A N

ANALY YŚ IS

O F

GRAM M MA R.

G

RAMMAR is the fcience of language, either spoken or written. It is fpeculative or practical. As fpeculative, it is a science, the bafis of all languages. As practical, it is an art, applied to a particular language.

Analyfis contains the principle of every fcience: In grammar, it extends as well to the fpeculative part as to the practical.

The fpeculative part confiders, Firft, the ideas of which words are the fymbols. Secondly, the relation those ideas have with each other.

The practical part confiders in words, Firft, their elements and pronunciation. Secondly, their modification: in substantives, adjectives, and pronouns, the cafe, number, and gender: in verbs, the moods, tenses, and perfons. Thirdly, their pofition in a discourse.

Words are

6 Adverbs

7 Prepofitions

8 Conjunctions
9 Particles

10 Interjections.

The article belongs to substantives; it extends or restrains the fense in which they represent their idea, but differently in different languages, the difcuffion of which belongs to the practical grammar of each language.

SUB

E

SUBSTANTIVE S.

VERY object that is within the jurifdiction of our senses, or of our understanding, is a fubftantive.

Every fubftantive is either a common noun or a proper name. Common nouns may be confidered, Firft, in regard to the object which they reprefent: Secondly, the extent of the fenfe in which they represent that object.

First, In regard to the object which they represent, they are

Material,

or

Abstract,

which being

Natural,

or

Artificial,

Modes,

or

Actions,

exist as

the product of nature: water, earth.

the work of art: palace, church.

the objects of our fenfes: whiteness, bignefs: thofe of our understanding: prudence, equity.

the refult of verbs: deception, command: the agents of actions, deceiver, commander.

Secondly, In regard to the extent of the sense in which they represent that object, they are

Genus,

Species,

Houfe, length, compliment.

Good houfe, proper length, fine compliment.

Individual, Your house, a proper length, his fine compliment.

Number is Singular; a, an, one.
Plural; many, two, three, four.

A D

J

ADJECTIVES.

DJECTIVES denote the various qualities of objects. Among thofe qualities fome are infeparable from material objects, affect the fenfes, and by them are conveyed to the understanding such are those which denote the figure, the colour, the found, the touch, the taste, the smell, and all those attributes within the jurifdiction of the fenfes, and for that reafon may be called material attributes.

There are other qualities which immediately affect the underftanding, fuch as thefe, juft, prudent, equitable, generous, and all moral qualities, which being under the immediate jurifdiction of the understanding, may be efteemed mental attributes.

Other qualities originate from actions, and may be called ver bal; fuch as charming, beloved.

Some denote the particular number or order, and may be called numeral, as one, two; firft, fecond, &c.

Laftly, Others denote unity or plurality, without any fixed number, or else poffeffion or individuality, and may be called pronominal. Thus all adjectives may be ranged under the following claffes:

PRONOUNS.

Tfubftantives; they renew the idea of them, and prevent the

HESE, as their name imports, are the fubftitutes of

too frequent repetition of the fame word. They may all be ranged under four claffes.

First, perfonal; as I, thou, he, she, &c.

Secondly, relative; which represent all kinds of objects, and always have an antecedent, as who, which, whom, whose.

Thirdly, indefinite, which refer to a person, or any other object, but in an indeterminate manner, as whoever, whatever, famebody, fomething.

Fourthly, demonstrative, which place, if I may so say, fome object before our eyes; as, give me this; take that. When the words this, that, precede a fubftantive, they are adjectives; this book, that pen.

Remark.

The relative pronouns introduce always an incident phrase, explicative or determinative of the antecedent to which they relate; for example: The learned ought to surpass the rest of men in wisdom and probity. This is a principal phrafe, without any incident one; let us introduce an explicative incident phrase: The learned, who are more inftructed than the rest of men, ought to furpass them in wisdom and probity. This incident explains the fubftantive learned, and may be omitted without affecting the veracity of the principal phrafe; it is not fo with the incident determinative, as will appear by the following example: Titles and dignities reflect an immortal honour on those who bear them. Without the incident, the veracity of this propofition may be doubted, because titles and dignities may reflect an immortal infamy; but the determinative incident will remove that doubt: Titles and dignities, which proceed from virtue, reflect an immortal honour an those who bear them.

VER

ERBS denote existence or action.

B S.

The verb to be denotes

exiftence, as God is; and it is proper to join to existence

the mode of it, God is omnipotent.

When the mode of existing proceeds from an action, most of the modern languages, if not all, join the participle of a verb to

the

the verb to be, and by this means express the paffive; as man is punished; he is loved. The Latin expreffes this by adding anr to the active verb; amo, amor. But when the mode of

exifting proceeds from a mental attribute or a quality inherent in material objects, it is expreffed, in all languages, by a nominal adjective joined to the verb to be, expreffed or understood. God is benevolent, the earth is oval.

All the other verbs denote action, the nature of which conftitutes the different forts of verbs.

When the action affects or may affect an object different from the agent, the verb is faid to be active; as, God governs the universe; men love their country.

When the action returns upon its agent, in fuch a manner that there is always an identity between the agent and the object or term of the action, the verb is called reflected; as, I hurt myfelf, he gives himself a great deal of trouble. Thefe, in great measure, correfpond with the middle verbs of the Greek language.

When the action remains in the agent, without affecting any different object, the verb is called neuter, as, I fleep, he walks, She arrives.

When any manner of being or any action is attributed to a subsequent object, or phrafe confidered as an object, explicative of the indefinite pronoun it, the verb is called impersonal; as It is just to give to Cefar what belongs to Cefar: It concerns me to do that.

Thus much for the different forts of verbs common to all languages. As to the deponents, they are verbs which have a paffive form with an active fenfe, as in the Latin; or an active form with a paffive fenfe, as in French; the difcuffion of which belong to the practical grammar of each language that admits them.

The different views in which the action is prefented to the mind, constitutes the different moods; and the time in which the action is faid to happen, the various tenfes; thefe are explained in

page 29.

ADVER R B B S.

S there are qualities infeparable from material objects, fuch as figure, colour, &c, there are likewife circumstances infeparable from verbs. Every action must be done in time, place, and in a certain manner or order. To defcribe these circumftances we find in every language words that exprefs them, and are called adverbs, because they are the neceffary attendants of verbs, as adjectives are of fubftantives.

As fome of the circumstances of time, place, and manner, and fome of the qualities denoted by nominal and verbal adjectives, are fufceptible of augmentation or diminution, there are adverbs that exprefsly reprefent thefe degrees of more or lefs, and are diftinguished by the name of adverbs of quantity; fuch as very, too, much, lefs, more, quite, almoft, fo.

When