ETYMOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

MORE active occupations have, I believe, finally diverted me from a defign, which I long cherished, and to which, after Mr. Tooke's labours, I fancied myfelf equal--the design was such an analyfis of our language as feems to me to constitute the effence of grammar. Those who have not made the trial, will be furprised to find how little difficulty there is in reducing our abstract words to a fenfible or objective fignification: I do not say, to their primary fignification; for precedence may give rife to frivolous disputes here, as in other nice cases.

You will perhaps indulgeme with room to exemplify my manner of proceeding. We have a remarkable class of noun fubftantives, as they are called by the grammarian; though, according to the metaphysician, they are mere attributes or qualities; that is, they cannot stand by themfelves, but are fupported by substances. The words I mean, are good-ness, greathefs, and their fellows. We have fimilar words, ending in -head. Onhed, in old English, is unity, (one-head). It will not, I prefume, be denied that head (caput) is here used in composition. Now, in the other cafe, I fufpect, that it is part of the head which is used; the nose, ness, nez, French. Both words have been indifferently employed to mark the points of land, that are or have been confpicuous. Will not this geographical analogy be admitted as a strong confirmation of my opinion? If ness be any part of the body, what part elfe can we imagine it to be, whether we regard found or fituation? There exists an etymological, as truly as a moral sense, and those who have acquired the former, will feel by how very natural a tranfition MONTHLY MAG. NO. VI,

two such eminent members of the body natural, as the head and nose, came to denote abstract qualities.--I conjecture, that thing or ding will prove to mean fome striking object in one of its fixed corpo. real senses.

2. This analysis, carried to its utmost extent, would constitute a reformed dictionary. Every perfon apprehends the metaphorical use of a term the better for knowing its original meaning; and how invariably have dictionary-makers diffe vered the foul of a word from its body! Thus, spite and spit (the culinary implement) are clearly the fame word. Το fpite a perfon is to run a spit into his mind. The very metaphor, I think, occurs not infrequently in the poetry afcribed to king A David; and Shakspeare makes Hamlet refolve to " speak daggers..'

To consolidate HEED (care, caution) with HEAD, may appear too bold an adventure, even in etymology. The difference, however, in spelling is of no account, the present orthography being modern. I think, both words are spelled alike by fome old writers, bede. In use, there obtains fufficient fimilarity, at the present moment. Ido not HEED (head) that. I do not MIND that. We say, he puts a thing to HEART; and, had it been stamped by ufage, beart would have paffed just as currently as head for one of our verbs. I DO NOT HEART that. Certain languages have it so, or very nearly, as every fcholar knows.

3. The fubftantive verb, am (obf. com) be (obf. bee) is, probably, fome mode of motion or appearance; and, if traced higher, may turn out fome animal, whose mode of motion is striking. Το walk (incedo), to emerge (evado), to ecfift (stand out), are, in Latin, perpetually synonimous with to be. In Greek, to be is the selfsame word as to go, though split by grammarians and lexicographers, 3L

A. To

4. To alter is a good example of a word retaining an objective fignification in one dialect of a language, and not in another. To alter, means in German, to grow old.

The booksellers, I think, might render an essential fervice to education and letters, by engaging fome intelligent person to introduce, more and more, genealogies of fignification into the common English dictionaries, as new editions are printed. To complete the investigation of our words would take time; but, with a proper advertisement, an imperfect, would, on one account, be preferable to a perfect dictionary; it would induce some to obferve and think for themselves.

:

I am, fir, your's, &c.

THOMAS BEDDOES.

Clifton, June 26, 1796.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

I UNDERSTAND your Mifcellany is open for the reception of detached thoughts on language; and I therefore submit a few remarks to the confideration of your readers. It has given me much pleasure to observe, within a short time, a gradual change of opinion with respect to the utility of grammatical studies, and particularly of verbal criticifm. The wits of the laft age were accustomed to treat verbal criticifm as the fruitless and unprofitable employment of learned dunces, or literary coxcombs: and, certainly, the abfurdities of fome of the commentators and

critics of the ancient classics laid the foundation of this general ridicule. The critics of the vulgar tongue were included in the general cenfure; and gentlemanly writers affected an easy negligence, a genteel carelefsness of compofition, which might diftinguith them from profeffional authors. Of late, the study of language has rifen high in general estimation. 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 cultivation of the intellect. But it has not yet been universally acknowledged that logic and grammar are but once Icience, or, at least, collateral disquifitions, springing from the same source, and leading to the fame end. This, however, will be maintained by all the difciples of HORNE TOOKE; and, I believe, it is not prefumptuous to say, they are as numerous as his readers. In the "Diverfions of Purley," we are told, that Locke's Effay on Human Understanding

is but a dissertation on the meaning of Terms, and to language alone, Horne Tooke attributes those operations, which

Locke confiders as intellectual. Whether this be acknowledged to its utmost extent, or not, the strict connection between words and thoughts must be granted. Those philosophers, who build their theory of the human mind upon the aflociation of ideas; and those moralifts, who, whilft they deny inherent moral qualities and propenfities in man, consider him as the creature of circumstances; will alike be sensible how important the habit of correct thinking and speaking must be in the formation of the intellect. They will deem that science highly profitable, which shall facilitate the adoption of a perfect theory of language, free from all anomalies and idioms, 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 used in the distinct classes of compofition, whether argumentative or poetical. If the habit of correct thought be good; and I affume it as a principle now; then it behoves those who would promote the acquisition of it, to inculcate, even on common occafions, a perfect correctness of language, though it may violate the forms of common speech, and excite ridicule from the ignorant. I recommend, therefore, to your readers, an accurate aftention to this fubject; and if each of them would communicate the obfervations he may have occafionally made on what Johnson happily terms colloquial barbarifms, licentious idioms, and irregular combinations, a valuable collection of criticisins on particular terins and phrases in common ufe, would be foon communicated to the public; and I do not fuppofe the Editor of the Monthly Magazine would deem his sheets unprofitably filled by them.* As fpecimen (not in execution, but in defign) of this kind of criticifm, I offer the following obiervations ON COMPARATIVES:

a

Adverbs and adjectives of comparifon are used to express the qualities of fubitantives, by a reference to known qualities in other substantives; they have generally referred to the relations of quantity; and have, of course, been expreffive either of increase, diminution, or equality. As all comparisons are used only to describe what is loofe and uncertain, they should never be made, unless there is in the subject an uncer

* Note. The Editor cordially affents to the wishes of this correfpondeat.