An English Grammar Part 35

182. _The_ before cla.s.s nouns may mark one thing as a representative of the cla.s.s to which it belongs; for example,--

The faint, silvery warblings heard over the partially bare and moist fields from _the bluebird_, _the song sparrow_, and _the redwing_, as if the last flakes of winter tinkled as they fell!--Th.o.r.eAU.

In the sands of Africa and Arabia _the camel_ is a sacred and precious gift.--GIBBON.

[Sidenote: _For possessive person p.r.o.nouns._]

183. _The_ is frequently used instead of the possessive case of the personal p.r.o.nouns _his_, _her_, etc.

More than one hinted that a cord twined around _the head_, or a match put between _the fingers_, would speedily extract the required information.--KINGSLEY.

_The_ mouth, and the region of the mouth, were about the strongest features in Wordsworth's face.--DE QUINCEY.

[Sidenote: The _for_ a.]

184. In England and Scotland _the_ is often used where we use _a_, in speaking of measure and price; as,--

Wheat, the price of which necessarily varied, averaged in the middle of the fourteenth century tenpence _the bushel_, barley averaging at the same time three s.h.i.+llings _the quarter_.--FROUDE.

[Sidenote: _A very strong restrictive._]

185. Sometimes _the_ has a strong force, almost equivalent to a descriptive adjective in emphasizing a word,--

No doubt but ye are _the_ people, and wisdom shall die with you.--_Bible._

As for New Orleans, it seemed to me _the_ city of the world where you can eat and drink the most and suffer the least.--THACKERAY.

He was _the_ man in all Europe that could (if any could) have driven six-in-hand full gallop over Al Sirat.--DE QUINCEY.

[Sidenote: _Mark of a substantive._]

186. _The_, since it belongs distinctively to substantives, is a sure indication that a word of verbal form is not used participially, but substantively.

In the hills of Sacramento there is gold for _the gathering_.--EMERSON.

I thought _the writing_ excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it.--FRANKLIN.

[Sidenote: _Caution._]

187. There is one use of _the_ which is different from all the above. It is an adverbial use, and is spoken of more fully in Sec.

283. Compare this sentence with those above:--

There was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still _the more obvious_ to the sight _the oftener_ they looked upon him.--HAWTHORNE.

Exercise.--Find sentences with five uses of the definite article.

USES OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE.

[Sidenote: _Denotes any one of a cla.s.s._]

188. The most frequent use of the indefinite article is to denote any one of a cla.s.s or group of objects: consequently it belongs to singular words; as in the sentence,--

Near the churchyard gate stands _a_ poor-box, fastened to _a_ post by iron bands and secured by _a_ padlock, with _a_ sloping wooden roof to keep off the rain.--LONGFELLOW

[Sidenote: _Widens the scope of proper nouns._]

189. When the indefinite article precedes proper names, it alters them to cla.s.s names. The qualities or attributes of the object are made prominent, and transferred to any one possessing them; as,--

The vulgar riot and debauchery, which scarcely disgraced _an Alcibiades_ or _a Caesar_, have been exchanged for the higher ideals of _a Bayard_ or _a Sydney_.--PEARSON

[Sidenote: _With abstract nouns._]

190. _An_ or _a_ before abstract nouns often changes them to half abstract: the idea of quality remains, but the word now denotes only one instance or example of things possessing the quality.

[Sidenote: _Become half abstract._]

The simple perception of natural forms is _a delight_.--EMERSON

If thou hadst _a sorrow_ of thine own, the brook might tell thee of it.--HAWTHORNE

In the first sentence, instead of the general abstract notion of delight, which cannot be singular or plural, _a delight_ means one thing delightful, and implies others having the same quality.

So _a sorrow_ means one cause of sorrow, implying that there are other things that bring sorrow.

[Sidenote: _Become pure cla.s.s nouns._]

NOTE.--Some abstract nouns become common cla.s.s nouns with the indefinite article, referring simply to persons; thus,--

If the poet of the "Rape of the Lock" be not _a wit_, who deserves to be called so?--THACKERAY.

He had a little brother in London with him at this time,--as great _a beauty_, as great a dandy, as great a villain.--_Id._

_A youth_ to fortune and to fame unknown.--GRAY.

[Sidenote: _Changes material to cla.s.s nouns._]

191. _An_ or _a_ before a material noun indicates the change to a cla.s.s noun, meaning one kind or a detached portion; as,--

They that dwell up in the steeple,...

Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart _a stone_.

--POE.