GRAMMAR. 



it signifies nothing more than a collection 

 of properties existing, or capable of existing, 

 independently of other properties. These 

 properties may be considered collectively ; 

 or they may be thought and spoken of, 

 though they cannot exist, separately. We 

 can think of no material substance which 

 does not possess, at least, two properties; 

 no visible object, for instance, can be 

 without colour and extension ; but we 

 can think of extension and of colour sepa- 

 rately ; that is, we can direct the attention 

 of the mind to each of them, exclusively 

 of the other properties with which it may 

 be connected. This separate or exclusive 

 attention of the mind is called abstraction. 

 It is a very simple, though a very difficult, 

 operation of the mind. It is often con- 

 founded with generalization , but though 

 exercised in every act of generalization, 

 it may be exercised altogether indepen- 

 dently of it. 



8. The names of substances are called 

 substantives,- the names of properties, with- 

 out reference to the substances of which 

 they form a part, are called abstract noitns. 

 To every name comprehended under 

 these two classes, the term NOTTS- is ap- 

 plied. A noun is said to be increased or 

 diminished in Comprehension, when the 

 number of ideas denoted by it is increased 

 or diminished ; and in extension, when the 

 number of objects, to which it can be ap- 

 plied, is increased or diminished. Those 

 single words, which are added to nouns 

 to vary their comprehension, or to vary or 

 determine their extension, are called AD- 

 NOUNS. From these similar, yet generally 

 distinct objects, of different adnouns arise 

 two grand classes, adjectives and restric- 

 lives : the former varying the comprehen- 

 sion of the conjoined nouns ; the latter 

 varying, sometimes determining, the ex- 

 tension of them. In one mode of the 

 application of the term, adjectives are 

 nouns ; for they are the names of proper- 

 ties ; and, as will be seen in LANGUAGE, 

 originally they were nouns? but since 

 they are not employed alone, like substan- 

 tives and abstract nouns, to denote the 

 objects of thought or discourse, it is pre- 

 ferable to class them with words whose 

 use and employment is similar. Found- 

 ing our arrangement on the use and mode 

 of employment of words, we include, un- 

 der the head of nouns, those words only 

 which denote substances and properties, 

 without being connected with other 

 words. This, of course, includes substan- 

 tives and abstract nouns ; but excludes 

 adjectives. 



9. We constantly find it necessary to 

 speak of ourselves, to address others, or to 



speak of others. If we wish to speak of 

 ourselves, or to address others, we imme- 

 diately find, that we must either mention 

 the names of the individuals concerned, 

 or use some words not belonging to our- 

 selves or them, as individuals, but as the 

 persons speaking, or spoken to. How 

 much to be preferred the latter method 

 is, a slight attention to the subject will 

 show : George might say to James, 

 " George hopes that James is well, and 

 that James will come and see George 

 very soon :" but there is nothing in this 

 which shews that George is the person 

 speaking, or that James is the person spo- 

 ken to ; and besides, it often happens, 

 that the names of the parties in conversa- 

 tion are mutually unknown. It is the 

 mode adopted by children, and persons 

 speaking to them ; and probably was so 

 universally in the early periods of lan- 

 guage ; but we feel that we want more. 

 Suppose Georgt: to say, " The person 

 speaking hopes the person spoken to is 

 weli;&c. ; it would be perfectly intelligi- 

 ble, and answer eveiy purpose but that of 

 dispatch. That would beeffec'edby us- 

 ing some short words of equivalent signi- 

 fication ; such are / and thov. I has the 

 same force as the person speaking, thon as 

 the person spoken to , except that / and 

 thou are limited to the individuals actually 

 speaking or addressed, or supposed to be 

 so speaking or addressed These words 

 are then, strictly speaking, nouns ; but as 

 they are used for names of persons, they 

 are called PRONOUNS, that is, for-nowis. 

 Again, suppose we wish to speak of some 

 person or thing, which we have before 

 mentioned, in such a manner as will de- 

 note, that we have before mentioned that 

 person or thing, instead of merely re- 

 peating the word, as " James is gone, and 

 James will come back ;" in which case it 

 is left to an inference, which, in many 

 cases, would be a doubtful one, that the 

 latter referred t$ the same person as the 

 former, we might say, " James is gone, 

 and the said James (or the said person) 

 will come back," or, " and he will come 

 back." Here it is obvious, that he not on- 

 ly supplies the place of the name, on 

 which account it might be called a pro- 

 noun, but has a distinct reference to the 

 person having been before mentioned. In 

 a similar manner, she means the female 

 person spoken of; and it, the thing spo- 

 ken of. These words, with their plurals, 

 are all called pronouns, and though they 

 obviously either come under other sorts 

 of words, or are abbreviations for one or 

 more of them, yet they are at present so 

 distinct and important in their use, that 



