, while the « qualities are under- 
these nouns are concrete. Mr Tooke does 
ifference betwixt these and the 
aes than it would have been in the word providens, 
af such 
‘He probably considered it as a mode of contriving a 
word capable of being adapted to every example in which 
the property denoted is found, But the opinion of this 
- author is not stated with the explicitness is to cag 
gularity and its importance. e must confess that it 
seems to us totally unfounded. 
_. We have already observed that it is in our power to 
make single qualities the principal objects of thought, 
and that ar geenter diffi exists in thinking of them 
exclusively than in making the idea represented by a 
proper name, at any time, the full and only object of 
appears in itself fanciful. Nouns in antia and entia 
are the only ones which give it any shadow of counte- 
nance. The genius of the Latin la does not in- 
cline to the use of other neuter plurals as names for se- 
arate qualities. In English, indeed, we say, “ the agree- 
ie,” «the picturesque,”.‘* the sublime,” “ the beau- 
tiful,”. instead ‘of “ agreeableness,”  picturesqueness,”’ 
« sublimity,” and “beauty.” We also adopt the Latin 
_. expression from Horace, “ the ufile” and « the dulce.” 
_. But whatever the etymology of the nouns called ab- 
' stract may be, the manner of their signification is that 
~~ which we have already stated. ' 
it Be Mp ee key} 
' ts * De ‘ Y 
Sect. V. The choice of Designations, and the nature 
; of the Pronoun, 
_.. WHEN a compound object is designated by a noun 
ne Which expresses one of its — with a subaudition 
. ofthe rest, there is evidently no reason why the same 
_quality should always be selected for adesignation. Eve- 
ry such object resembles in some one quality a number 
of others, and admits of being placed in the same class 
with them. In a different quality it resembles a diffe- 
» rent set of objects. Hence it may receive various ge- 
. neral designations.. The choice which we at any time 
|» make of a designation for it depends on the design 
~ which we have in view in distinguishing it from others. 
i = The same human being may be called “a man,” 
i. an gir “a —. “a negro,” or “a fool ;” or 
he may be designated some occasional temporary 
pS Scr tance; homey be called « a debtor,” “a creditor,” 
_ a patient,” “a culprit,” or ‘* a witness.” In using an 
apae these terms, we wish to call into view ne wing 
| _ same individual, with all the parts and qualities essential 
ee | but designated by one of these as the most appro- 
priate to the point of view in which the tenor of our dis- 
" 
a word had been used for “a provident person.” - 
thought. The etymology here advanced by Mr Tooke - 
GRAMMAR. 405 
‘course leads us to represent him. Those who regard his Universal 
proper name as his chief tion will consider the Grammar. 
others as occasional substitutes for it. But even thatname 
may be common to him with some other men. If he 
has two names, (which is the case with Europeans,) a 
sonal and a family name, he will have one of these 
an common with several other persons, anc the other in 
common with a different number ; and it is by the com~- 
bination of the two that he is distinguished, But this 
very combination may happen, in somé instances, 
to be applicable to another person equally well known 
to us. e must then add a third mark of distinction, 
such as one depending on differences of age, oe 
or profession. Any designation becomes complete 
distinctive or not according to the occasion on which 
it is employed. It is probably most accurate not to 
consider one as substituted for another, but to consider 
each as rendered proper on particular occasions, when 
a complete and interesting distinction is thus formed. 
These considerations will lead us, by a direct road, The pro- 
to a proper estimate of the personal pronoun, which °° ** 
many grammarians have reckoned a separate of pare sy , 
speech, and have defined to be “a word that is used for one, 
instead of a noun.” Its whole office is to point out 
an individual by an occasional mark which distin- 
guishes him completely from all others. It is often 
shorter than the name of the individual, and this seems 
to have led some to conceive that it is contrived for the 
purpose of abbreviating discourse. But it does more 
‘than this ; it points out the person referred to in the 
most interesting temporary relation. 
The first personal pronoun J, denotes “the im- Meaning of 
mediate speaker” as distinguished from others by this the first and 
circumstance in preference to any other character that bce Rete 
he may bear. The second denotes * the party ad- ot 
etn! as characterised by the ear circumstance 
of his being addressed. This character is preferred 
to any other that he may bear, as distinguishing 
him from other persons. The third personal pro- Rrroneous 
noun has been erroneously defined to be a mere nega~ description 
tion of the other'two. This is not implied in it. When of the third. 
Cesar, describing his own actions in his Commentaries, 
uses the third person, sometimesemploying hisownname, 
at other times i//e, he shews that these designations are 
applicable to the n who speaks or writes, as well as 
‘to others, although it is most natural for all men to use 
peculiar words for themselves as speakers. Among some 
nations it is considered as treating the person ad- 
dressed more delicately, and tending less to look him 
out of countenance, to call him /e than thou. The Ita- 
lians say, Come sta, literally, “ How does he do,” instead 
of, Come state, “ How do you do ;” and the French, in 
like manner, say, Monsieur comment se porte-t-il. Arustic 
girl in this country meeting a familiar friend, says, with 
a kind of mirthful respect, « Where is she going ?” for 
«Where are you going?” It is also to be remarked, 
that a mere negation of the circumstance of being either 
the speaker or the person addressed would never afford 
a'sufficiently distinctive character, and therefore could 
be of no use as a designation. The real office of the Its real 
third personal pronoun is to designate an individual by office. 
the circumstance of * having been lately mentioned,” or 
« much nearer to the thoughts both of the speaker 
and the hearer than any other who could, on that 
occasion, be referred to by a similar circumstance.” 
It is thus sufficiently distinctive at the moment to pre- 
vent ambiguity. ; 
To have a closer illustration of the nature of the pro- 
noub, we may observe that some designations are much 
