74 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



Aryans, Iranians, an appellation which suggests that Persia 

 was their original home. Modifications of the word Aryan 

 have been traced in a multitude of places, and among others 

 in the name of Ireland Erin, and in the Ire of Ireland 

 itself. 



The second family of mankind that which is characterised by 

 " Caucasian " features, but which has no close affinity in lan- 

 guage to the Aryans are best termed tho Syro- Arabians, a name 

 which explains itself. They are also often called Semites, as if 

 to suggest that they were all descended from Shem, and that no 

 other races were so. But the Phoenicians, though Canaanites, 

 sprung from Ham, spoke a " Semitic " tongue. There is some 

 reason, moreover, for believing that the Elamites, or inhabitants 

 of Elymais in Persia, though descended from Shem, were of 

 the same race as the ordinary Medes and Persians, in which 

 case they were Aryans. The term Semitic, then, is not strictly 

 accurate. 



It is almost certain that even the Asiatic part of the Mongo- 

 lians belong to at least two distinct races. The Chinese lan- 

 guage, as we shall afterwards see, is quite unique ; and pro- 

 bably, therefore, the Chinese should bo separated from the 

 other Mongols, or, as they are now more frequently called, 

 Turanians. Other changes will doubtless be required, as inves- 

 tigations go forward ; meanwhile, it is satisfactory to think that 

 at least for Europe, and a great part of Asia, the basis of a 

 natural classification has been securely laid. 



LESSONS IN FRENCH. LXXXI. 



109. THE INDEFINITE PRONOUN ON [42, (4.)] (continued). 



(2.) IF the word on denotes definitely a female, the adjective 

 relating to it takes the feminine termination : 



Quand OH est belle, On ne When one (a lady) is handsome, 

 1'ignore pas. L'ACADEMIE. slie is not ignorant of it. 



(3.) The pronoun on must be repeated before every verb : 



They raise the anchor, they depart, 

 they flee far from the land, already 

 they discovered the shores of England. 



On leve 1'ancre, On part, On. fuit 



loin de la terre, 

 On de'couvrait deja les bords de 



1'Angleterre. VOLTAIRE. 



(4.) Although on invariably governs its verb in the singular, 

 yet the noun Or adjective referring to it may be used in the 

 plural : 



On est amis aujourd'hui, de- 

 main on est rivaux. 

 On n'est pas des esclaves, 



L'ACADKMIE. 



Ici On est egaUX (speaking of a 

 cemetery). LITTRE. 



(5.) In familiar conversation, even in writing, on is frequently 

 used instead of any of the personal pronouns : 



People are friends to-day ; to- 

 morrow they will be rivals. 

 We are not slaves. 



Here people are equal. 



II y a un siecle qu'on ne vous 

 a vu. 



Soyez tranquille, on s'occupera 

 de votre affaire. 



Enfauts, je vais sortir ; j'espere 

 qu'on sera sage. 



Vous savez bien que 1'on vous 

 aime. MOLIERE. 



I have not seen you for an age. 



Be easy, we will attend to your 

 business. 



Children, I am going out; I hope 

 you will be good. 



You know well that she loves you. 



110. THE VERB. AGREEMENT or THE VERB WITH ITS 

 SUBJECT. 



(1.) The verb agrees with its subject, whether such subject 

 precedes or follows : 



L'homme est e peur regner 

 sur tous les animaux. VOLTAIRE. 



Les homines sont encore eu- 

 fants a soixante ans. AUBERT. 



Par ces portes SOFtaient les 

 fieres legions. SAINT VICTOR. 



Man is born to reign over all tlie 

 animals. 



Men are still children (even) at 

 sixty. 



Through those gates issued the 

 proud legions. 



(2.) When a verb has two or more subjects connected by the 



conjunction et, the verb is put in the plural, whether or not all 

 the subjects are in the singular : 



La colere et la precipitation 



Sont deux choses fort opposees a 

 la prudence. FENELON. 



La violence et la vertu ne 

 peuvent rien 1'une sur Fautre. 

 PASCAL. 



Anger and precipitation are two 

 things very much opposed to pru- 

 dence. 



Violence and virtue liave no power 

 over each other. 



(3.) When a verb has several subjects in the singular not 

 connected by et, it is put in the singular or in the plural accord- 

 ing to circumstances : 



1. It is put in the singular, if the subjects are in some way 

 synonymous : 



La douceur, la bonte" du grand 

 Henri, a 6t6 celdbree de mille 

 louanges. PELISSON. 



D'ou peut venir cet ennui, ce 

 degout ? COLIN D'HABLEVILLE. 



The mildness, the goodness of the 

 great Henry, lias been celebrated oy 

 a thousand praises. 



Whence can proceed that ennui, 

 that disgust ? 



2. When, in a series of subjects, the last has more force or 

 interest attached to it, and therefore makes us, as it were, over- 

 look the others : 



Ce sacrifice votre inte'ret, 

 votre honneur, Dieu vous le 

 commaude ! 



This sacrifice your interest, your 

 honour, GOD commands it / 



3. The verb is put in the plural, when the affirmation is in- 

 tended to be made of all the subjects taken collectively, and 

 not of each in particular : 



La douceur, les soupirs de 

 cette femine infortune'e ne purent 

 le flechir. WAILLY. 



Savez vous, si demaiu, 

 Sa llberte, ses jours, seront en 



votre main ? RACINE. 



The sweetness, the sighs of that 

 unfortunate woman could not movi 

 him. 



Do 1/ow fcnoic if to-morrow, 



his liberty, his life will be in your 

 povtrt 



(4.) When a verb has for subjects several nouns, or nouns 

 and pronouns of the third person, or only pronouns of that 

 person, connected by the conjunction ou, the verb agrees only 

 with the last : 



Mon frure OU mon oncle vous 

 ecdra. 



Votre soBur OU lui 1'a dit. 



Leur frere OU elles y etaient. 



Le roi OU ses generaux 1'ont 

 ordonne'. 



My brother or my uncle will write 

 to you. 



Your sister or he has said it. 



Their brother or they were there. 



The King or his generals liave 

 ordered it. 



(5.) When a verb has for subjects one or several nouns and 

 one or several pronouns of different persons, or only several 

 pronouns of different persons, connected by the conjunction ou, 

 the verb is put in the first person plural if there is a pronoun 

 of that person among the subjects ; and in the second person 

 plural if there is among the subjects one of that person and 

 none of the first : 



Toi ou lui avez tort. 



Mon frere, elle OU moi le 

 ferons. 



Son frere, sa sceur OU toi 1'avez 

 dit. 



Thou or lie are wrong. 



My brother, she, or I will do it. 



His brother, his sister, or thou 

 liave said it. 



(6.) When the several subjects of a verb are connected by 

 the conjunction ni, the verb may be used in the plural according 

 to the rules given above (5.), or in the singular ; except, how- 

 ever, when the action can be performed only by one subject, in 

 which case the verb must be used in the singular : 



Ni 1'un ni 1'autre ne sont hon- 

 netes. 



Ni le general ni 1'ambassadeur 

 ne vint. 



Ni le president ni 1'avocat 

 n'e'coutaient. 



Ni vous ni moi ne le pouvons. 



Ni toi ni lui ne le ferez. 



Ni le cardinal ni toi n'y reus- 

 sirez. 



Ni le prince M. ni le general B. 

 ne sera nomm<5 ambassadeur. 



Neither are honest. 



Neither the general nor the am- 

 bassador came. 



Neither the president nor the 

 barrister listened. 



Neither you nor I can do it. 



Neither thou nor he will do it. 



Neither the cardinal nor thou will 

 succeed. 



Neither the Prince M. nor General 

 B. will be appointed ambassador. 



