On Definitions. 91 
The observations which have been made upon moral definitions, 
are in all respects, applicable to intellectual ones: But the subject 
is of much less importance, as for the most part, persons only pos- 
sessing some degree of education, are interested in questions of this 
description ; while moral discriminations are in use among all man- 
kind, and are employed by them during every waking hour of their 
lives. 
I proceed to make some observations on the use of definitions in 
those branches of human knowledge which are conversant, pestiy 
in visible, and partly in invisible objects. 
Grammar, rhetoric, and criticism, together with every thing siding 
ting to the theory and practice of language, are conversant in objects 
perceived by the senses, namely, words ; but many of these words 
are the signs of invisible objects, and therefore bring us back to the 
principles already explained, for judging of things unseen by their 
causes, or by their effects. 
In these departments of knowledge, the best definitions that can 
be given, are for the most part imperfect, and, in many cases, vague. 
By a beginner in these studies, they can never be understood with- 
out numerous examples, and much practice is necessary for their 
full development. 
n grammar, for example, no writer has hitherto been able to pro- 
duce a satisfactory definition of the very common word Verb, though 
that is one of the most important in the list of grammatical terms. 
No definition of that part of speech can be given which does not 
exclude something which that term ought to contain, or which does 
not contain something which it ought to exclude. 
A noun is defined by the best writers on grammar to be the name 
of something: but the words name and something, are both so indef- 
inite, that nothing but long practice can enable any one to under- 
stand thoroughly the definition. 
f all the definitions in grammar, none seems more simple and easy 
than that of a pronoun, which is defined, a word used instead of a 
noun. But numberless instances constantly occur, of nouns that are 
used instead of other nouns, which, by the definitions, would there- 
fore, themselves become pronouns. ‘Thus, instead of repeating a 
persori’s name, or the name of a place, we say, the person or place, 
mentioned before, or mentioned above. All such phrases by the 
definition, ought to be pronouns. 
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