ORISMOLOGY. 311 



GENERAL RULES. 



In the above tables no notice is taken of diminutives, 

 compounds, and similar terms, because it seemed best, 

 with respect to these, to lay down only some general 

 rules which may include the whole. 



RULE I. 



Terms in English ending in cle, ule 9 or let, and which 

 in Latin add lus, la, or lum, to a word, dimmish its sense. 

 As, Denticle, a little tooth ; Setule, a little bristle ; Eyelet, 

 a small eye : Denticu/z/s, a little dens ; Guttula, a little 

 gutta; Pimctulum, a little punctum. N.B. Where length 

 or breadth are concerned, the diminutive implies a di- 

 minution in the length of the predicate. As, Lineofo, 

 Lineo&tf, a short line ; Strio/fl, Stiiolet, a short stria ; 

 Fascio/0, Fasciofe^, a short fascia. 



. RULE II. 



The preposition sub prefixed to any word reduces the 

 sense of it. As, $w&punctate, not fully punctate ; Sub- 

 hirsute, not fully hirsute, &c. 



RULE III. 



The termination culus in Latin words added to a com- 

 parative implies the state of the object comparatively. 

 As, Convexiusa^/s, rather convex than not; Majus- 

 culus, rather large than not. This is usually denoted in 

 English by the termination ish, or the adverb rather , 

 as, largz's/?, rather large, &c. 



RULE IV. 

 The participle present used instead of the adjective 



