GRAMMAR. 
exercised in every act of generalization, it 
may be exercised altogether independently 
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 nouns. 
To every name comprehended under these 
two classes, the term noun is applied. A 
noun is said to be increased or diminished 
ii! 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 applied, is increased or 
diminished. Those single words, which are 
added to nouns to vary their comprehen- 
sion, or to vary or determine their exten- 
sion, are called adnouns. From these si- 
milar, yet generally distinct objects of dif- 
ferent adnouns, arise two grand classes, ad- 
jectives and restrictives : the former varying 
the comprehension of the conjoined nouns ; 
the latter varying, sometimes determining, 
the extension of them. In one mode of the 
application of the term, adjectives are 
nouns ; for they are the names of properties; 
and, as will be seen in Language, origi- 
nally they were nouns ; but since they are 
not employed alone, like substantives and 
abstract nouns, to denote the objects of 
thought or discourse, it is preferable to 
class them with words whose use and em- 
ployment is similar. Founding onr arrange- 
ment on the use and mode of employment 
of words, we include, under the head of 
nouns, those words only which denote sub- 
stances and properties, without being con- 
nected with other words. This, of course, 
includes substantives 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 ourselves 
or them, as individuals, hut, as the persons 
speaking, or spoken to. 'How much to be 
preferred the latter method is, a slight at- 
tention 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 no- 
thing in this which shews that George is the 
person speaking, or that James is the per- 
son spoken to ; and besides, it often hap- 
pens, that the names of the parties in con- 
versation 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 language ; 
but we feel that we want more. Suppose 
George to say, “ The person speaking hopes 
the person spoken to is well, &c. ; it would 
be perfectly intelligible, and answer every 
purpose but that of dispatch. That would 
be effected by using some short words of 
equivalent signification; such are I and 
thou. I has the same force as the person 
speaking, thou as the person spoken to ; ex- 
cept that I and thou are limited to the in- 
dividuals 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-nouns. Again, suppose we wish to speak 
of some person or thing, which we have be- 
fore mentioned, in such a manner as will 
denote, that we have before mentioned that 
person or thing, instead of merely repeat- 
ing 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 re- 
ferred to 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 hack.” Here it is 
obvious, that he not only supplies the place 
of the name, on which account it might be 
called a pronoun, but has a distinct re- 
ference to the person having been before 
mentioned. In a similar manner, she means 
the female person spoken of; and it, the 
thing spoken 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 
they require a separate class. Pronouns, 
then, are words used for the names of per- 
sons or things, connected with the idea, 
that they are either speaking, spoken to, or 
before spoken of. 
10. We cannot advance one step in lan- 
guage, without leading our hearers or rea- 
ders to the inference, that certain ideas are 
connected in our minds, or that we believe 
certain objects, properties, or events to be 
connected. Tire connecting link in lan- 
guage need not always be stated ; in the 
infancy of language it could not exist, and 
in the language of childhood it does not ex- 
ist. Words are joined together, and it is 
easily understood, that the corresponding 
