434 
ftruéted language contributes to render 
our ideas precife, clear, and ealy to ap- 
prehend, to retain, to recal. A metho- 
dical nomenclature is a part of a language 
brought to perfection. Every term con- 
taining its own definition, paints, fo to 
fpeak, the idea which it prefents, and 
gives a relief to the mind of the perfon 
ufing it, in the fame manner as the 
ficures of geometry relieve the minds of 
geometricians. ‘lwo applications have 
been already made of this cifcovery ; one 
to chemifiry, which has fuccecded ad- 
mirably; and the other, more modern 
and le{s known, to a particular branch of 
anatomy. It remained to make a third 
attempt in'the new fyftem of meafures*. 
By means of this nomenclature, knowing 
the fignification of a dozen radical words, 
will fuffce the learner to acquire the 
names and relations of all the meafures 
compofing the fyftem. Thefe names, 
and thefe relations, may be underftood 
and learned by a fingle infpeétion of the 
table placed at the end of this article. 
Of the objections urged againft the 
fyftem of new meafures in France, fome 
are founded folely on its novelty ; others 
on its alleged imperfection; this laft 
objection, however, is advanced by fuch 
as do not deny the neceflity of a reform 
in the ancient fyftem. Some perfons pre- 
tend that unlettered rufiics will never 
accuftom themfelves to names derived 
from the Greek ; but do not thele every 
day pronounce words deduced from a 
foreign origin, fuch as hiftory, barometer, 
triumph, critic, &c. without fo much as 
knowing from what language they are 
borrowed ?>—There is no law to compel 
perfons to learn the names by heart; the 
practice of them will, doubtlefs, be in- 
troduced gradually ; firft, among thofe 
who have any relation with government 5 
and then, in turn, among all the other 
claffes of fociety. 
EXPLANATION OF THE TABLE OF 
NEW MEASURES. 
The new meafures are of five kinds; 
meafures of lengiv, of capacity, of weight, 
of fuperficies for land, and of wood for fucl. 
For every kind, there are many meafures 

* If other parts of modern languages could 
be replaced by methodical nomenclatures, great 
advantages would refult from fuch a reform. 
We might inftance in the names of rigging of 
vefiels, of according founds in mufic, and of the 
different pieces which enter into the conftrac- 
tion of works of architecture, carpentry, &c. 5 
and perhaps alfo of colours, by confidering them 
all as a mixture of red, yellow, and blue, as all 
the other colours may be made up of thele 
three. 
New French Meafures. 
[ June, 
of different fizes,; one of which has been 
taken as the bafis of all the reft, and its 
name affumed as the root of their names. 
Thus METRE Is called the principal mea- 
fure of length; LITRE, of capacity; 
GRAMME, of weight; ARE, of fuper- 
ficies of land; and srERE, of wood for 
fuel. Thefe words being the radical 
term of the names of other meafures of 
length, capacity, &c. a relation is hereby © 
preferved between the names. 
The meafures of length above the 
metre, are ten times, a hundred times, 2 
thoufand times, ten thoufand times, 
greater than the metre. The meafures 
of length below the metre, are ten times, 
a hundred times, a thoufand times, lefs. 
To form the names of thefe meafures, 
other words which indicate the relations 
of fen times, a hundred times, greater ; and 
of tem times, a hundred times, \efs, &c. 
are placed before the word metre. ‘The 
fame annexes have been ufed to form the 
names of meafures, greater or le{s, than 
the “tre, the gramme, &c. 
- The relation of meafures of every kind, 
to their principal meafure, is found in the 
firft column of the table ; the defignation 
of thofe meafures in cyphers, after the 
decimal method, and, by.confidering the 
principal meafure as unity, is in the 
fecond column. The annexes, which are 
to the number of feven, four for the 
meafures above the principal meafure, 
and three for thofe below it, are placed 
inthe third column. ‘The other columns 
contain the five names of the principal 
meafures. Hach annex may be-conjoined 
with each of the names. ‘Thus the 
weight equal to a centiéme of gramme, 
confidered as a particular meafure, is 
named centigramme, and is exprefled by 
gr. 0.01. the gramme being taken for unity. 
As all the names of the meafures, formed 
on this plan, are not of equal importance, 
fome of them only will, doubtlefs, be 
confecrated by ufe, although it was ne- 
ceffary to be able to form them all. 
In order to avoid the hiatus in names 
compounded of the word are, it will be 
proper to fay myriare, kilare, beétare, 
décarey ta lieu of miriaare, kiloare, &c. 
At the bottom of the fable are expreff-- 
ed: firft, the relation which the new mea- 
fures have to one another; and, fecondly, 
their relation to the ancient meafures 
which they are intended to replace. 
The monetary unit is named FRANC; 
it is divided into ten deciges,.and the 
decime into. ten centimes. As itisnet fub- 
jeét to the methodical nomenclature, it 
has not been introduced into the table of 
new mea{ures. 
