a8o grammatical disquisitions. Aug.i^, 



iythe hand ; a table knife, a knife to he used at table. 

 To the same clafs belong watch-cbainy pen knife, tea 

 spoon, slop hason, hand kerchief, and manj others 

 which it would be tedious to enumerate ; and which 

 would hav'e an cqualclaim to the titles of ablatives, 

 as those formerly mentioned have to that of gene- , 

 'tives *. 



It has been already remarked that Dr Lowth calls 

 this variation of our noun z pofsefsive case, and th* 

 greatest part of our grammarians term the pronouns 

 above named, pofsefsive pronouns. As to the term 

 pofsefsive case, if it fhould be adopted, it gives an idea 

 oi cases, altogether different from that which has been 

 ever admitted among ancient grammarians, and would 

 lead to conclusions that would produce the greatest 

 confusion in grammatical speculations. There is no 

 doubt, it is true, but that many of the words of this 

 clafs indicate pofsefsion, as well as the words above 

 enumerated, that have been caUedpofsefsive adjectives; 

 but it is not clear that either the one is entitled, in 

 strict propriety, to the name of adjectives, or the 

 other to that of cases. If we fhould admit this clafs 

 of words to the rank of a particular case, we fhall 

 find other words derived from our nouns by other 

 inflections that would have an equal claim to the same 

 honour. Thus fohnsoniana is a word derived from 

 Johnson by a peculiar inflection ; and as it implies a 

 collection, we fliould call it the collective case. Even 

 Johnson itself is a word derived from John by a par- 



* Once more I must request the reader to remember that I here only 

 reason for the sake of analogy. 1 by no means contend that any of thci': 

 could properly be called cases. 



