^79^' grammatical disquisitions. 3 1 7 



pact a word as not to be distinguifhable from an unw 

 compounded noun. In procefs of time, the idea, 

 which gave rise to their original composition being 

 lost, the name of the object only which the word 

 stands for, comes to be attended to, and it is then em- 

 ployed as a simple word in forming new compounds. 

 A noted instance of this kind occurs in the word 

 midwife, from which is derived the singular com- 

 pound man-midwife. Doomsday-book, and pocket- 

 handkerchief, belong to the same clafs. 



I fliall only farther observe, in regard to the use 

 of this cbfs of words in compound; ig others, that all 

 our patronimic names, are formed by their afsistance ;, 

 such as Williamson, 'Johnson, Davidson, in Englifn. 

 Tlie same may be said of the Irifh Mac''s and O'j, the 

 Welch Up^s, and the De''s in French and modern La- 

 tin. To which may be added the names of places 

 ending in burgh, hill, ford, burn, dam, dike, haven, 

 mouth, and many others which it would be tedious 

 to enumerate, 



-For the distinction between this clafs of words and 

 adjectives, which in some particulars they so nearly 

 resemble ; for the rules that have been observed \tx 

 regard to their derivation ; the modes that have been^ 

 adopted in respect of their composition with other 

 words ; and other particulars relating to them, I must 

 leave these to be ascertained by others who have 

 talents better adapted to such investigations, and who- 

 have better opportunities of prosecuting such studies 

 than myself: and will be happy if these cursory 

 hiats lliall have a teadency to induce some one better 



