338 DISQUISITIONS on tbe 



In the prepofition we are now confidering, though afFording one 

 of the befl illuftrations of Dr Moor's ideas, the primitive fenfe 

 muft be fought for, not according to his hypothefis, but by a 

 fair examination of its root and cognates. 



The root of ex/ appears to lie in the verb iru, a verb occurring 

 in different paffages of the earlier Greek writers, in its fimple 

 form, and of pretty general ufe in a compound ftate. 'Eva is 

 rendered by Stephens to work, to handle, to follow ; fometimes 

 to hurt, and fometimes to warm ; and frequently this verb is ufed 

 by Homer to exprefs rubbing, furb'iflnng, ■AXiA.Jcourhig. AH thefe 

 different fenfes are, I think, eafily reducible to the lAe?, oi prejftng 

 or clofe touching, which may therefore be taken as the radical 

 fenfe of ivm. 'Etoi, the root, having this radical meaning, its 

 cognate and derivative eV/, mufl exprefs the fame idea ; and as 

 ivi appears to be a mvitilated verbal adjedlive, with its fubftan- 

 tive underftood, it is properly and literally objeSl preffed, adhered 

 to, or objeSI touched clofely j and this fignification it retains whe- 

 ther applied to place, time, or relation. 

 I. As applied to place. 



'H (r<pa7oci, KuXivhirat It'i 7tji r^aizi^rii, " the ball rolls upon the 

 " table," — " the ball rolls, — objedl preffed by it, or adhered to 

 " in fo doing, — the table." 'O XlSof '^iTrrii iv'i rrjv yyjv, " the ftone 

 " falls upon the ground," — " the ftone falls, — objed preffed or 

 " adhered to by its fall, — the ground." 



'OXi<ru ^e TToXiocs t-Jti vriviriv Kyanuv. HoMER. 



" to deftroy many of the Greeks at or befide the fhips," — " to 

 " deftroy many, — place or objedls clofe touched in doing fo, — 

 " the Ihips." KctSi(^sS-ut e^r/ rjjc isietv, " to fit down at or befide the 

 '' hearth," — " to fit down, — place touched, or clofely adhered to 

 " in fitting, — the hearth." Eu^«« eV' evSSuv s-ccdSa-u, Euclid), 

 " a ftraight line ftanding upon a ftraight line," — "a ftraight 



" line 



