LANGUAGE 



235 



both temporal and spiritual matters; to consecrate and 

 hallow only in the spiritual sense: we may dedicate or 

 devote anything that is at our disposal to the service 

 of some object; but the former is employed mostly in 

 regard to superiors, and the latter to persons without 

 distinction of rank. We dedicate a house to the service 



Demur, Doubt, Hesitation, Objection. Demurs 

 often occur in matters of deliberation; doubt in regard 

 to matters of fact; hesitation in matters of ordinary 

 conduct; and objections in matters of common consid- 

 eratiqn. Artabanes made many demurs to the proposed 

 invasion of Greece by Xerxes. Doubts have been sug- 



of God; or we devote our time to the benefit of our Rested respecting the veracity of Herodotus as a his- 

 or the relief of the poor; we may dedicate or torian. Jt is not proper to ask that which cannot be 

 devote ourselves to an object; but the former always granted without hesitation. There are but few things 

 implies a solemn setting apart springing from a sense ! which we either attempt to do or recommend to others 

 of duty; the latter an entire application of one's self: that are not liable to some kind of an objection. 

 from real and affection. To consecrate is a species of To Denote, Signify. Denote is employed with re- 



a their 





gard to things and' their characters; signify with regard 

 to the thoughts or movements. A letter or character 

 may be made to denote any number, as words are made 

 to signify the intentions and wishes of the person. 



To Deny. Ketiise. To deny respects matters of fact 

 or knowledge; to refuse, matters of wish or request. 

 We deny what immediately relates to ourselves; we 

 refu-e what relates to another. 



To Deplore, Lament. Deplore is a much stronger 

 expression than lament; the former calls forth tears 

 from the bitterness of the heart; the latter excites a 

 cry from the warmth of feeling. Deploring indicates 

 despair; to lament marks only pain or distress. 



Depravity, Depravation, Corruption. All these 

 terms are applied to objects which arc contrary to the 

 order of Providence, but the term depravity character- 

 izes the thing as it is; the terms depravation and corrup- 

 tion designate the making or causing it to be m; deprav- 

 ity, therefore, excludes the idea of any cause; depra- 

 vation always carries us to the cause or external agency: 

 hence we may speak of depravity as natural, but we 

 speak of depravation as the result of circumstances. 



There is 



formal dedication by virtue of a religious observance. 

 The church is consecrated; particular days are hallowed. 



Deduction. Abatement. Both these words imply 

 a taking off from something A person may make a 

 deduction in an account for various reasons, but he 

 makes an abatement in a demand when it is objected 

 to as excessive. 



To Deface. Dl.sflgurr. Deform. To deface is an 

 act of destruction; it is the actual destruction of that 

 which has before existed; to disfigure is either an act 

 -uct ion or an erroneous execution, which takes 

 away the figure; to deform is altogether an imperfect 

 Mention, which renders the form what it should not be. 



DriVctixe. Deijcieni. 1 >ef ect ive expresses the qual- 

 ity or property of haying a defect ; deficient is employed 

 with regard to the thing itself that is wanting. A book 

 may be defective, in consequence of some leaves being 

 deficient. A deficiency is, therefore, often what consti- 

 tutes a defect. 



To Defend, Protect, Vindicate. A person may be 

 defended in any particular case of actual danger or 

 difficulty; he is protected from what may happen as 

 well as what does happen. Defense respects the evil 

 that threatens; protection involves the supply of neces- 

 sities and the affording comforts; to vindicate is a 

 >f defense only in the moral sense of the word. 

 Acts of importance are defended; those of trifling import 

 are commonly vindicated. 



Defendant. Defender. The defendant defends him- 

 self (v. to defend); the defender defends another. 



nder. Advocate, Pleader. A defender exerts 

 himself in favor of one that wants support; an advocate 

 signifies one who is called to speak in favor of another; 

 he exerts himself in favor of any cause that offers; a 

 pleader, from plea or excuse, signifies him who pleads 

 in behalf of one who is accused or in distress. 



Detitiite. l'o>iti\e. Definite signifies that which is 

 defined, or has the limits drawn or market! out; positive 

 ieh is placed or fixed in a particular manner; 

 definite is said of things as they present themselves or 

 are presented to the mind, as a definite idea, a definite 

 proposal; positive is said of a person's temper of mind; 

 a person is positive as to his opinions, or an assurance 

 is positive which serves to make one positive. 



D.-ity, Divinity. Deity signifies a divine person; 

 divinity signifies the divine essence or power. 



Dejection, It, -pr. --ion. Melancholy. Depression 



is but a degree of dejection ; slight circumstances may 



i a depression; distressing events occasion a 



m; the death of a near and dear relative may 



cted to produce dejection in persons of the 



greatest equanimity; melancholy is a disease which 



nothing but clear views of religion can possibly correct. 



lo Dele-. lie. Depute Delegate. Deputx. !< 



delegate is applied to the power or office which is given; 



depute to the person employed. Parents delegate their 



office to the instructor; persons are deputed to act 



for others. A delegate is the person commissioned, 



bound to act according to his commission; the 



. person deputed, who acts in the place of 



but may act according to his own discretion 



icrwise, as circumstances require. 



I It, i .... Rescue* 8nV6 < me may be delivered 



:my evil, whether great or small, and in any man- . _ 



to rescue is to deliver from a great impending , delay that which we have only intended. 



the 



depravity in man which nothing but t 

 grace of God can correct; the introduction of obscenity 

 on the stage tends greatly to the depravation of morals; 

 bad company tends to the corruption of a young man's 

 morals. 



Deponent, Evidence, Witness. All these words 

 are properly applied to judicial proceedings, where the 

 deponent deposes generally to facts cither in causes or 

 otherwise; the evidence consists either of persons or 

 things, which are brought before the court for the pur- 

 pose of making a doubtful matter clear; the witness is 

 always a person who bears witness to any fact for or 

 against another. 



Deposit, Pledge, Security. The term deposit has 

 most regard to the confidence we place in another; 

 pledge has most regard to the security we give for our- 

 selves; security is a species of pledge. A security is 

 whatever makes a person secure against a loss, and in 

 the ordinary acceptation consist.- of any instrument or 

 written document which legally binds a person. 



Depth, Profundity. Depth is indefinite in 

 nification; and profundity is a i>ositive and considerable 

 degree of depth. Moreover, the word depth is applied 

 to objects in general; profundity is confined in its 

 application to moral obj. 



To Derlxc, Trace. Deduce. The act of deriving is 

 immediate and direct ; that of tracing a gradual process; 

 that of deducing a ratiocinative process, 

 causes and sources by derivation : we discover t h< 

 progress, and commencement of things by (raring; we 

 discover the grounds ami reasons of things by deduction. 



Desert, Merit, Worth. Desert is taken for that 

 which is good or bad; merit for that which is good only. 

 We deserve praise or blame; we merit a i> 

 is that which is absolutely valuable; it must be sought 

 for on its own account. 



Dc-imi. I'nrpo-r. Intend. Mean. \ ! 

 poses something studied and methodical, it requires re 

 lied ion; a purp.i-e if the thing proposed or MM before 



danger or immediate evil; as to rescue from the hands 

 of robbers, or from the jaws of a wild beast; to save 

 signifies to keep from evil. 



I.. Demand, to |{ei|iilre. We demand t!.. 

 owing and ought to be given; we require that which 

 expect to have done. The creditor makes 

 a demand on the debtor; the master requires a certain 

 portion of duty fn.m his servant. 



I" Demur. II nine. We demur from 



r difficulty; we hesitate from an u 



i instances, i 



matter of prudence, it is always grounded on some 

 hesitating is rather a matter of feeling, and 

 faulty than oth. 

 dubious nature is made to us, 



the mind; an intention is the thing to which : 



bends or inclines. We purpose seriously; we intend 



vaguely; we set about that which we purpose; we may 



which we have only intended. Mean, which 

 term altogether of OoUoquial uso. differs but little 

 from intend, ,-xcepi that .t is used for matters requiring 

 but little thought. 



I.. Drnlri*. *> i-h. I ""- '"' " ' :l( ' ' " Xl ' 



Desire is impenon-. it demands gn 

 less vehement, it consists of 

 ing 



a strong md 

 an impatient and continued 



ng is an impatient and continued species of desire; 

 hankering is a desire for that which is sol out of one's 

 coveting is a desirr for that which belongs to 

 another, or what it i- m his power to grant. 



I,, It, || f t. ' 



involuntary: to leave off voluntary. 

 obhged to desist: but we leave off 



desist; he who 



mww^m wa evwiviish* ia\c^s w \JWl* v vu w 



: when a request of a *l ...other mu-t bf made to desist; he wt 



we hesitate in comph n requested. 



n p.,,,-. n, -p. i.iimn. D. -pomiency. Despair 



