I792. on personal pronouns. ^JS- 



It is indeed true that this and that, never can be 



employed as definitives along with nouns denoting 



plurality, and that these and those always do denote 



plurality. But that there is no greater similarity 



between the idea conveyed by the word this, and 



that of the word these, than there is between the word 



this and those ; and likewise that there is no greater 



affinity between that and those, than between that and 



these, is so obvious, as to require little illustration. 



"This, denotes a single object, either at hand, or that has 



been just mentioned ; and that a single object at some 



greater distance, as opposed to it; these and those both 



denote plurality at a distance, the one more, the other 



lefs remote, as contrasted with each other. 



It is indeed true, that from a defect in the Engli/h 



dialect of our language, though not in the Scottijh 6X2.- 



lect, the wor<i these is obliged to perform a double 



office, by denoting a plurality at hand, as well as at 



a distance, and therefore it becomes equivalent a- 



Uke to this and that. But in the Scottiih dialect 



that ambiguity is avoided. For, 



T/fi/j- denotes a sineleobieet, and 7 .. i, „j „, ,,0.^, ^= 



_., . , ,. r ^ • f 3t hand, or very near, 



Jotr a plurality ot objects j 



That 3 single obiect, and 7 ^ j- . 



<7L J ,2. 1 T. f u- . J- at a distance. 



Jhese pronounced Ihaez plurality 01 objects, J 



Ihose, in both cases, denoting another clafs of dis- 

 tant objects as contrasted with these, as in the follow- 

 ing example, 



" 'This stone is heavy, Cweighing or touching the 

 stone,) but that stone, pointing to one at a distance, 

 is more valuable. Thir apples (pointing to, or touch- 

 ing a quantity at handj are sweet; but these -are 



VOL. xi. MM + • 



