GENERAL GRAMMAR. 45 



principles ; the additional syllables being generally significant. Thus, 

 from the verb, to love, comes the name lover: from the adjective, 

 white, comes the noun ivhiteness : from the noun, length, comes the 

 verb to lengthen: from the adjective, slow, comes the adverb slowly : 

 and from the adjective, new, comes the verb to renew. 



Many words have more than one signification ; and their meaning 

 must be inferred from the context, that is the other words with which 

 they are associated. An ambiguous word, or phrase, is one which 

 has two or more significations ; as, for example, the phrase, " And 

 thus the son the sire addressed." Synonyms, or synonymous words, 

 are those which have the same meaning; as omnipotent and almighty. 

 There is no better method of learning the exact signification of words, 

 than by a careful study of the languages from which they are derived; 

 a fact which gives increased importance to the study of the ancient, 

 as well as modern tongues. Recourse should also be had to the best 

 speakers and writers ; and to our standard Dictionaries ; which have 

 themselves been prepared by the means here referred to. 



3. Accidence, is that part of Grammar which treats of the func- 

 tions, or uses of words ; and the different parts of speech into which 

 they are consequently divided. The name is from the Latin accidens, 

 happening or belonging to ; in reference to the inflexions, or changes 

 of form, which several of the parts of speech undergo ; and we pre- 

 fer this term, as being more suitable and definite than the terms Ety- 

 mology and Analogy; which have both been used in the same signi- 

 fication. In our language, as in most others, there are nine parts of 

 speech: the noun, article, adjective or adnoun, pronoun, verb, adverb, 

 preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The participle is also 

 considered by some grammarians, as deserving to be included in 

 this list. 



A noun or substantive, is the name of any thing; as man, happi- 

 ness. Nouns in the singular number express only one object ; but 

 in the plural they express more than one ; as men, faces. In the 

 nominative case they simply name the direct agent, or the passive 

 recipient of an action ; as the boy plays : the man is hurt : in the 

 possessive case they indicate property or connection ; as the boy's 

 book : and in the objective case, they show the object of an action 

 or relation ; as they hurt the man. Nouns in the masculine gender 

 denote males ; in the feminine, females ; and in the neuter gender, 

 objects to which no sex is attributed. An article is a word used to 

 restrict or to generalize a noun. Our language has but two articles ; 

 a or an, called the indefinite, and the, which is called the definite 

 article. An adjective, or adnoun, is a word used to define, qualify, 

 or modify a noun ; as good, strong, white. Adnouns in the positive 

 degree, express quality or quantity, absolutely or generally ; in the 

 comparative degree, they express it more strongly, by a reference to 

 other objects; as better, stronger: and in the superlative degree, 

 they express it pre-eminently, with reference to all the objects com- 

 pared ; as best, strongest. Numeral adnouns, are those which 

 express numbers, or numerical order ; as one, two, three ; first, 

 second, third. The words called adjective pronouns, we think are 

 more properly adnouns ; whether possessive, as my, thy ; or demon- 



