PREFACE of the TRANSLATORS. ix. 



The fecond difficulty was, whether fome of thefe 

 compound words fhould be ufed as adjectives or as par- 

 ticiples pajjive -, as in fome of them the fignification 

 differs with this difference of their conftruclion ; thus 

 a thread-form flowerftem is one every where of equal 

 thicknefs like a thread, but a thread-formed flowerftem 

 would mean one formed of thread ; fo axe form means 

 of the form of an axe, but axe-formed would mean 

 formed by an axe ; a threejold garment means a tripple 

 garment, but a three-folded garment would mean 

 thrice folded ; a threefoot rule is one of the length of 

 three feet, but a three footed ftool is one having three 

 feet. After much deliberation, and by the advice of 

 our ingenious friends we at length refolved to ufe thefe 

 words, and a few others, adjectively ; becaufe their 

 precife fignification was thus better afcertained, and 

 they became more euphonious from their being 

 lefs loaded with confonants, and our language affords 

 many inftancesof compound words of fimilar conftruc- 

 tion. Thus a grit-ftone wall, a hair-breadth fcape, a 

 broad-cloth coat, foot-path way, fmall -tooth comb, 

 one-horfe chair, two-man beetle, three-foot rule, 

 four-mile flone, five-card loo, fix-penny loaf, ten- 

 pound weight, twenty-milling bill, fifty-gun (hip ; 

 to thefe may be added the words uniform, multiform, 

 two-fold, manifold, blindfold ; and the words com- 

 pounded with like, wife, full, and fome; as caftle-like, 

 crofs-wife, fpoonful, burthenfome ; all which are 

 ufed as adjectives either in familiar converfation, or by 

 refpectable writers. 



By this aptnefs of our language in compounding 

 variety of words, we flatter ourfelves that we have 

 been able to exprefs in fome inftances the meaning 

 pf our author, as explained and defined by himfelf or 



by 



