24 NAMES AND PROPOSITIONS. 



calling the word sun the name of the sun, and not the name 

 of^our idea of the sun. For names are not intended only to 

 make the^hearer conceive what we conceive, but also to in- 

 form him what we believe. Now, when I use a name for the 

 purpose of expressing a belief, it is a belief concerning the 

 thing itself, not concerning my idea of it. When I say, &quot;the 

 sun is the cause of day,&quot; I do not mean that my idea of the 

 sun causes or excites in me the idea of day ; or in other 

 words, that thinking of the sun makes me think of day. I 

 mean, that a certain physical fact, which is called the sun s 

 presence (and which, in the ultimate analysis, resolves itself 

 into sensations, not ideas) causes another physical fact, which 

 is called day. It seems proper to consider a word as the 

 name of that which we intend to be understood by it when 

 we use it ; of that which any fact that we assert of it is to be 

 understood of; that, in short, concerning which, when we 

 employ the word, we intend to give information. Names, 

 therefore, shall always be spoken of in this work as the names 

 of things themselves, and not merely of our ideas of things. 



But the question now arises, of what things ? and to 

 answer this it is necessary to take into consideration the 

 different kinds of names. 



2. It is usual, before examining the various classes into 

 which names are commonly divided, to begin by distinguishing 

 from names of every description, those words which are not 

 names, but only parts of names. Among such are reckoned 

 particles, as of, to, truly, often ; the inflected cases of nouns 

 substantive, as me, him, John s ; and even adjectives, as large, 

 heavy. These words do not express things of which anything 

 can be affirmed or denied. We cannot say, Heavy fell, or A 

 heavy fell ; Truly, or A truly, was asserted ; Of, or An of, was 

 in the room. Unless, indeed, we are speaking of the mere 

 words themselves, as when we say, Truly is an English word, 

 or, Heavy is an adjective. In that case they are complete 

 names, viz. names of those particular sounds, or of those 

 particular collections of written characters. This employment 

 of a word to denote the mere letters and syllables of which it 



