570 
that, while the word conveys, the idea 
meant, the sound proceeding from the 
mouth while pronouncing the word, 
represents the hissing sound made by the 
serpent ? 
The French, who have for more than 
a century been at much pains in polish- 
ing their language, have also tried, in 
several instances, by the sound of some 
words, to imitate the noise made by the 
animal : to which it refers—-Thus, a pie 
caquette; le corbeau et la grenouiile cro- 
assent, le chien aboie et hurle, la brebis 
béle; and so in a variety of instances, 
that might be mentioned. I need not 
give instances from the Greek to your 
friend, Mr. Sigma, as his taking one of 
the letters of the Greek alphabet for his 
name, is, no doubt, intended to let us 
Know, that he is acquainted with that 
language. If so, his acquaintance Ho- 
nfer, as also Mr. Pope, will afford him a 
variety of instances, besides that one 
where the line ends with repa Qvocoio 
Paarucons, &c. &c. and where Pope, -in 
the translation, speaking of one suffering 
for his sins, says, ‘‘ Up the high hill he 
heavesa huge round stone.” Withaview 
io represent a horse’s foot, a certain 
Latin poet, who could snatch a grace 
beyond the power of art, and had an 
equally good ear with your correspondent, 
says, guatit ungula campum. Now, Mir. 
Editor, if the word clang not only de- 
motes the idea, but represents the sound, 
of two pieces of iron coming together; 
if the word erashk, not only denotes the 
idea of a tree with its branches falling 
to the ground, but also the pronouncing 
the word, the effect produced on the 
organs of hearing, by the falling of the 
tree; I say, if these, and a thousand 
other mstances, that might be quoted 
from every known language, all tend to 
support the idea suggested by Mr. Hall, 
it is but fair that your readers consi- 
der it. Your's, &c. 
Walthamstow, Anti Sica, 
June 27, 1809. 
~<a 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
SONTRIBUTIONS 16 ENGLISH SYN@NOMY, 
to loath—to hate—to abhor—to detest. 
A ye radical ‘signification of loathing 
: is 
is nausea of the stomach ; of hate, 
> 
is angry warmth, or heat ; of abhorrence, 
is a shuddering back from; and of detes- 
tation, is bearing witness against. 
In loathing, there is something of 
passive disgust; in hatred, something of 
active hostility, Loathing may be in- 
« 
| Contributions to English Synonomy. 
[Jan. ty 
creased into abhorrence ; and hatred inte 
detestation. ' 
We loath the food by which we have: 
been surfeited. We hate the person who- 
has injured us. We abhor the filthy 
vices. We detest the political apostate, 
in order to render him infamous. When 
we joath, we do not hate our own ex- 
cesses. When we abhor, we do not de- 
test our own crimes. 
Je m’ abhorre eneore plus que tu ne me 
détestes. Racine, 
Low— Mean—Abject. 
~ Low is the reverse of high; mean, of 
noble; abject, of upstart. He is Tow, 
who never was far elevated ; he is mean, 
who has the disposition of the vulgar ; he 
is abject, who is cast down by fortune. 
The low man ergeps; the mean man 
grovels; the abject man stoops. 
_ Jesus Christ a vecu dans la derniere abjecs 
tion. 
Great Czsar found 
‘Our fathers no mean foes. Purrirrs. 
Why, but to keep you low and ignorant.. 
MiLTon. 
Note.—Besides the adjective mean, 
which derives from the Anglo-saxon mené 
vulgar, and is a-kin to many, there is 
another adjective, deriving from the 
French moyen, which is so pronounced 
in Yorkshire, and which might expedi- 
ently be so written; as, when we say, 
in the mean while. Why not, im the 
moyen while? In some provinces, mud- 
while is used for meanwhile. ~~ 
Width—Wideness. 
“The wideness of this paper is so 
great, that it will cover the chimney- 
board, without our pasting two widths 
together.” | of 
Tn the foregoing example, width could 
he substituted for wzdeness ; but not wide- 
ness for width. It follows, that the 
words in ness have always an abstract 
sense; but that the words in th are also 
applicable to conerete being. In lke. 
manner, we say, “ The broadness of the 
road. A breadth of calico.” 
wil A ppear—Seem. 
Quintilian, comparing Sallust with Ci- 
cero, said, They were rather to be called 
equal than alike.:—Pares eos magis quam 
similes dicebat. In this sentence the two 
adjectives occur, whence the French 
verbs paroitre and sembler take their 
origin. ‘fo appear is as inuch a stronger 
term than toseem, as equality is stronger 
than likeness. The shining fantasm, 
which rivals reality, appears to the ima- 
gination 5 
