1885.] o66 [Brinton. 



The verb is the union of the subject and predicate of the sentence by 

 means of the notion of Being ; yet not of every predicate. The attri- 

 bute wliicli is united to the substance by tlie verb must be an energic 

 one, a participial. The substance is represented in the verb as in 

 motion, as connecting the Being with the energic atttribute. By 

 means of tliis representation, and tlie peculiar nature of tlie attribute, 

 the verb is distinguished from tiie mere logical copula, with which it is 

 liable to be confounded if these ideas are not understood. If ihe verb 

 is explained merely as a synthesis of Being with any other attribute, 

 then the origui of the tenses cannot be wholly derived from one idea, 

 for the idea of time alone would allow only a three-fold distinction. 

 Moreover, in such case the true and efficient nature of the verb is mis- 

 understood. In the sentence, " The man is good," the verb is not a 

 synthesis of the adjective " good '' with the substantive, but it is a par- 

 ticipial of the energic attribute " to be good," which contains a condi- 

 tion, having beginning, middle and end, and consequently resembles 

 an action. Fully analyzed, the sentence would be, " lie is being-good.' ' 

 Where the substantive verb stands witliout a visible predicate, as in 

 the sentence, " I am," then the verb " to be" has itself as the object of 

 a synthesis, " I am being. " But as rude nations would find this difficult 

 to comprehend, the verb " to be" is eitlier entirely lacking, as in many 

 American languages, or else it has an original material sense, and is 

 confounded with "to stand," "to give," "to eat," etc., and thus 

 indicates Being as identical with the most familiar occupations. 



Tlie subject, the substance represented as in action, may be one 

 independent of the speakers, or it may be identical with one of them, 

 and this identity is expressed by the pronouns. From this arises the 

 persons. The energic attribute may exert its action in various man- 

 ners in the substance or between two substances ; this gives rise to the 

 forms or classes of verbs. Their action must be confined to a given 

 point or period of time. The Being may be understood as definite or 

 indefinite, etc., and in this is the origin of modes. Being is inseparably 

 connected with the notation of time. This, united with the fixation 

 of the point or period of time of an action, forms the tenses. No verb, 

 therefore, can be conceived as without persons and tenses, modes and 

 classes ; yet these qualities do not constitute its essence, but arise from 

 the latter, which itself is the synthesis brouglit about by the notion of 

 Being. The signs of these qualities must be made to appear in the 

 grammatical notation of the verb, but in such a maimer that they 

 appear dependent on its nature, making one with it. 



The energic attribute, which aids in forming the verb, may be a real 

 movement or action, as going, coming, living, working, etc., or merely 

 a qualitative Being, as a being beautiful, good, mortal, or immortal. 

 In the former case, we have a real attributive verb, in the latter a sub- 

 stantive verb, in which an attribute is considered as at rest, hence as 

 an adjective. Although in both cases the nature of the verb is the 



