written with _z_
in the last syllable, in lieu of _s_. But, according to Rule 13th, "Words
ending in _ize_ or _ise_ sounded alike, as in _wise_ and _size_, generally
take the _s_, in monosyllables, and all such as are essentially formed by
means of prefixes." Therefore, this _z_ should be _s_; thus, _revise_.]
"It can be made as strong and expressive as this Latinised
English."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 295. "Governed by the success or the
failure of an enterprize."--_Ib._, Vol. ii, pp. 128 and 259. "Who have
patronised the cause of justice against powerful oppressors."--_Ib._, pp.
94 and 228; _Merchant_, p. 199. "Yet custom authorises this use of
it."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 148. "They surprize myself, * * * and I even
think the writers themselves will be surprized."--_Ib._, Pref., p. xi. "Let
the interest rize to any sum which can be obtained."--_Webster's Essays_,
p. 310. "To determin what interest shall arize on the use of
money."--_Ib._, p. 313. "To direct the popular councils and check a rizing
opposition."--_Ib._, p. 335. "Five were appointed to the immediate exercize
of the office."--_Ib._, p. 340. "No man ever offers himself [as] a
candidate by advertizing."--_Ib._, p. 344. "They are honest and economical,
but indolent, and destitute of enterprize."--_Ib._, p. 347. "I would
however advize you to be cautious."--_Ib._, p. 404. "We are accountable for
whatever we patronise in others."--_Murray's Key_, p. 175. "After he was
baptised, and was solemnly admitted into the office."--_Perkins's Works_,
p. 732. "He will find all, or most of them, comprized in the
Exercises."--_British Gram._, Pref., p. v. "A quick and ready habit of
methodising and regulating their thoughts."--_Ib._, p. xviii. "To tyrannise
over the time and patience of his reader."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. iii.
"Writers of dull books, however, if patronised at all, are rewarded beyond
their deserts."--_Ib._, p. v. "A little reflection, will show the reader
the propriety and the _reason_ for emphasising the words marked."--_Ib._,
p. 163. "The English Chronicle contains an account of a surprizing
cure."--_Red Book_, p. 61. "Dogmatise, to assert positively; Dogmatizer, an
asserter, a magisterial teacher."--_Chalmers's Dict._ "And their
inflections might now have been easily analysed."--_Murray's Gram._, 8vo,
Vol. i, p. 113. "Authorize, disauthorise, and unauthorized; Temporize,
contemporise, and extemporize."--_Walkers Dict._ "Legalize, equalise,
methodise, sluggardize, womanise, humanize, patronise, cantonize,
gluttonise, epitomise, anatomize, phlebotomise, sanctuarise, characterize,
synonymise, recognise, detonize, colonise."--_Ibid._
"This BEAUTY Sweetness always must comprize,
Which from the Subject, well express'd will rise."
--_Brightland's Gr._, p. 164.
UNDER RULE XIV.--OF COMPOUNDS.
"The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward."--COMMON BIBLES: _Isa._,
lviii, 8.
[FORMULE--Not proper, because the compound word "_rereward_" has not here
the orthography of the two simple words _rear_ and _ward_, which compose
it. But, according to Rule 14th, "Compounds generally retain the
orthography of the simple words which compose them." And, the accent being
here unfixed, a hyphen is proper. Therefore, this word should be spelled
thus, _rear-ward_.]
"A mere vaunt-courier to announce the coming of his master."--_Tooke's
Diversions_, Vol. i, p. 49. "The parti-coloured shutter appeared to come
close up before him."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 233. "When the day broke
upon this handfull of forlorn but dauntless spirits."--_Ib._, p. 245. "If,
upon a plumbtree, peaches and apricots are ingrafted, no body will say they
are the natural growth of the plumbtree."--_Berkley's Minute Philos._, p.
45. "The channel between Newfoundland and Labrador is called the Straits of
Bellisle."--_Worcester's Gaz._ "There being nothing that more exposes to
Headach." [127]--_Locke, on Education_, p. 6. "And, by a sleep, to say we
end the heartach."--SHAK.: _in Joh. Dict._ "He that sleeps, feels not the
toothach."--ID., _ibid._ "That the shoe must fit him, because it fitted his
father and granfather."--_Philological Museum_, Vol. i, p. 431. "A single
word, mispelt, in a letter, is sufficient to show, that you have received a
defective education."--_Bucke's Gram._, p. 3. "Which mistatement the
committee attributed to a failure of memory."--_Professors' Reasons_, p.
14. "Then he went through the Banquetting-House to the scaffold."--
_Smollett's England_, Vol. iii, p. 345. "For the purpose of maintaining a
clergyman and skoolmaster."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 355. "They however knew
that the lands were claimed by Pensylvania."--_Ib._, p. 357. "But if you
ask a reason, they immediately bid farewel to argument."--_Red Book_, p.
80. "Whom resist stedfast in the faith."--SCOTT: 1 _Peter_, v, 9. "And they
continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine."--_Acts_, ii, 42. "Beware
lest ye also fall from your own stedfastness."--_2 Peter_, iii, 17.
"_Galiot_, or _galliott_, a Dutch vessel, carrying a main-mast and a
mizen-mast."--_Web. Dict._ "Infinitive, to overflow; Preterit, overflowed;
Participle, overflown."--_Cobbett's E. Gram._, (1818,) p. 61. "After they
have mispent so much precious Time."--_British Gram._, p. xv. "Some say,
two _handsfull_; some, two _handfulls_; and others, two _handfull_."--
_Alex. Murray's Gram._, p. 106. "Lapfull, as much as the lap can
contain."--_Webster's Octavo Dict._ "Darefull, full of defiance."--
_Walker's Rhym. Dict._ "The road to the blissfull regions, is as open to
the peasant as to the king."--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 167. "Mis-spel is
_mis-spell_ in every Dictionary which I have seen."--_Barnes's Red Book_.
p. 303. "Downfal; ruin, calamity, fall from rank or state."--_Johnson's
Dict._ "The whole legislature likewize acts az a court."--_Webster's
Essays_, p. 340. "It were better a milstone were hanged about his
neck."--_Perkins's Works_, p. 731. "Plum-tree, a tree that produces plums;
Hog-plumbtree, a tree."--_Webster's Dict._ "Trisyllables ending in _re_ or
_le_, accent the first syllable."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 238.
"It happen'd on a summer's holiday,
That to the greenwood shade he took his way."
--_Churchill's Gr._, p. 135.
UNDER RULE XV.--OF USAGE.
"Nor are the modes of the Greek tongue more uniform."--_Murray's Gram._, p.
112.
[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_modes_" is here written for
_moods_, which is more common among the learned, and usually preferred by
Murray himself. But, according to Rule 15th, "Any word for the spelling of
which we have no rule but usage, is written wrong if not spelled according
to the usage which is most common among the learned." Therefore, the latter
form should be preferred; thus, _moods_, and not _modes_.]
"If we analize a conjunctive preterite, the rule will not appear to
hold."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 118. "No landholder would have been at that
expence."--_Ib._, p. 116. "I went to see the child whilst they were putting
on its cloaths."--_Ib._, p. 125. "This stile is ostentatious, and doth not
suit grave writing."--_Ib._, p. 82. "The king of Israel, and Jehosophat the
king of Judah, sat each on his throne."--_Mur. Gram._, p. 165, _twice_;
_Merchant's_, 89; _Churchill's_, 300. "The king of Israel, and Jehosaphat
the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 90;
_Harrison's_, 99; _Churchill's_, 138; _Wright's_, 148. "Lisias, speaking of
his friends, promised to his father, never to abandon them."--_Murray's
Gram._, Vol. ii, pp. 121 and 253. "Some, to avoid this errour, run into
it's opposite."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 199. "Hope, the balm of life,
sooths us under every misfortune."--_Merchants Key_, p. 204. "Any judgement
or decree might be heerd and reversed by the legislature."--_Webster's
Essays_, p. 340. "A pathetic harang wil skreen from punishment any
knave."--_Ib._, p. 341. "For the same reezon, the wimen would be improper
judges."--_Ibid._ "Every person iz indulged in worshiping az he
pleezes."--_Ib._, p. 345. "Most or all teechers are excluded from genteel
company."--_Ib._, p. 362. "The Kristian religion, in its purity, iz the
best institution on erth."--_Ib._, p. 364. "Neether clergymen nor human
laws hav the leest authority over the conscience."--_Ib._, p. 363. "A gild
is a society, fraternity, or corporation."--_Red Book_, p. 83. "Phillis was
not able to unty the knot, and so she cut it."--_Ib._, p. 46. "An aker of
land is the quantity of one hundred and sixty perches."--_Ib._, p. 93.
"Oker is a fossil earth combined with the oxid of some metal."--_Ib._, p.
96. "_Genii_, when denoting ærial spirits: _Geniuses_, when signifying
persons of genius."--_Mur.'s Gram._, i, p. 42. "_Genii_, when denoting
æriel spirits; _Geniuses_, when signifying persons of genius."--_Frost's
Gram._, p. 9. "_Genius_, Plu. _geniuses_, men of wit; but _genii_, ærial
beings."--_Nutting's Gram._, p. 18. "Aerisius, king of Argos, had a
beautiful daughter, whose name was Danæ."--_Classic Tales_, p. 109. "Phæton
was the son of Apollo and Clymene."--_Ib._, p. 152. "But, after all, I may
not have reached the intended Gaol."--_Buchanan's Syntax_, Pref., p. xxvii.
"'Pitticus was offered a large sum.' Better: 'A large sum was offered to
Pitticus.'"--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 187. "King Missipsi charged his sons to
respect the senate and people of Rome."--See _ib._, p. 161. "For example:
Gallileo invented the telescope."--_Ib._, pp. 54 and 67. "Cathmor's
warriours sleep in death."--_Ib._, p. 54. "For parsing will enable you to
detect and correct errours in composition."--_Ib._, p. 50.
"O'er barren mountains, o'er the flow'ry plain,
Extends thy uncontroul'd and boundless reign."--_Dryden_.
PROMISCUOUS ERRORS IN SPELLING.
LESSON I.--MIXED.
"A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critick."--POPE: _Johnson's
Dict., w. Former_. "Produce a single passage superiour to the speech of
Logan, a Mingo chief, delivered to Lord Dunmore, when governour of
Virginia."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 247. "We have none synonimous to
supply its place."--_Jamieson's Rhetoric_, p. 48. "There is a probability
that the effect will be accellerated."--_Ib._, p. 48. "Nay, a regard to
sound hath controuled the public choice."--_Ib._, p. 46. "Though learnt
from the uninterrupted use of gutterel sounds."--_Ib._, p. 5. "It is by
carefully filing off all roughness and inequaleties, that languages, like
metals, must be polished."--_Ib._, p. 48. "That I have not mispent my time
in the service of the community."--_Buchanan's Syntax_, Pref., p. xxviii.
"The leaves of maiz are also called blades."--_Webster's El.
Spelling-Book_, p. 43. "Who boast that they know what is past, and can
foretel what is to come."--_Robertson's Amer._, Vol. i, p. 360. "Its
tasteless dullness is interrupted by nothing but its perplexities."--
_Abbott's Teacher_, p. 18. "Sentences constructed with the Johnsonian
fullness and swell."--_Jamieson's Rhet._, p. 130. "The privilege of
escaping from his prefatory dullness and prolixity."--_Kirkham's
Elocution_, p. iv. "But in poetry this characteristick of dulness attains
its full growth."--_Ib._, p. 72. "The leading characteristick consists in
an increase of the force and fullness."--_Ib._, p. 71. "The character of
this opening fulness and feebler vanish."--_Ib._, p. 31. "Who, in the
fullness of unequalled power, would not believe himself the favourite of
heaven?"--_Ib._, p. 181. "They marr one another, and distract
him."--_Philological Museum_, Vol. i, p. 433. "Let a deaf worshipper of
antiquity and an English prosodist settle this."--_Rush, on the Voice_, p.
140. "This phillipic gave rise to my satirical reply in self-defence."--
_Merchant's Criticisms_. "We here saw no inuendoes, no new sophistry, no
falsehoods."--_Ib._ "A witty and humourous vein has often produced
enemies."--_Murray's Key_, p. 173. "Cry holla! to thy tongue, I pr'ythee:
it curvetts unseasonably."--_Shak._ "I said, in my slyest manner, 'Your
health, sir.'"--_Blackwood's Mag._, Vol. xl, p. 679. "And attornies also
travel the circuit in pursute of business."--_Red Book_, p. 83. "Some whole
counties in Virginia would hardly sel for the valu of the dets du from the
inhabitants."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 301. "They were called the court of
assistants, and exercized all powers legislativ and judicial."--_Ib._, p.
340. "Arithmetic is excellent for the guaging of liquors."--_Murray's
Gram._, 8vo, p. 288. "Most of the inflections may be analysed in a way
somewhat similar."--_Ib._, p. 112.
"To epithets allots emphatic state,
Whilst principals, ungrac'd, like lacquies wait."
--_C. Churchill's Ros._, p. 8.
LESSON II.--MIXED.
"Hence it [less] is a privative word, denoting destitution; as, fatherless,
faithless, pennyless."--_Webster's Dict., w. Less._ "_Bay_; red, or
reddish, inclining to a chesnut color."--_Same._ "_To mimick_, to imitate
or ape for sport; _a mimic_, one who imitates or mimics."--_Ib._
"Counterroil, a counterpart or copy of the rolls; Counterrolment, a counter
account."--_Ib._ "Millenium, the thousand years during which Satan shall be
bound."--_Ib._ "Millenial, pertaining to the millenium, or to a thousand
years."--_Ib._ "Thraldom; slavery, bondage, a state of servitude."--See
_Johnson's Dict._ "Brier, a prickly bush; Briery, rough, prickly, full of
briers; Sweetbriar, a fragrant shrub."--See _Johnson, Walker, Chalmers,
Webster, and others_. "_Will_, in the second and third Persons, barely
foretels."--_British Gram._, p. 132. "And therefor there is no Word false,
but what is distinguished by Italics."--_Ib._, Pref., p. v. "What should be
repeted is left to their Discretion."--_Ib._, p. iv. "Because they are
abstracted or seperated from material Substances."--_Ib._, p. ix. "All
Motion is in Time, and therefor, where-ever it exists, implies Time as its
Concommitant."--_Ib._, p. 140. "And illiterate grown persons are guilty of
blameable spelling."--_Ib._, Pref., p. xiv. "They wil always be ignorant,
and of ruf uncivil manners."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 346. "This fact wil
hardly be beleeved in the northern states."--_Ib._, p. 367. "The province
however waz harrassed with disputes."--_Ib._, p. 352. "So little concern
haz the legislature for the interest of lerning."--_Ib._, p. 349. "The
gentlemen wil not admit that a skoolmaster can be a gentleman."--_Ib._, p.
362. "Such absurd qui-pro-quoes cannot be too strenuously
avoided."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 205. "When we say, 'a man looks
_slyly_;' we signify, that he assumes a _sly look_."--_Ib._, p. 339.
"_Peep_; to look through a crevice; to look narrowly, closely, or
slyly."--_Webster's Dict._ "Hence the confession has become a hacknied
proverb."--_Wayland's Moral Science_, p. 110. "Not to mention the more
ornamental parts of guilding, varnish, &c."--_Tooke's Diversions_, Vol. i,
p. 20. "After this system of self-interest had been rivetted."--_Brown's
Estimate_, Vol. ii, p. 136. "Prejudice might have prevented the cordial
approbation of a bigotted Jew."--SCOTT: _on Luke_, x.
"All twinkling with the dew-drop sheen,
The briar-rose fell in streamers green."--_Lady of the Lake_, p. 16.
LESSON III.--MIXED.
"The infinitive mode has commonly the sign _to_ before it."--_Harrison's
Gram._, p. 25. "Thus, it is adviseable to write _singeing_, from the verb
to _singe_, by way of distinction from _singing_, the participle of the
verb to _sing_."--_Ib._, p. 27. "Many verbs form both the preterite tense
and the preterite participle irregularly."--_Ib._, p. 28. "Much must be
left to every one's taste and judgment."--_Ib._, p. 67. "Verses of
different lengths intermixed form a Pindarick poem."--_Priestley's Gram._,
p. 44. "He'll surprize you."--_Frost's El. of Gram._, p. 88. "Unequalled
archer! why was this concealed?"--KNOWLES: _ib._, p. 102. "So gaily curl
the waves before each dashing prow."--BYRON: _ib._, p. 104. "When is a
dipthong called a proper dipthong?"--_Infant School Gram._, p. 11. "How
many _ss_ would goodness then end with? Three."--_Ib._, p. 33. "_Q._ What
is a tripthong? _A._ A tripthong is the union of three vowels, pronounced
in like manner."--_Bacon's Gram._, p. 7. "The verb, noun, or pronoun, is
referred to the preceding terms taken seperately."--_Ib._, p. 47. "The
cubic foot of matter which occupies the center of the globe."--_Cardell's
Gram._, 18mo, p. 47. "The wine imbibes oxigen, or the acidifying principle,
from the air."--_Ib._, p. 62. "Charcoal, sulphur, and niter, make gun
powder."--_Ib._, p. 90. "It would be readily understood, that the thing so
labeled, was a bottle of Madeira wine."--_Ib._, p. 99. "They went their
ways, one to his farm, an other to his merchandize."--_Ib._, p. 130. "A
dipthong is the union of two vowels, sounded by a single impulse of the
voice."--_Russell's Gram._, p. 7. "The professors of the Mahommedan
religion are called Mussulmans."--_Maltby's Gram._, p. 73. "This shews that
_let_ is not a sign of the imperative mood, but a real verb."--_Ib._, p.
51. "Those preterites and participles, which are first mentioned in the
list, seem to be the most eligible."--_Ib._, p. 47. "Monosyllables, for the
most part, are compared by _er_ and _est_; and dyssyllables by _more_ and
_most_."--_Ib._, p. 19. "This termination, added to a noun, or adjective,
changes it into a verb: as _modern_, to _modernise_; a _symbol_, to
_symbolize_."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 24. "An Abridgment of Murray's
Grammar, with additions from Webster, Ash, Tooke, and others."--_Maltby's
title-page_. "For the sake of occupying the room more advantagously, the
subject of Orthography is merely glanced at."--_Nutting's Gram._, p. 5. "So
contended the accusers of Gallileo."--_O. B. Peirce's Gram._, 12mo, 1839,
p. 380. "Murray says, 'They were _traveling past_ when _we_ met
them.'"--_Peirce, ib._, p. 361. "They fulfil the only purposes for which
they are designed."--_Ib._, p. 359. "On the fulfillment of the
event."--_Ib._, p. 175. "Fullness consists in expressing every
idea."--_Ib._, p. 291. "Consistently with fulness and perspicuity."--_Ib._,
p. 337. "The word _verriest_ is a gross corruption; as, 'He is the
_verriest_ fool on earth.'"--_Wright's Gram._, p. 202. "The sound will
recal the idea of the object."--_Hiley's Gram._, p. 142. "Formed for great
enterprizes."--_Bullions's Prin. of E. Gram._, p. 153. "The most important
rules and definitions are printed in large type, _italicised_."--_Hart's
Gram._, p. 3. "HAMLETTED, _a._ Accustomed to a hamlet; countrified."--
_Bolles's Dict._, and _Chalmers's_. "Singular, _spoonful, cup-full,
coach-full, handful_; plural, _spoonfuls, cup-fulls, coach-fulls,
handfuls_."--_Bullions's Analyt. and Pract. Gram._, p. 27.
"Between Superlatives and following Names,
OF, by Grammatick Right, a Station claims."
--_Brightland's Gram._, p. 146.
CHAPTER V.--QUESTIONS.
ORDER OF REHEARSAL, AND METHOD OF EXAMINATION.
[Fist][The student ought to be able to answer with readiness, and in the
words of the book, all the following questions on grammar. And if he has
but lately commenced the study, it may be well to require of him a general
rehearsal of this kind, before he proceeds to the correction of any part of
the false grammar quoted in the foregoing chapters. At any rate, he should
be master of so many of the definitions and rules as precede the part which
he attempts to correct; because this knowledge is necessary to a creditable
performance of the exercise. But those who are very quick at reading, may
perform it _tolerably_, by consulting the book at the time, for what they
do not remember. The answers to these questions will embrace all the main
text of the work; and, if any further examination be thought necessary,
extemporaneous questions may be framed for the purpose.]
LESSON I.--GRAMMAR.
1. What is the name, or title, of this book? 2. What is Grammar? 3. What is
an English Grammar? 4. What is English Grammar, in itself? and what
knowledge does it imply? 5. If grammar is the art of reading, writing, and
speaking, define these actions. What is it, _to read_? 6. What is it, _to
write_? 7. What is it, _to speak_? 8. How is grammar to be taught, and by
what means are its principles to be made known? 9. What is a perfect
definition? 10. What is an example, as used in teaching? 11. What is a rule
of grammar? 12. What is an exercise? 13. What was language at first, and
what is it now? 14. Of what two kinds does the composition of language
consist? and how do they differ? 15. What are the least parts of language?
16. What has discourse to do with sentences? or sentences, with points? 17.
In extended compositions, what is the order of the parts, upwards from a
sentence? 18. What, then, is the common order of literary division,
downwards, throughout? 19. Are all literary works divided exactly in this
way? 20. How is Grammar divided? 21. Of what does Orthography treat? 22. Of
what does Etymology treat? 23. Of what does Syntax treat? 24. Of what does
Prosody treat?
PART FIRST, ORTHOGRAPHY.
LESSON II.--LETTERS.
1. Of what does Orthography treat? 2. What is a letter? 3. What is an
elementary sound of human voice, or speech? 4. What name is given to the
sound of a letter? and what epithet, to a letter not sounded? 5. How many
letters are there in English? and how many sounds do they represent? 6. In
what does a knowledge of the letters consist? 7. What variety is there in
the letters? and how are they always the same? 8. What different sorts of
types, or styles of letters, are used in English? 9. What are the names of
the letters in English? 10. What are their names in both numbers, singular
and plural? 11. Into what general classes are the letters divided? 12. What
is a vowel? 13. What is a consonant? 14. What letters are vowels? and what,
consonants? 15. When are _w_ and _y_ consonants? and when, vowels? 16. How
are the consonants divided? 17. What is a semivowel? 18. What is a mute?
19. What letters are reckoned semivowels? and how many of these are
aspirates? 20. What letters are called liquids? and why? 21. What letters
are reckoned mutes? and which of them are imperfect mutes?
LESSON III.--SOUNDS.
1. What is meant, when we speak of the powers of the letters? 2. Are the
sounds of a language fewer than its words? 3. How are different vowel
sounds produced? 4. What are the vowel sounds in English? 5. How may these
sounds be modified in the formation of syllables? 6. Can you form a word
upon each by means of an _f_? 7. Will you try the series again with a _p_?
8. How may the vowel sounds be written? and how uttered when they are not
words? 9. Which of the vowel sounds form words? and what of the rest? 10.
How many and what are the consonant sounds in English? 11. In what series
of words may all these sounds be heard? 12. In what series of words may
each of them be heard two or three times? 13. What is said of the sounds of
_j_ and _x_? 14. What is said of the sounds of _c_ and _g_? 15. What is
said of _sc_, or _s_ before _c_? 16. What, of _ce, ci_, and _ch_? 17. What
sounds has the consonant _g_? 18. In how many different ways can the
letters of the alphabet be combined? 19. What do we derive from these
combinations of sounds and characters?
LESSON IV.--CAPITALS.
1. What characters are employed in English? 2. Why should the different
sorts of letters be kept distinct? 3. What is said of the slanting strokes
in Roman letters? 4. For what purpose are _Italics_ chiefly used? 5. In
preparing a manuscript, how do we mark these things for the printer? 6.
What distinction of form belongs to each of the letters? 7. What is said of
small letters? and why are capitals used? 8. What things are commonly
exhibited wholly in capitals? 9. How many rules for capitals are given in
this book? and what are their titles? 10. What says Rule 1st of _books_?
11. What says Rule 2d of _first words_? 12. What says Rule 3d of _names of
Deity_? 13. What says Rule 4th of _proper names_? 14. What says Rule 5th of
_titles_? 15. What says Rule 6th of _one capital_? 16. What says Rule 7th
of _two capitals_? 17. What says Rule 8th of _compounds_? 18. What says
Rule 9th of _apposition_? 19. What says Rule 10th of _personifications_?
20. What says Rule 11th of _derivatives_? 21. What says Rule 12th of _I and
O_? 22. What says Rule 13th of _poetry_? 23. What says Rule 14th of
_examples_? 24. What says Rule 15th of _chief words_? 25. What says Rule
16th of _needless capitals_?
[Now turn to the first chapter of Orthography, and correct the
improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules.]
LESSON V.--SYLLABLES.
1. What is a syllable? 2. Can the syllables of a word be perceived by the
ear? 3. Under what names are words classed according to the number of their
syllables? 4. Which of the letters can form syllables of themselves? and
which cannot? 5. What is a diphthong? 6. What is a proper diphthong? 7.
What is an improper diphthong? 8. What is a triphthong? 9. What is a proper
triphthong? 10. What is an improper triphthong? 11. How many and what are
the diphthongs in English? 12. How many and which of these are so variable
in sound that they may be either proper or improper diphthongs? 13. How
many and what are the proper diphthongs? 14. How many and what are the
improper diphthongs? 15. Are proper triphthongs numerous in our language?
16. How many and what are the improper triphthongs? 17. What guide have we
for dividing words into syllables? 18. How many special rules of
syllabication are given in this book? and what are their titles, or
subjects? 19. What says Rule 1st of _consonants_? 20. What says Rule 2d of
_vowels_? 21. What says Rule 3d of _terminations_? 22. What says Rule 4th
of _prefixes_? 23. What says Rule 5th of _compounds_? 24. What says Rule
6th of _lines full_?
[Now turn to the second chapter of Orthography, and correct the
improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules.]
LESSON VI.--WORDS.
1. What is a word? 2. How are words distinguished in regard to _species_
and _figure_? 3. What is a primitive word? 4. What is a derivative word? 5.
What is a simple word? 6. What is a compound word? 7. How do permanent
compounds differ from others? 8. How many rules for the figure of words are
given in this book? and what are their titles, or subjects? 9. What says
Rule 1st of _compounds_? 10. What says Rule 2d of _simples_? 11. What says
Rule 3d of _the sense_? 12. What says Rule 4th of _ellipses_? 13. What says
Rule 5th of _the hyphen_? 14. What says Rule 6th of _no hyphen_?
[Now turn to the third chapter of Orthography, and correct the
improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules.]
LESSON VII.--SPELLING.
1. What is spelling? 2. How is this art to be acquired? and why so? 3. Why
is it difficult to learn to spell accurately? 4. Is it then any disgrace to
spell words erroneously? 5. What benefit may be expected from the rules for
spelling? 6. How many rules for spelling are given in this book? and what
are their titles, or subjects? 7. What says Rule 1st of _final f, l_, or
_s_? 8. Can you mention the principal exceptions to this rule? 9. What says
Rule 2d of _other finals_? 10. Are there any exceptions to this rule? 11.
What says Rule 3d of the _doubling_ of consonants? 12. Under what three
heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 13. What says Rule 4th
_against the doubling_ of consonants? 14. Under what four heads are the
apparent exceptions to this Rule noticed? 15. What says Rule 5th of _final
ck_? 16. What monosyllables, contrary to this rule, end with _c_ only? 17.
What says Rule 6th of the _retaining_ of double letters before affixes? 18.
Under what three heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 19. What
says Rule 7th of the _retaining_ of double letters after prefixes? 20. What
observation is made respecting exceptions to this rule?
LESSON VIII.--SPELLING.
21. What says Rule 8th of _final ll_, and of _final l single_? 22. What
words does this rule claim, which might seem to come under Rule 7th? and
why? 23. What says Rule 9th of _final e omitted_? 24. Under what three
heads are the exceptions, real or apparent, here noticed? 25. What says
Rule 10th of _final e retained?_ 26. Under what three heads are the
exceptions to this rule noticed? 27. What says Rule 11th of _final y
changed?_ 28. Under what three heads are the limits and exceptions to this
rule noticed? 29. What says Rule 12th of _final y unchanged?_ 30. Under
what three heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 31. What says
Rule 13th of the terminations _ize_ and _ise?_ 32. Under what three heads
are the apparent exceptions to this rule noticed? 33. What says Rule 14th
of _compounds?_ 34. Under what seven heads are the exceptions to this rule
noticed? 35. What says Rule 15th of _usage_, as a law of spelling?
[Now turn to the fourth chapter of Orthography, and correct the
improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules and
their exceptions.]
CHAPTER VI.--FOR WRITING.
EXERCISES IN ORTHOGRAPHY.
[Fist] [The following examples of false orthography are inserted here, and
not explained in the general Key, that they may he corrected by the pupil
_in writing_. Some of the examples here quoted are less inaccurate than
others, but all of them, except a few shown in contrast, are, in some
respect or other, erroneous. It is supposed, that every student who can
answer the questions contained in the preceding chapter, will readily
discern wherein the errors lie, and be able to make the necessary
corrections.]
EXERCISE I.--CAPITALS.
"Alexander the great killed his friend Clitus."--_Harrison's Gram._, p. 68.
"The words in italics are parsed in the same manner."--_Maltby's Gram._, p.
69. "It may be read by those who do not understand latin."--_Barclay's
Works_, Vol. iii, p. 262. "A roman _s_ being added to a word in italics or
small capitals."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 215. "This is not simply a
gallicism, but a corruption of the French _on_; itself a corruption."--
_Ib._, p. 228. "The Gallicism, '_it is me_,' is perpetually striking the
ear in London."--_Ib._, p. 316. "'Almost nothing,' is a common Scotticism,
equally improper: it should be, 'scarcely any thing.'"--_Ib._, p. 333. "To
use _learn_ for _teach_, is a common Scotticism, that ought to be carefully
avoided."--See _ib._, p. 261. "A few observations on the subjunctive mood
as it appears in our English bible."--_Wilcox's Gram._, p. 40. "The
translators of the bible, have confounded two tenses, which in the original
are uniformly kept distinct."--_Ib._, p. 40. "More like heaven on earth,
than the holy land would have been."--_Anti-Slavery Mag._, Vol. i, p. 72.
"There is now extant a poetical composition, called the golden verses of
Pythagoras."-- _Lempriere's Dict._ "Exercise of the Mind upon Theorems of
Science, like generous and manly Exercise of the Body, tends to call forth
and strengthen Nature's original Vigour."--_Harris's Hermes_, p. 295. "O
that I could prevail on Christians to melt down, under the warm influence
of brotherly love, all the distinctions of methodists, independents,
baptists, anabaptists, arians, trinitarians, unitarians, in the glorious
name of christians."--KNOX: _Churchill's Gram._, p. 173. "Pythagoras long
ago remarked, 'that ability and necessity dwell near each
other.'"--_Student's Manual_, p. 285.
"The Latin Writers Decency neglect,
But modern Readers challenge more Respect."
--_Brightland's Gram._, p. 172.
EXERCISE II.--SYLLABLES.
1. Correct _Bolles_, in the division of the following words: "Del-ia,
Jul-ia, Lyd-ia, heigh-ten, pat-ron, ad-roit, worth-y, fath-er, fath-er-ly,
mar-chi-o-ness, i-dent-ic-al, out-ra-ge-ous, ob-nox-i-ous, pro-di-gi-ous,
tre-mend-ous, ob-liv-i-on, pe-cul-i-ar."--_Revised Spelling-Book_: New
London, 1831.
2. Correct _Sears_, in the division of the following words: "A-quil-a,
hear-ty, drea-ry, wor-my, hai-ry, thor-ny, phil-os-o-phy, dis-cov-e-ry,
re-cov-e-ry, ad-diti-on, am-biti-on, au-spici-ous, fac-titi-ous,
fla-giti-ous, fru-iti-on, sol-stiti-al, ab-o-liti-on."--_Standard
Spelling-Book_: "New Haven," 1826.
3. Correct _Bradley_, in the division of the following words: "Jes-ter,
rai-ny, forg-e-ry, fin-e-ry, spic-e-ry, brib-e-ry, groc-e-ry, chi-can-e-ry,
fer-riage, line-age, cri-ed, tri-ed, sù-ed, slic-ed, forc-ed, pledg-ed,
sav-ed, dup-ed, strip-ed, touch-ed, trounc-ed."--_Improved Spelling-Book_:
Windsor, 1815.
4. Correct _Burhans_, in the division of the following words: "Boar-der,
brigh-ten, cei-ling, frigh-ten, glea-ner, lea-kage, suc-ker, mos-sy,
fros-ty, twop-ence, pu-pill-ar-y, crit-i-call-y, gen-er-all-y,
lit-er-all-y, log-i-call-y, trag-i-call-y, ar-ti-fici-al, po-liti-call-y,
sloth-full-y, spite-full-y, re-all-y, sui-ta-ble, ta-mea-ble, flumm-er-y,
nesc-i-ence, shep-her-dess, trav-ell-er, re-pea-ter, re-pressi-on,
suc-cessi-on, un-lear-ned."--_Critical Pronouncing Spelling-Book_:[128]
Philadelphia, 1823.
5. Correct _Marshall_, in the division of the following words: "Trench-er,
trunch-eon, dros-sy, glos-sy, glas-sy, gras-sy, dres-ses, pres-ses,
cal-ling, chan-ging, en-chan-ging, con-ver-sing, mois-ture, join-ture,
qua-drant, qua-drate, trans-gres-sor, dis-es-teem."--_New Spelling-Book_:
New York, 1836.
6. Correct _Emerson_, in the division of the following words: "Dus-ty
mis-ty, mar-shy, mil-ky, wes-tern, stor-my, nee-dy, spee-dy, drea-ry,
fros-ty, pas-sing, roc-ky, bran-chy, bland-ish, pru-dish, eve-ning,
a-noth-er."--_National Spelling-Book_: Boston, 1828.
"Two Vowels meeting, each with its full Sound,
Always to make Two Syllables are bound."--_Brightland's Gram._, p. 64.
EXERCISE III.--FIGURE OF WORDS.
"I was surprised by the return of my long lost brother."--_Parker's
Exercises in English Composition_, p. 5. "Such singular and unheard of
clemency cannot be passed over by me in silence."--_Ib._, p. 10. "I
perceive my whole system excited by the potent stimulus of
sun-shine."--_Ib._, p. 11. "To preserve the unity of a sentence, it is
sometimes necessary to employ the case absolute, instead of the verb and
conjunction."--_Ib._, p. 17. "Severity and hard hearted opinions accord
with the temper of the times."--_Ib._, p. 18. "That poor man was put into
the mad house."--_Ib._, p. 22. "This fellow must be put into the poor
house."--_Ib._ p. 22. "I have seen the breast works and other defences of
earth, that were thrown up."--_Ib._, p. 24. "Cloven footed animals are
enabled to walk more easily on uneven ground."--_Ib._, p. 25. "Self conceit
blasts the prospects of many a youth."--_Ib._, p. 26. "Not a moment should
elapse without bringing some thing to pass."--_Ib._, p. 36. "A school
master decoyed the children of the principal citizens into the Roman
camp."--_Ib._, p. 39. "The pupil may now write a description of the
following objects. A school room. A steam boat. A writing desk. A dwelling
house. A meeting house. A paper mill. A grist mill. A wind mill."--_Ib._,
p. 45. "Every metaphor should be founded on a resemblance which is clear
and striking; not far fetched, nor difficult to be discovered."--_Ib._, p.
49. "I was reclining in an arbour overhung with honey suckle and jessamine
of the most exquisite fragrance."--_Ib._, p. 51. "The author of the
following extract is speaking of the slave trade."--_Ib._, p. 60. "The all
wise and benevolent Author of nature has so framed the soul of man, that he
cannot but approve of virtue."--_Ib._, p. 74. "There is something of self
denial in the very idea of it."--_Ib._, p. 75. "Age therefore requires a
well spent youth to render it happy."--_Ib._, p. 76. "Pearl-ash requires
much labour in its extraction from ashes."--_Ib._, p. 91. "_Club_, or
_crump, footed_, Loripes; _Rough_, or _leather, footed_,
Plumipes."--_Ainsworth's Dict._
"The honey-bags steal from the humble bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs."
--SHAK.: _Joh.'s Dict., w. Glowworm._
"The honeybags steal from the bumblebees,
And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs."
--SHAK.: _Joh.'s Dict., w. Humblebee._
"The honey bags steal from the humble-bees,
And, for night tapers crop their waxen thighs."
--_Dodd's Beauties of Shak._, p. 51.
EXERCISE IV.--SPELLING.
"His antichamber, and room of audience, are little square chambers
wainscoted."--ADDISON: _Johnson's Dict., w. Antechamber_. "Nobody will deem
the quicksighted amongst them to have very enlarged views of
ethicks."--LOCKE: _Ib., w. Quicksighted_. "At the rate of this
thick-skulled blunderhead, every plow-jobber shall take upon him to read
upon divinity."--L'ESTRANGE: _Ib., m. Blunderhead_. "On the topmast, the
yards, and boltsprit would I flame distinctly."--SHAK.: _Ib., w. Bowsprit_.
"This is the tune of our catch plaid by the picture of nobody."--ID.: _Ib.,
w. Nobody_. "Thy fall hath left a kind of blot to mark the fulfraught
man."--ID.: _Ib., w. Fulfraught_. "Till blinded by some Jack o'Lanthorn
sprite."--_Snelling's Gift_, p. 62. "The beauties you would have me
eulogise."--_Ib._, p. 14. "They rail at me--I gaily laugh at them."--_Ib._,
p. 13. "Which the king and his sister had intrusted to him
withall."--_Josephus_, Vol. v, p. 143. "The terms of these emotions are by
no means synonimous."--_Rush, on the Voice_, p. 336. "Lillied, _adj._
Embellished with lilies."--_Chalmers's Dict._ "They seize the compendious
blessing without exertion and without reflexion."--_Philological Museum_,
Vol. i, p. 428. "The first cry that rouses them from their torpour, is the
cry that demands their blood."--_Ib._, p. 433. "It meets the wants of
elementary schools and deserves to be patronised."--_Kirkham's Gram._, p.
5. "Whose attempts were paralysed by the hallowed sound."--_Music of
Nature_, p. 270. "It would be an amusing investigation to analyse their
language."--_Ib._, p. 200. "It is my father's will that I should take on me
the hostess-ship of the day."--SHAK.: _in Johnson's Dict._ "To retain the
full apprehension of them undiminisht."--_Phil. Museum._, Vol. i, p. 458.
"The ayes and noes were taken in the House of Commons."--_Anti-Slavery
Mag._, Vol. i, p. 11. "Derivative words are formed by adding letters or
syllables to primatives."--_Davenport's Gram._, p. 7. "The minister never
was thus harrassed himself."--_Nelson, on Infidelity_, p. 6. "The most
vehement politician thinks himself unbiassed in his judgment."--_Ib._, p.
17. "Mistress-ship, _n._ Female rule or dominion."--_Webster's Dict._
"Thus forced to kneel, thus groveling to embrace,
The scourge and ruin of my realm and race."
--POPE: _Ash's Gram._, p. 83.
EXERCISE V.--MIXED ERRORS.
"The quince tree is of a low stature; the branches are diffused and
crooked."--MILLER: _Johnson's Dict._ "The greater slow worm, called also
the blindworm, is commonly thought to be blind, because of the littleness
of his eyes."--GREW: _ib._ "Oh Hocus! where art thou? It used to go in
another guess manner in thy time."--ARBUTHNOT: _ib._ "One would not make a
hotheaded crackbrained coxcomb forward for a scheme of moderation."--ID.:
_ib._ "As for you, colonel huff-cap, we shall try before a civil magistrate
who's the greatest plotter."--DRYDEN: _ib., w. Huff._ "In like manner,
Actions co-alesce with their Agents, and Passions with their
Patients."--_Harris's Hermes_, p. 263. "These Sentiments are not unusual
even with the Philosopher now a days."--_Ib._, p. 350. "As if the Marble
were to fashion the Chizzle, and not the Chizzle the Marble."--_Ib._, p.
353. "I would not be understood, in what I have said, to undervalue
Experiment."--_Ib._, p. 352. "How therefore is it that they approach nearly
to Non-Entity's?"--_Ib._, p. 431. "Gluttonise, modernise, epitomise,
barbarise, tyranise."--_Churchill's Gram._, pp. 31 and 42. "Now fair befal
thee and thy noble house!"--SHAK.: _ib._, p. 241. "Nor do I think the error
above-mentioned would have been so long indulged," &c.--_Ash's Gram._, p.
4. "The editor of the two editions above mentioned was pleased to give this
little manuel to the public," &c.--_Ib._, p. 7. "A Note of Admiration
denotes a modelation of the voice suited to the expression."--_Ib._, p. 16.
"It always has some respect to the power of the agent; and is therefore
properly stiled the potential mode."--_Ib._, p. 29. "Both these are
supposed to be synonomous expressions."--_Ib._, p. 105. "An expence beyond
what my circumstances admit."--DODDRIDGE: _ib._, p. 138. "There are four of
them: the _Full-Point_, or _Period_; the _Colon_; the _Semi-Colon_; the
_Comma_."--_Cobbett's E. Gram._, N. Y., 1818, p. 77. "There are many men,
who have been at Latin-Schools for years, and who, at last, cannot write
six sentences in English correctly."--_Ib._, p. 39. "But, figures of
rhetorick are edge tools, and two edge tools too."--_Ib._, p. 182. "The
horse-chesnut grows into a goodly standard."--MORTIMER: _Johnson's Dict._
"Whereever _if_ is to be used."--_O. B. Peirce's Gram._, p. 175.
"Peel'd, patch'd, and pyebald, linsey-woolsey brothers."
--POPE: _Joh. Dict., w., Mummer_.
"Peel'd, patch'd, and piebald, linsey-woolsey brothers."
--_ID.: ib., w. Piebald_.
EXERCISE VI.--MIXED ERRORS.
"Pied, _adj._ [from _pie._] Variegated; partycoloured."--_Johnson's Dict._
"Pie, [_pica_, Lat.] A magpie; a party-coloured bird."--_Ib._ "Gluy, _adj._
[from _glue._] Viscous; tenacious; glutinous."--_Ib._ "Gluey, _a._ Viscous,
glutinous. Glueyness. _n._ The quality of being gluey."--_Webster's Dict._
"Old Euclio, seeing a crow-scrat[129] upon the muck-hill, returned in all
haste, taking it for an ill sign."--BURTON: _Johnson's Dict._ "Wars are
begun by hairbrained[130] dissolute captains."--ID.: _ib._ "A carot is a
well known garden root."--_Red Book_, p. 60. "Natural philosophy,
metaphysicks, ethicks, history, theology, and politicks, were familiar to
him."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 209. "The words in Italicks and capitals,
are emphatick."--_Ib._, p. 210. "It is still more exceptionable; Candles,
Cherrys, Figs, and other sorts of Plumbs, being sold by Weight, and being
Plurals."--_Johnson's Gram. Com._, p. 135. "If the End of Grammar be not to
save that Trouble, and Expence of Time, I know not what it is good
for."--_Ib._, p. 161. "_Caulce_, Sheep Penns, or the like, has no Singular,
according to Charisius."--_Ib._, p. 194. "These busibodies are like to such
as reade bookes with intent onely to spie out the faults
thereof"--_Perkins's Works_, p. 741. "I think it every man's indispensible
duty, to do all the service he can to his country."--_Locke, on Ed._, p. 4.
"Either fretting it self into a troublesome Excess, or flaging into a
downright want of Appetite."--_Ib._, p. 23. "And nobody would have a child
cramed at breakfast."--_Ib._, p. 23. "Judgeship and judgment, lodgable and
alledgeable, alledgement and abridgment, lodgment and infringement,
enlargement and acknowledgment."--_Webster's Dict._, 8vo. "Huckster, _n.
s._ One who sells goods by retail, or in small quantities; a
pedler."--_Johnson's Dict._
"He seeks bye-streets, and saves th' expensive coach."
--GAY: _ib., w. Mortgage._
"He seeks by-streets, and saves th' expensive coach."
--GAY: _ib., w. By-street._
EXERCISE VII.--MIXED ERRORS.
"Boys like a warm fire in a wintry day."--_Webster's El. Spelling-Book_, p.
62. "The lilly is a very pretty flower."--_Ib._, p. 62. "The potatoe is a
native plant of America."--_Ib._, p. 60. "An anglicism is a peculiar mode
of speech among the English."--_Ib._, p. 136. "Black berries and
raspberries grow on briars."--_Ib._, p. 150. "You can broil a beef steak
over the coals of fire."--_Ib._, p. 38. "Beef'-steak, _n._ A steak or slice
of beef for broiling."--_Webster's Dict._ "Beef'steak, _s._ a slice of beef
for broiling."--_Treasury of Knowledge._ "As he must suffer in case of the
fall of merchandize, he is entitled to the corresponding gain if
merchandize rises."--_Wayland's Moral Science_, p. 258. "He is the
worshipper of an hour, but the worldling for life."--_Maturin's Sermons_,
p. 424. "Slyly hinting something to the disadvantage of great and honest
men."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 329. "'Tis by this therefore that I Define
the Verb; namely, that it is a Part of Speech, by which something is
apply'd to another, as to its Subject."--_Johnson's Gram. Com._, p. 255.
"It may sometimes throw a passing cloud over the bright hour of
gaiety."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 178. "To criticize, is to discover
errors; and to crystalize implies to freeze or congele."--_Red Book_, p.
68. "The affectation of using the preterite instead of the participle, is
peculiarly aukward; as, he has came."--_Priestley's Grammar_, p. 125. "They
are moraly responsible for their individual conduct."--_Cardell's El.
Gram._, p. 21. "An engine of sixty horse power, is deemed of equal force
with a team of sixty horses."--_Red Book_, p. 113. "This, at fourpence per
ounce, is two shillings and fourpence a week, or six pounds, one shining
and four pence a year."--_Ib._, p. 122. "The tru meening of _parliament_ iz
a meeting of barons or peers."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 276. "Several
authorities seem at leest to favor this opinion."--_Ib._, p. 277. "That iz,
az I hav explained the tru primitiv meening of the word."--_Ib._, p. 276.
"The lords are peers of the relm; that iz, the ancient prescriptiv judges
or barons."--_Ib._, p. 274.
"Falshood is folly, and 'tis just to own
The fault committed; this was mine alone."
--_Pope, Odys._, B. xxii, l. 168.
EXERCISE VIII--MIXED ERRORS.
"A second verb so nearly synonimous with the first, is at best
superfluous."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 332. "Indicate it, by some mark
opposite [to] the word misspelt."--_Abbott's Teacher_, p. 74. "And
succesfully controling the tendencies of mind."--_Ib._, p. 24. "It [the
Monastick Life] looks very like what we call Childrens-Play."--[LESLIE'S]
_Right of Tythes_, p. 236. "It seems rather lik Playing of Booty, to Please
those Fools and Knaves."--_Ib._, Pref., p. vi. "And first I Name Milton,
only for his Name, lest the Party should say, that I had not Cousider'd his
Performance against Tythes."--_Ib._, p. iv. "His Fancy was too Predominant
for his Judgment. His Talent lay so much in Satyr that he hated
Reasoning."--_Ib._, p. iv. "He has thrown away some of his Railery against
Tythes, and the Church then underfoot."--_Ib._, p. v. "They Vey'd with one
another in these things."--_Ib._, p. 220. "Epamanondas was far the most
accomplished of the Thebans."--_Cooper's New Gram._, p. 27. "_Whoever_ and
_Whichever_, are thus declined. Sing. and Plur. _nom._ whoever, _poss._
whoseever, _obj._ whomever. Sing. and Plu. _nom._ whichever, _poss._
whoseever, _obj._ whichever."--_Ib._, p. 38. "WHEREEVER, _adv._ [_where_
and _ever_.] At whatever place."--_Webster's Dict._ "They at length took
possession of all the country south of the Welch mountains."--_Dobson's
Comp. Gram._, p. 7. "Those Britains, who refused to submit to the foreign
yoke, retired into Wales."--_Ib._, p. 6. "Religion is the most chearful
thing in the world."--_Ib._, p. 43. "_Two_ means the number two compleatly,
whereas _second_ means only the last of two, and so of all the
rest."--_Ib._, p. 44. "Now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose
sirname is Peter."--_Ib._, p. 96. (See _Acts_, x, 5.) "In French words, we
use _enter_ instead of _inter_; as, entertain, enterlace,
enterprize."--_Ib._, p. 101. "Amphiology, i. e. a speech of uncertain or
doubtful meaning."--_Ib._, p. 103. "Surprize; as, hah! hey day! what!
strange!"--_Ib._, p. 109. "Names of the letters: ai bee see dee ee ef jee
aitch eye jay kay el em en o pee cue ar ess tee you voe double u eks wi
zed."--_Rev. W. Allen's Gram._, p. 3.
"I, O, and U, at th' End of Words require,
The silent (e), the same do's (va) desire."
--_Brightland's Gram._, p. 15.
EXERCISE IX.--MIXED ERRORS.
"_And_ is written for _eacend_, adding, ekeing."--_Dr. Murray's Hist. of
Europ. Lang._, Vol. i, p. 222. "The Hindus have changed _ai_ into _e_,
sounded like _e_ in _where_."--_Ib._, Vol. ii, p. 121. "And therefor I
would rather see the cruelest usurper than the mildest despot."--
_Philological Museum_, Vol. i, p. 430. "Sufficiently distinct to prevent
our marveling."--_Ib._, i, 477. "Possessed of this preheminence he
disregarded the clamours of the people."--_Smollett's England_, Vol. iii,
p. 222. "He himself, having communicated, administered the sacrament to
some of the bye-standers."--_Ib._, p. 222. "The high fed astrology which it
nurtured, is reduced to a skeleton on the leaf of an almanac."--_Cardell's
Gram._, p. 6. "Fulton was an eminent engineer: he invented steam
boats."--_Ib._, p. 30. "Then, in comes the benign latitude of the doctrine
of goodwill."--SOUTH: _in Johnson's Dict._ "Being very lucky in a pair of
long lanthorn-jaws, he wrung his face into a hideous grimace."--SPECTATOR:
_ib._ "Who had lived almost four-and-twenty years under so politick a king
as his father."--BACON: _ib., w. Lowness_. "The children will answer;
John's, or William's, or whose ever it may be."--_Infant School Gram._, p.
32. "It is found tolerably easy to apply them, by practising a little guess
work."--_Cardell's Gram._, p. 91. "For between which two links could speech
makers draw the division line?"--_Ib._, p. 50. "The wonderful activity of
the rope dancer who stands on his head."--_Ib._, p. 56. "The brilliancy
which the sun displays on its own disk, is sun shine."--_Ib._, p. 63. "A
word of three syllables is termed a trisyllable."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 23;
_Coar's_, 17; _Jaudon's_, 13; _Comly's_, 8; _Cooper's, New Gr._, 8;
_Kirkham's_, 20; _Picket's_, 10; _Alger's_, 12; _Blair's_, 1; _Guy's_, 2;
_Bolles's Spelling-Book_, 161. See _Johnson's Dict._ "A word of three
syllables is termed a trissyllable."--_British Gram._, p. 33;
_Comprehensive Gram._, 23; _Bicknell's_, 17; _Allen's_, 31; _John
Peirce's_, 149; _Lennie's_, 5; _Maltby's_, 8; _Ingersoll's_, 7;
_Bradley's_, 66; _Davenport's_, 7; _Bucke's_, 16; _Bolles's Spelling-Book_,
91. See _Littleton's Lat. Dict._ (1.) "_Will_, in the first Persons,
promises or threatens: But in the second and third Persons, it barely
foretells."--_British Gram._, p. 132. (2.) "_Will_, in the first Persons,
promises or threatens; but in the second and third Persons, it barely
foretells."--_Buchanan's Gram._, p. 41. (3.) "_Will_, in the first person,
promises, engages, or threatens. In the second and third persons, it merely
foretels."--_Jaudon's Gram._, p. 59. (4.) "_Will_, in the first person
singular and plural, promises or threatens; in the second and third
persons, only foretells."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 41. (5.) "_Will_, in the
first person singular and plural, intimates resolution and promising; in
the second and third person, only foretels."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 88;
_Ingersoll's_, 136; _Fisk's_, 78; _A. Flint's_, 42; _Bullions's_, 32;
_Hamlin's_, 41; _Cooper's Murray_, 50. [Fist] _Murray's Second Edition_ has
it "_foretells_." (6.) "_Will_, in the first person singular and plural,
expresses resolution and promising. In the second and third persons it only
foretells."--_Comly's Gram._, p. 38; _E. Devis's_, 51; _Lennie's_, 22. (7.)
"_Will_, in the first person, promises. In the second and third persons, it
simply foretels."--_Maltby's Gram._, p. 24. (8.) "_Will_, in the first
person implies resolution and promising; in the second and third, it
foretells."--_Cooper's New Gram._, p. 51. (9.) "_Will_, in the first person
singular and plural, promises or threatens; in the second and third
persons, only foretels: _shall_, on the contrary, in the first person,
simply foretels; in the second and third persons, promises, commands, or
threatens."--_Adam's Lat. and Eng. Gram._, p. 83. (10.) "In the first
person shall _foretels_, and will _promises_ or _threatens_; but in the
second and third persons _will_ foretels, and _shall_ promises or
threatens."--_Blair's Gram._, p. 65.
"If Mævius scribble in Apollo's spight,
There are who judge still worse than he can write."--_Pope_.
EXERCISE X.--MIXED ERRORS.
"I am liable to be charged that I latinize too much."--DRYDEN: in
_Johnson's Dict._ "To mould him platonically to his own idea."--WOTTON:
_ib._ "I will marry a wife as beautiful as the houries, and as wise as
Zobeide."--_Murray's E. Reader_, p. 148. "I will marry a wife, beautiful as
the Houries."--_Wilcox's Gram._, p. 65. "The words in italics are all in
the imperative mood."--_Maltby's Gram._, p. 71. "Words Italicised, are
emphatick, in various degrees."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 173. "Wherever
two gg's come together, they are both hard."--_Buchanan's Gram._, p. 5.
"But these are rather silent (_o_)'s than obscure (_u_)'s."--_Brightland's
Gram._, p. 19. "That can be Guest at by us, only from the
Consequences."--_Right of Tythes_, p. viii. "He says he was glad that he
had Baptized so few; And asks them, Were ye Baptised in the Name of
Paul?"--_Ib._, p. ix. "Therefor he Charg'd the Clergy with the Name of
Hirelings."--_Ib._, p. viii. "On the fourth day before the first second day
in each month."--_The Friend_, Vol. vii, p. 230. "We are not bound to
adhere for ever to the terms, or to the meaning of terms, which were
established by our ancestors."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 140. "O! learn from
him to station quick eyed Prudence at the helm."--_Frosts El. of Gram._, p.
104. "It pourtrays the serene landscape of a retired village."--_Music of
Nature_, p. 421. "By stating the fact, in a circumlocutary
manner."--_Booth's Introd. to Dict._, p. 33. "Time as an abstract being is
a non-entity."--_Ib._, p. 29. "From the difficulty of analysing the
multiplied combinations of words."--_Ib._, p. 19. "Drop those letters that
are superfluous, as: handful, foretel."--_Cooper's Plain & Pract. Gram._,
p. 10. "_Shall_, in the first person, simply foretells."--_Ib._, p. 51.
"And the latter must evidently be so too, or, at least, cotemporary, with
the act."--_Ib._, p. 60. "The man has been traveling for five
years."--_Ib._, p. 77. "I shall not take up time in combatting their
scruples."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 320. "In several of the chorusses of
Euripides and Sophocles, we have the same kind of lyric poetry as in
Pindar."--_Ib._, p. 398. "Until the Statesman and Divine shall unite their
efforts in _forming_ the human mind, rather than in loping its
excressences, after it has been neglected."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 26.
"Where conviction could be followed only by a bigotted persistence in
error."--_Ib._, p. 78. "All the barons were entitled to a seet in the
national council, in right of their baronys."--_Ib._, p. 260. "Some
knowledge of arithmetic is necessary for every lady."--_Ib._, p. 29. "Upon
this, [the system of chivalry,] were founded those romances of
night-errantry."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 374. "The subject is, the
atchievements of Charlemagne and his Peers, or Paladins."--_Ib._, p. 374.
"Aye, aye; this slice to be sure outweighs the other."--_Blair's Reader_,
p. 31. "In the common phrase, _good-bye, bye_ signifies _passing, going_.
The phrase signifies, a good going, a prosperous passage, and is equivalent
to _farewell_."--_Webster's Dict._ "Good-by, _adv_.--a contraction of _good
be with you_--a familiar way of bidding farewell."--See _Chalmers's Dict._
"Off he sprung, and did not so much as stop to say good bye to
you."--_Blair's Reader_, p. 16. "It no longer recals the notion of the
action."--_Barnard's Gram._, p. 69.
"Good-nature and good-sense must ever join;
To err, is human; to forgive, divine."--_Pope, Ess. on Crit._
EXERCISE XI.--MIXED ERRORS.
"The practices in the art of carpentry are called planeing, sawing,
mortising, scribing, moulding, &c."--_Blair's Reader_, p. 118. "With her
left hand, she guides the thread round the spindle, or rather round a spole
which goes on the spindle."--_Ib._, p. 134. "Much suff'ring heroes next
their honours claim."--POPE: _Johnson's Dict., w. Much_. "Vein healing
verven, and head purging dill."--SPENSER: _ib., w. Head_. "An, in old
English, signifies _if_; as, '_an_ it please your honor.'"--_Webster's
Dict._ "What, then, was the moral worth of these renouned
leaders?"--_M'Ilvaine's Lect._, p. 460. "Behold how every form of human
misery is met by the self denying diligence of the benevolent."--_Ib._, p.
411. "Reptiles, bats, and doleful creatures--jackalls, hyenas, and
lions--inhabit the holes, and caverns, and marshes of the desolate
city."--_Ib._, p. 270. "ADAYS, _adv_. On or in days; as, in the phrase, now
_adays_."--_Webster's Dict._ "REFEREE, one to whom a thing is referred;
TRANSFERREE, the person to whom a transfer is made."--_Ib._ "The
Hospitallers were an order of knights who built a hospital at Jerusalem for
pilgrims."--_Ib._ "GERARD, Tom, or Tung, was the institutor and first grand
master of the knights hospitalers: he died in 1120."--_Biog. Dict._ "I had
a purpose now to lead our many to the holy land."--SHAK.: _in Johnson's
Dict._ "He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his
servants."--_Psalms_, cv, 25. "In Dryden's ode of Alexander's Feast, the
line, '_Faln, faln, faln, faln_,' represents a gradual sinking of the
mind."--_Kames, El. of Crit._, Vol. ii, p. 71. "The first of these lines is
marvelously nonsensical."--_Jamieson's Rhet._, p. 117. "We have the nicely
chiseled forms of an Apollo and a Venus, but it is the same cold marble
still."--_Christian Spect._, Vol. viii, p. 201. "Death waves his mighty
wand and paralyses all."--_Bucke's Gram._, p. 35. "Fear God. Honor the
patriot. Respect virtue."--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 216. "Pontius Pilate being
Governour of Judea, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee."--_Ib._, p. 189.
See _Luke_, iii, 1. "AUCTIONEER, _n. s_. The person that manages an
auction."--_Johnson's Dict._ "The earth put forth her primroses and
days-eyes, to behold him."--HOWEL: _ib._ "_Musselman_, not being a compound
of _man_, is _musselmans_ in the plural."--_Lennie's Gram._, p. 9. "The
absurdity of fatigueing them with a needless heap of grammar
rules."--_Burgh's Dignity_, Vol. i, p. 147. "John was forced to sit with
his arms a kimbo, to keep them asunder."--ARBUTHNOT: _Joh. Dict._ "To set
the arms a kimbo, is to set the hands on the hips, with the elbows
projecting outward."--_Webster's Dict._ "We almost uniformly confine the
inflexion to the last or the latter noun."--_Maunder's Gram._, p. 2. "This
is all souls day, fellows! Is it not?"--SHAK.: _in Joh. Dict._ "The english
physicians make use of troy-weight."--_Johnson's Dict._ "There is a certain
number of ranks allowed to dukes, marquisses, and earls."--PEACHAM: _ib.,
w. Marquis_.
"How could you chide the young good natur'd prince,
And drive him from you with so stern an air."
--ADDISON: _ib., w. Good_, 25.
EXERCISE XII.--MIXED ERRORS.
"In reading, every appearance of sing-song should be avoided."--_Sanborn's
Gram._, p. 75. "If you are thoroughly acquainted with the inflexions of the
verb."--_Ib._, p. 53. "The preterite of _read_ is pronounced
_red_."--_Ib._, p. 48. "Humility opens a high way to dignity."--_Ib._, p.
15. "What is intricate must be unraveled."--_Ib._, p. 275. "Roger Bacon
invented gun powder, A. D. 1280."--_Ib._, p. 277. "On which ever word we
lay the emphasis."--_Murray's Gram._, 8vo, p. 243; 12mo, p. 195. "Each of
the leaders was apprized of the Roman invasion."--_Nixon's Parser_, p. 123.
"If I say, 'I _gallopped_ from Islington to Holloway;' the verb is
intransitive: if, 'I _gallopped_ my _horse_ from Islington to Holloway;' it
is transitive."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 238. "The reasonableness of
setting a part one day in seven."--_The Friend_, Vol. iv, p. 240. "The
promoters of paper money making reprobated this act."--_Webster's Essays_,
p. 196. "There are five compound personal pronouns, which are derived from
the five simple personal pronouns by adding to some of their cases the
syllable _self_; as, my-self, thy-self, him-self, her-self,
it-self."--_Perley's Gram._, p. 16. "Possessives, my-own, thy-own, his-own,
her-own, its-own, our-own, your-own, their-own."--_Ib., Declensions_. "Thy
man servant and thy maid servant may rest, as well as thou."--_Sanborn's
Gram._, p. 160. "How many right angles has an acute angled
triangle?"--_Ib._, p. 220. "In the days of Jorum, king of Israel,
flourished the prophet Elisha."--_Ib._, p. 148. "In the days of Jorum, king
of Israel, Elisha, the prophet flourished."--_Ib._, p. 133. "Lodgable, _a_.
Capable of affording a temporary abode."--_Webster's Octavo Dict._--"Win me
into the easy hearted man."--_Johnson's Quarto Dict._ "And then to end
life, is the same as to dye."--_Milnes's Greek Gram._, p. 176. "Those
usurping hectors who pretend to honour without religion, think the charge
of a lie a blot not to be washed out but by blood."--SOUTH: _Joh. Dict._
"His gallies attending him, he pursues the unfortunate."--_Nixon's Parser_,
p. 91. "This cannot fail to make us shyer of yielding our
assent."--_Campbell's Rhet._, p. 117. "When he comes to the Italicised
word, he should give it such a definition as its connection with the
sentence may require."--_Claggett's Expositor_, p. vii. "Learn to distil
from your lips all the honies of persuasion."--_Adams's Rhetoric_, Vol. i,
p. 31. "To instill ideas of disgust and abhorrence against the
Americans."--_Ib._, ii, 300. "Where prejudice has not acquired an
uncontroled ascendency."--_Ib._, i, 31. "The uncontrolable propensity of
his mind was undoubtedly to oratory."--_Ib._, i, 100. "The Brutus is a
practical commentary upon the dialogues and the orator."--_Ib._, i, 120.
"The oratorical partitions are a short elementary compendium."--_Ib._, i,
130. "You shall find hundreds of persons able to produce a crowd of good
ideas upon any subject, for one that can marshall them to the best
advantage."--_Ib._, i, 169. "In this lecture, you have the outline of all
that the whole course will comprize."--_Ib._, i, 182. "He would have been
stopped by a hint from the bench, that he was traveling out of the
record."--_Ib._, i, 289. "To tell them that which should befal them in the
last days."--_Ib._, ii, 308. "Where all is present, there is nothing past
to recal."--_Ib._, ii, 358. "Whose due it is to drink the brimfull cup of
God's eternal vengeance."--_Law and Grace_, p. 36.
"There, from the dead, centurions see him rise,
See, but struck down with horrible surprize!"--_Savage_.
"With seed of woes my heart brimful is charged."--SIDNEY: _Joh. Dict._
"Our legions are brimful, our cause is ripe."--SHAKSPEARE: _ib._
PART II.
ETYMOLOGY.
ETYMOLOGY treats of the different parts of speech, with their classes and
modifications.
The _Parts of Speech_ are the several kinds, or principal classes, into
which words are divided by grammarians.
_Classes_, under the parts of speech, are the particular sorts into which
the several kinds of words are subdivided.
_Modifications_ are inflections, or changes, in the terminations, forms, or
senses, of some kinds of words.
CHAPTER I.--PARTS OF SPEECH.
The Parts of Speech, or sorts of words, in English, are ten; namely, the
Article, the Noun, the Adjective, the Pronoun, the Verb, the Participle,
the Adverb, the Conjunction, the Preposition, and the Interjection.
1. THE ARTICLE.
An Article is the word _the, an_, or _a_, which we put before nouns to
limit their signification: as, _The_ air, _the_ stars; _an_ island, _a_
ship.
2. THE NOUN.
A Noun is the name of any person, place, or thing, that can be known or
mentioned: as, _George, York, man, apple, truth_.
3. THE ADJECTIVE.
An Adjective is a word added to a noun or pronoun, and generally expresses
quality: as, A _wise_ man; a _new_ book. You _two_ are _diligent_.
4. THE PRONOUN.
A Pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun: as, The boy loves _his_ book;
_he_ has long lessons, and _he_ learns _them_ well.
5. THE VERB.
A Verb is a word that signifies _to be, to act_, or _to be acted upon_: as,
I _am_, I _rule_, I _am ruled_; I _love_, thou _lovest_, he _loves_.
6. THE PARTICIPLE.
A Participle is a word derived from a verb, participating the properties of
a verb, and of an adjective or a noun; and is generally formed by adding
_ing, d_, or _ed_, to the verb: thus, from the verb _rule_, are formed
three participles, two simple and one compound; as, 1. _ruling_, 2.
_ruled_, 3. _having ruled_.
7. THE ADVERB.
An Adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an
other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner: as,
They are _now here_, studying _very diligently_.
8. THE CONJUNCTION.
A Conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences in construction,
and to show the dependence of the terms so connected: as, "Thou _and_ he
are happy, _because_ you are good."--_L. Murray_.
9. THE PREPOSITION.
A Preposition is a word used to express some relation of different things
or thoughts to each other, and is generally placed before a noun or a
pronoun; as, The paper lies _before_ me _on_ the desk.
10. THE INTERJECTION.
An Interjection is a word that is uttered merely to indicate some strong or
sudden emotion of the mind: as, _Oh! alas! ah! poh! pshaw! avaunt! aha!
hurrah!_
OBSERVATIONS.
OBS. 1.--The first thing to be learned in the study of this the second part
of grammar, is the distribution of the words of the language into those
principal sorts, or classes, which are denominated _the Parts of Speech_.
This is a matter of some difficulty. And as no scheme which can be adopted,
will be in all cases so plain that young beginners will not occasionally
falter in its application, the teacher may sometimes find it expedient to
refer his pupils to the following simple explanations, which are designed
to aid their first and most difficult steps.
How can we know to what class, or part of speech, any word belongs? By
learning the definitions of the ten parts of speech, and then observing how
the word is written, and in what sense it is used. It is necessary also to
observe, so far as we can, with what other words each particular one is
capable of making sense.
1. Is it easy to distinguish an ARTICLE? If not always easy, it is
generally so: _the, an_, and _a_, are the only English words called
articles, and these are rarely any thing else. Because _an_ and _a_ have
the same import, and are supposed to have the same origin, the articles are
commonly reckoned two, but some count them as three.
2. How can we distinguish a NOUN? By means of the article before it, if
there is one; as, _the house, an apple, a book_; or, by adding it to the
phrase, "_I mentioned_;" as, "I mentioned _peace_;"--"I mentioned
_war_;"--"I mentioned _slumber_." Any word which thus makes complete sense,
is, in that sense, a noun; because a noun is the _name_ of any thing which
can thus be mentioned _by a name_. Of English nouns, there are said to be
as many as twenty-five or thirty thousand.
3. How can we distinguish an ADJECTIVE? By putting a noun after it, to see
if the phrase will be sense. The noun _thing_, or its plural _things_, will
suit almost any adjective; as, A _good_ thing--A _bad_ thing--A _little_
thing--A _great_ thing--_Few_ things--_Many_ things--_Some_ things--_Fifty_
things. Of adjectives, there are perhaps nine or ten thousand.
4. How can we distinguish a PRONOUN? By observing that its noun repeated
makes the same sense. Thus, the example of the pronoun above, "The boy
loves _his_ book; _he_ has long lessons, and _he_ learns _them_
well,"--very clearly means, "The boy loves _the boy's_ book; _the boy_ has
long lessons, and _the boy_ learns _those lessons_ well." Here then, by a
disagreeable repetition of two nouns, we have the same sense without any
pronoun; but it is obvious that the pronouns form a better mode of
expression, because they prevent this awkward repetition. The different
pronouns in English are twenty-four; and their variations in declension are
thirty-two: so that the number of _words_ of this class, is fifty-six.
5. How can we distinguish a VERB? By observing that it is usually the
principal word in the sentence, and that without it there would be no
assertion. It is the word which expresses what is affirmed or said of the
person or thing mentioned; as, "Jesus _wept_."--"Felix _trembled_."--"The
just _shall live_ by faith." It will make sense when inflected with the
pronouns; as, I _write_, thou _writ'st_, he _writes_; we _write_, you
_write_, they _write_.--I _walk_, thou _walkst_, he _walks_; we _walk_, you
_walk_, they _walk_. Of English verbs, some recent grammarians compute the
number at eight thousand; others formerly reckoned them to be no more than
four thousand three hundred.[131]
6. How can we distinguish a PARTICIPLE? By observing its derivation from
the verb, and then placing it after _to be_ or _having_; as, To be
_writing_, Having _written_--To be _walking_, Having _walked_--To be
_weeping_, Having _wept_--To be _studying_, Having _studied_. Of simple
participles, there are twice as many as there are of simple or radical
verbs; and the possible compounds are not less numerous than the simples,
but they are much less frequently used.
7. How can we distinguish an ADVERB? By observing that it answers to the
question, _When? Where? How much?_ or _How_?--or serves to ask it; as, "He
spoke fluently." _How_ did he speak? _Fluently_. This word _fluently_ is
therefore an adverb: it tells _how_ he spoke. Of adverbs, there are about
two thousand six hundred; and four fifths of them end in _ly_.
8. How can we distinguish a CONJUNCTION? By observing what words or terms
it joins together, or to what other conjunction it corresponds; as,
"_Neither_ wealth _nor_ honor can heal a wounded conscience."--_Dillwyn's
Ref._, p. 16. Or, it may be well to learn the whole list at once: _And, as,
both, because, even, for, if, that, then, since, seeing, so: Or, nor,
either, neither, than, though, although, yet, but, except, whether, lest,
unless, save, provided, notwithstanding, whereas._ Of conjunctions, there
are these twenty-nine in common use, and a few others now obsolete.
9. How can we distinguish a PREPOSITION? By observing that it will govern
the pronoun _them_, and is not a verb or a participle; as, _About_
them--_above_ them--_across_ them--_after_ them--_against_ them--_amidst_
them--_among_ them--_around_ them--_at_ them--_Before_ them--_behind_
them--_below_ them--_beneath_ them--_beside_ them--_between_ them--_beyond_
them--_by_ them--_For_ them--_from_ them--_In_ them--_into_ them, &c. Of
the prepositions, there are about sixty now in common use.
10. How can we distinguish an INTERJECTION? By observing that it is an
independent word or sound, uttered earnestly, and very often written with
the note of exclamation; as _Lo! behold! look! see! hark! hush! hist! mum!_
Of interjections, there are sixty or seventy in common use, some of which
are seldom found in books.
OBS. 2.--An accurate knowledge of words, and of their changes, is
indispensable to a clear discernment of their proper combinations in
sentences, according to the usage of the learned. Etymology, therefore,
should be taught before syntax; but it should be chiefly taught by a direct
analysis of entire sentences, and those so plainly written that the
particular effect of every word may be clearly distinguished, and the
meaning, whether intrinsic or relative, be discovered with precision. The
parts of speech are usually named and defined with reference to the use of
words _in sentences_; and, as the same word not unfrequently stands for
several different parts of speech, the learner should be early taught to
make for himself the proper application of the foregoing distribution,
without recurrence to a dictionary, and without aid from his teacher. He
who is endeavouring to acquaint himself with the grammar of a language
which he can already read and understand, is placed in circumstances very
different from those which attend the school-boy who is just beginning to
construe some sentences of a foreign tongue. A frequent use of the
dictionary may facilitate the progress of the one, while it delays that of
the other. English grammar, it is hoped, may be learned directly from this
book alone, with better success than can be expected when the attention of
the learner is divided among several or many different works.
OBS. 3.--Dr. James P. Wilson, in speaking of the classification of words,
observes, "The _names_ of the distributive parts should either express,
distinctly, the influence, which each class produces on sentences; or some
other characteristic trait, by which the respective species of words may be
distinguished, without danger of confusion. It is at least probable, that
no distribution, sufficiently minute, can ever be made, of the parts of
speech, which shall be wholly free from all objection. Hasty innovations,
therefore, and crude conjectures, should not be permitted to disturb that
course of grammatical instruction, which has been advancing in melioration,
by the unremitting labours of thousands, through a series of
ages."--_Wilson's Essay on Gram._, p. 66. Again: "The _number_ of the parts
of speech may be reduced, or enlarged, at pleasure; and the rules of
syntax may be accommodated to such new arrangement. The best grammarians
find it difficult, in practice, to distinguish, in some instances, adverbs,
prepositions, and conjunctions; yet their effects are generally distinct.
This inconvenience should be submitted to, since a less comprehensive
distribution would be very unfavourable to a rational investigation of the
meaning of English sentences."--_Ib._, p. 68. Again: "_As_ and _so_ have
been also deemed substitutes, and resolved into other words. But if all
abbreviations are to be restored to their primitive parts of speech, there
will be a general revolution in the present systems of grammar; and the
various improvements, which have sprung from convenience, or necessity, and
been sanctioned by the usage of ancient times, must be retrenched, and
anarchy in letters universally prevail."--_Ib._, p. 114.
OBS. 4.--I have elsewhere sufficiently shown why _ten_ parts of speech are
to be preferred to any other number, in English; and whatever diversity of
opinion there may be, respecting the class to which some particular words
ought to be referred, I trust to make it obvious to good sense, that I have
seldom erred from the course which is most expedient. 1. _Articles_ are
used with appellative nouns, sometimes to denote emphatically the species,
but generally to designate individuals. 2. _Nouns_ stand in discourse for
persons, things, or abstract qualities. 3. _Adjectives_ commonly express
the concrete qualities of persons or things; but sometimes, their situation
or number. 4. _Pronouns_ are substitutes for names, or nouns; but they
sometimes represent sentences. 5. _Verbs_ assert, ask, or say something;
and, for the most part, express action or motion. 6. _Participles_ contain
the essential meaning of their verbs, and commonly denote action, and imply
time; but, apart from auxiliaries, they express that meaning either
adjectively or substantively, and not with assertion. 7. _Adverbs_ express
the circumstances of time, of place, of degree, and of manner; the _when_,
the _where_, the _how much_, and the _how_. 8. _Conjunctions_ connect,
sometimes words, and sometimes sentences, rarely phrases; and always show,
either the manner in which one sentence or one phrase depends upon an
other, or what connexion there is between two words that refer to a third.
9. _Prepositions_ express the correspondent relations of things to things,
of thoughts to thoughts, or of words to words; for these, if we speak
truly, must be all the same in expression. 10. _Interjections_ are either
natural sounds or exclamatory words, used independently, and serving
briefly to indicate the wishes or feelings of the speaker.
OBS. 5.--In the following passage, all the parts of speech are exemplified,
and each is pointed out by the figure placed over the word:--
1 2 9 2 5 1 2 3 9 2 1 2 6
"The power of speech is a faculty peculiar to man; a faculty bestowed
9 4 9 4 3 2 9 1 3 8 7 3
on him by his beneficent Creator, for the greatest and most excellent
2 8 10 7 7 5 4 5 4 9 1 3 9
uses; but, alas! how often do we pervert it to the worst of
2
purposes!"--See _Lowth's Gram._, p. 1.
In this sentence, which has been adopted by Murray, Churchill, and others,
we have the following parts of speech: 1. The words _the, a_, and _an_, are
articles. 2. The words _power, speech, faculty, man, faculty, Creator,
uses_, and _purposes_, are nouns. 3. The words _peculiar, beneficent,
greatest, excellent_, and _worst_, are adjectives. 4. The words _him, his,
we_, and _it_, are pronouns. 5. The words _is, do_, and _pervert_, are
verbs. 6. The word _bestowed_ is a participle. 7. The words _most, how_,
and _often_, are adverbs. 8. The words _and_ and _but_ are conjunctions. 9.
The words _of, on, to, by, for, to_, and _of_, are prepositions. 10. The
word _alas!_ is an interjection.
OBS. 6.--In speaking or writing, we of course bring together the different
parts of speech just as they happen to be needed. Though a sentence of
ordinary length usually embraces more than one half of them, it is not
often that we find them _all_ in so small a compass. Sentences sometimes
abound in words of a particular kind, and are quite destitute of those of
some other sort. The following examples will illustrate these remarks. (1)
ARTICLES: "_A_ square is less beautiful than _a_ circle; and _the_ reason
seems to be, that _the_ attention is divided among _the_ sides and angles
of _a_ square, whereas _the_ circumference of _a_ circle, being _a_ single
object, makes one entire impression."--_Kames, Elements of Criticism_, Vol.
i, p. 175. (2.) NOUNS: "A _number_ of _things_ destined for the same _use_,
such as _windows, chairs, spoons, buttons_, cannot be too uniform; for,
supposing their _figure_ to be good, _utility_ requires
_uniformity_."--_Ib._, i, 176. (3.) ADJECTIVES: "Hence nothing _just,
proper, decent, beautiful, proportioned_, or _grand_, is
_risible_."--_Ib._, i, 229. (4.) PRONOUNS: "_I_ must entreat the courteous
reader to suspend _his_ curiosity, and rather to consider _what_ is written
than _who they_ are _that_ write it."--_Addison, Spect._, No. 556. (5.)
VERBS: "The least consideration _will inform_ us how easy it _is_ to _put_
an ill-natured construction upon a word; and what perverse turns and
expressions _spring_ from an evil temper. Nothing _can be explained_ to him
who _will_ not _understand_, nor _will_ any thing _appear_ right to the
unreasonable."--_Cecil_. (6.) PARTICIPLES: "The Scriptures are an
authoritative voice, _reproving, instructing_, and _warning_ the world; and
_declaring_ the only means _ordained_ and _provided for escaping_ the awful
penalties of sin."--_G. B._ (7.) ADVERBS: "The light of Scripture shines
_steadily, purely, benignly, certainly, superlatively_."--_Dr. S. H. Cox._
(8.) CONJUNCTIONS: "Quietness and silence _both_ become _and_ befriend
religious exercises. Clamour _and_ violence often hinder, _but_ never
further, the work of God."--_Henry's Exposition._ (9.) PREPOSITIONS: "He
has kept _among us_, in times of peace, standing armies, _without_ the
consent of our legislatures."--_Dec. of Indep._ (10.) INTERJECTIONS: "_Oh_,
my dear strong-box! _Oh_, my lost guineas! _Oh_, poor, ruined, beggared old
man! _Boo! hoo! hoo!_"--MOLIERE: _Burgh's Art of Speaking_, p. 266.
EXAMPLES FOR PARSING.
_Parsing_ is the resolving or explaining of a sentence, or of some related
word or words, according to the definitions and rules of grammar. Parsing
is to grammar what ciphering is to arithmetic.
A _Praxis_ is a method of exercise, or a form of grammatical resolution,
showing the learner how to proceed. The word is Greek, and literally
signifies action, doing, practice, or formal use.
PRAXIS I--ETYMOLOGICAL.
_In the first Praxis, it is required of the pupil--merely to distinguish
and define the different parts of speech.
The definitions to be given in the First Praxis, are one, and only one, for
each word, or part of speech. Thus_:--
EXAMPLE PARSED.
"The patient ox submits to the yoke, and meekly performs the labour
required of him."
_The_ is an article. 1.[132] An article is the word _the, an_, or _a_,
which we put before nouns to limit their signification.
_Patient_ is an adjective. 1. An adjective is a word added to a noun or
pronoun, and generally expresses quality.
_Ox_ is a noun. 1. A noun is the name of any person, place, or thing, that
can be known or mentioned.
_Submits_ is a verb. 1. A verb is a word that signifies _to be, to act_, or
_to be acted upon._
_To_ is a preposition. 1. A preposition is a word used to express some
relation of different things or thoughts to each other, and is generally
placed before a noun or a pronoun.
_The_ is an article. 1. An article is the word _the, an_, or _a_, which we
put before nouns to limit their signification.
_Yoke_ is a noun. 1. A noun is the name of any person, place, or thing,
that can be known or mentioned.
_And_ is a conjunction. 1. A conjunction is a word used to connect words or
sentences in construction, and to show the dependence of the terms so
connected.