442 
4. To alter is a. good example of a 
‘word retaining an obicétive fignification 
in one dialect of a language, and not In 
another. To alter, means in German, to 
grow old. 
The bookfellers, I think, might render 
an effential fervice to education and letters, 
by engaging fome intelligent perfon to in- 
troduce, more and more, genealogies of fig- 
nification into the common Englith dic- 
tionaries, as new editions are printed. To 
complete the inveftigation of oar words 
would take time; but, with a proper ad- 
vertifement, an imperfect, would, on one 
account, be preferable to a perfect diftion- 
ary: it would induce fome to obferve and 
think for themfelves. 
I am, fir, your’s, &c. 
Tuomas BEDDOES. 
Clifton, Fune 29, 1796. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
UNDERSTAND your Mifcellany is 
open for the reception of detached 
thoughts on danguage; and I therefore 
fubmit a few remarks to the confideration 
of your readers. It has given.me much 
pleafure to obferve, within a fhort time, a 
gradual change of opinion.with refpect to 
the utility of grammatical ftudies, and par- 
ticularly of verbal criticifm. The wits of 
the laft age were accuftomed to treat ver- 
bal criticifm as the fruirlefs and unprofta- 
ble employment of learned dunces, or lite- 
rary coxcombs: and, certainly, the ab- 
furdities of fome of the commentators and 
critics of the ancient claffics laid the foun- 
dation of this general ridicule. The cri- 
tics of the vulgar tongue were included 
in the veneral cenfure; and gentlemanly 
writers affected an eafy negligence, a gen- 
teel careieffnefs of compofition, which 
might diftinguifh them from profcfiional 
authors. Of late, the ftudy of language 
has rifen high in general-eftimation. The 
importance of logic was never doubted, 
and the habit of correct thought, and of a 
judicious arrangement of ideas, has been 
ever confidered as effential to the cultiva- 
tion of the intelleét. But it has not yet 
been univerfally acknowledged that logic 
and graminar are but one {cience, or, at 
leat, collateral difquifitions, {pringing from 
the fame fource, and leading to the fame 
end. “This, however, will be maintained 
by all the di/czples of HORNE Touxkes; anc, 
] believe, it is not prefumptuous to fay, hey 
are as numerous as his readers. In the 
‘¢ Diverfions of Purley,” we are told, that 
Locke’s Effay on Human Underftanding 
Dr. Beddoes on Etymology. . «» Englifh Language. 
[July 
is but -a differtation on the meaning of 
Terms; and to language alone, Horne 
Tooke attributes thofe operations, which 
Locke confiders as intelle€tual. Whether 
this be acknowledged to its utmoft extent, 
or riot, the ftrict eonredtion between _ 
words and thoughts muft be granted. 
Thofe philofophers, who build their the- 
ory of the human mind upon the affoci- 
ation of ideas; and thofe moralifts, who, 
whilft they deny inherent» moral qualities 
and propenfities in man, confider him as 
the creature of circumftances; wili alike 
be fenfible how important the habit of cor- 
ret thinking and {peaking muff be in the 
formation of the intelleét. They will 
deem that feience highly profitable, which 
fhall facilitate the adoption of a perfeét 
theory of ianguage, free from all anomalies 
and idiums, which will impart to every 
word a precife fignification, nor fuffer that 
fignification to be varied when the word 
Is compounded with another, or when it 
is ufed in the diftiné claifes of compofi- 
tion, whether argumentative or poetical. 
If the habit of correct thought be’ goed ; 
and I affume it as a principle now ; thea 
it behoves thefe who would promote the 
‘acquitition of it, to inculcate, even on com- 
mon cccafions, a perfect correétnefs of lari- 
guage, though it may violate the forms of 
cémmon fpeech, and excite ridicule from 
the ignorant. I recommend, theréfore, to 
your readers, an accurate attention to thts 
fubj €t; and if each of them would com- 
municate the cbfervations he may have 
eccafionally made on what Yabufon hap- 
pily terms colloquial barbarifms, licentious 
idioms, and irregular combinations, a valu- 
able colleétion of criticifms on particular 
terms and phrafes in common ufe, would 
be fcon communicated to the public; and 
I donot fuppofe the Editor of the Monthly 
Magazine would deem his fheets unprofit- 
ably filed by them*. As a fpecimen (not 
in execution, but in defign) of this kind of 
criticifm, I offer the following obferva- 
tlons ON COMPAKATIVES: 
Adverbs and adjeétives of comparifon 
are uled to exprefs the qualities of fubftan- 
_tives, by a reference to known qualities in 
other fubjtantives; they have generally 
referred to the relations of quantity; and 
have, of courfe, been expreffive either of 
increafe, diminution, or equality. As all 
comparifons are ufed only to defcribe what 
is loofe and uncertain, they frould never be 
made, unie{s there is in the fubjeat an uncer- 


* Note. The Editor cordially affents to the 
Wwilhws of this correfpondent. 
taiaty 
