Owen — Revision of Pronouns. 39 



possibility, such a change may be illustrated as follows: given "this" 

 and "that," meaning initiatively the near and the far of space, by a 

 well-worn path of idea transition they become the near and the far 

 of time, and these have but a line to cross to become the near and the 

 far of consciousness. Accordingly "this" coincides with an idea of 

 which I am thinking or am vividly conscious; "that" by antagonism 

 associates itself With an idea already distinctly thought and now wan- 

 ing, or yet to be thought distinctly and now but dawning — an idea 

 then, in either case, of which I am at this moment conscious but dimly. 

 Many reasons might be alleged in favor of a preliminary leaning in 

 favor of what has been thought already; that is, the use of the vica- 

 rious word was at first presumably retrospective. Suppose then I say: 

 ^'Brown was married on Christmas. That is my birthday." My 

 meaning is as follows: That (of which I icas thinking, i. e., Christmas) 

 is (this of which I am thinking, necessarily specially symbolized as) 

 my birthda5\ "That," being primarily used of things, tends to over- 

 look an idea so unobjective as marriage; the choice between "Brown" 

 and "Christmas" is settled by number, gender, adaptability to context, 

 -etc. 



XII. THEIR MOTIVE. 



The vicarious word is rather a liniriiistic liixiirv than a ne- 

 cessity. It may always be replaced by its principal ; but such 

 use of the latter involves an obtrusive repetition, and to this 

 a dislike is early developed. Thus I may, with perfect exact- 

 ness, tell vou that "Brown savs Brown's brother has sold Bro^vn 

 Bro^vn's brother's horse ;" but the fastidiousness of speech is 

 offended. Preference is ffiven to '"Brown savs his brother has 

 sold him his horse." 



XIII. THEIE i:^CIDEXTAL ADVAXTAGES. 



A suitable corps of idea-repeaters aids correct understanding. 

 As soon as they are fully recognized as such, they give notice 

 that what they name has been named before. Initiatives, on 

 the other hand, create an expectation of the new. Thus, sup- 

 pose I say, "I have been talking with Broivn. I learn that my 

 neigJihor is ill." As a matter of fact ''my neighbor" and 

 ^'Brown" are one person; but this you do not expect, because 

 neighbor" is usually employed to name an idea different from 



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