314 grammatical disquisitions. -^ug. 29. 



ciples, so as to make them comprehend several col- 

 lateral ideas without altering the form of the words 

 employed. Thus, if we were to suppose that pro- 

 perty was the idea that first gave rise to that varia- 

 tion of nouns, denoted by the addition of an apostro- 

 phised 'j, it has been found so convenient as to give 

 rise to its being extended to denote pofsefsion also ; 

 for we equally denote a particular house in this man- 

 ner by the name of the pofsefsor or the proprietor. 

 In like manner it has been extended to denote; totality, 

 when considered with relation to the parts of \ hich 

 it consists. We even go farther, and make the 

 same inflection denote neither pofsefsion, nor property ^ 

 nor totality, as above defined, but a sort of a compli- 

 mentary relation, for which I do not know any ap- 

 propriated name. Thus, St Andrews Square does 

 not. imply that the square is either t\\e property of 

 St Andrew, or is pofsefsed by him, but merely that, 

 in honour of that saint, it is called after his name. 

 This particular variation of nouns, does not therefore 

 in all cases denote pofsefsion, as has been alleged by 

 some eminent grammarians, but exprefses many dif- 

 ferent-relations, all of which it would be tedious to 

 enumerate, but all tending to the same purpose, that 

 of identifying a particular object ; other circumstances, 

 about which I at present enquire not, have b6en laid 

 hold of, and employed for the same purpose. 



Such, then, is the origin and use of this clafs of 

 words, aboiit which grammarians have hitherto been 

 so much puzzled. These words evidently ail be- 

 long to that clafs which Harris has, with great pro- 

 priety, called definitives. Of these, a small number 



