Particularly of the LETTER SITMA. 113 



conflituent elements, can be but very imperfedly exprefTed by 

 figures of imitation ; becaufe there is of thefe founds an im- 

 menfe variety, which cannot poflibly admit of any fuch vifible 

 exhibition*. Thofe conventional figns, which we call letters, 

 are the only proper and complete mode of denoting fimple ele- 

 mental founds, and their infinite variety of combination in 

 fyllables and words. For although the alphabet of no one lan- 

 guage contains a fufficient number of letters to exprefs every pof- 

 fible modification of articxilated found ; yet the letters compo- 

 fing the feveral alphabets of thofe written languages with which 

 we are acquainted, efpecially the ancient Greek and Latin, have 

 been found fufficient for denoting all the requifite elementary 

 founds in thofe particular languages f. 



Letters are called by the Greeks y^ky^yjara,, a word whofe 

 etymology is evident ; for if 'yga.(pai fignify to write, y^cc(t,(t,» 

 muft fignify a thing written, that is, a letter, or written charac- 

 ter, denoting an element of articulate found %• The ori- 



Vgl, IL P ginal 



* See an excellent account of the difference betwixt imitative and fymbolic language, 

 by the late Mr Harris, fupported by quotations from Greek authors. Hermes, Boot III. 

 Chap. 3. 



f Dr WiLKiNs has endeavoured to fliew the defefts in common alphabets, as to the 

 true order of the letters, their juft number, determinate powers, fitting names, proper 

 figures, dye. EJJhy towarJs a real Chara&er, &c. Part I. Chap. v. And he has exhi- 

 bited a table of fuch fimple founds as he thinks can be framed by men, with a twofold in. 

 ftance of a more regular charaiSer for the letters, together with feveral other curious 

 particulars. Part III. Chap. x. xi. xii. xiii. xiv. After all, he concludes as follows : 

 " Thefe thirty-four letters, before enumerated, will fuffice to exprefs all thofe articulate 

 " founds, which are commonly known and ufed in thefe parts of the world. I dare not 

 " be over-peremptory in afferting, that thefe are all the articulate Sounds, which either 

 " are, or can be in nature ; it being as impoHible to reckon up all fuch, as to determine 

 " the juft number of Colours or Tajies." 



X The etymology of the Latin word Litera, is not fo well afcertained. See Scaliger 

 Je Caujis Ling. Lot. Lib. I. Cap. 4. Ammonids the Grammarian thus defines the dif- 

 ference betwixt y^x/iiici and s-oix«o»- Tja/nfta Stiiix"'» JwipEgH. trcixSc:) ft.h ^ Ui" "i Ixpa- 

 nms KJ ip&iyyoi, a to y^iifCjiM. Sfi s-nf<.Ht» n n-n©- J •jt^jt-u. T^ii^ftx differs from s-oix,aay. For 

 «-oij(;«o> is the enunciation and the found, of which yfufifxa is a Jign or type or figure. De 

 affinium vocab. differentia, voce yja.^fi*, ubi vide quae annotavit vir dodliffimus Ldd. 



Casp. 



