Lectures on Language Part 19

_Chaucer, La belle dame, p. 1. c. 1._

"Ful sound _on sleep_ did caucht thare rest be kind."

_Douglas_, b. 9, p. 283.

"In these provynces the fayth of Chryste was all quenchyd and _in sleepe_."--_Fabian._

A numerous portion of these contractions are nouns, which, from their frequent recurrence, are used without their usual connexion with small words. The letter _a_ is compounded with many of these words, which may have been joined to them by habit, or as a preposition, meaning _on_, _to_, _at_, _in_, as it is used in the french and some other languages.

You often hear expressions like these, "he is _a_-going; he is _a_-writing; he began _a_-new," etc. The old adverbs which take this letter, you can easily a.n.a.lyze; as, "The house is _a_-fire"--on fire; "He fell _a_-sleep"--he fell _on_ sleep. "When deep sleep falleth on men."--_Job._ "He stept _a_-side"--on one side. "He came _a_-board"--on board. "They put it _a_-foot"--on foot. "He went _a_-way"--a way, followed some _course_, to a distance. "Blue bonnets are all the _go_ now _a_-days," etc.

The following extracts will give you an idea of the etymology of these words:

"Turnus seyes the Troianis in grete yre, And al thare schyppis and navy set _in fire_."

_Douglas_, b. 9, p. 274.

"Now hand in hand the dynt lichtis with _ane_ swak, Now bendis he up his bourdon with _ane_ mynt, _On side_ (a-side) he bradis for to eschew the dynt."

_Idem._

"That easter fire and flame aboute Both at mouth and at nase So that thei setten all _on blaze_," (ablaze.) _Gower._

"And tyl a wicked deth him take _Him had_ leuer _asondre_ (a-sunder) shake And let al his lymmes _asondre_ ryue Thane leaue his richesse in his lyue."

_Chaucer._

Examples of this kind might be multiplied to an indefinite length. But the above will suffice to give you an idea of the former use of these words, and also, by comparison with the present, of the changes which have taken place in the method of spelling within a few centuries.

A large portion of adverbs relate to _time_ and _place_, because many of our ideas, and much of our language, are employed in reference to them; as, _then_, _when_, _where_, _there_, _here_, _hence_, _whence_, _thence_, _while_, _till_, _whether_, etc. These are compound words considerably disguised in their meaning and formation. Let us briefly notice some of them.

_Per annum_ is a latin phrase, _for the year_, a _year_; and _the annum_ is _the year_, _round_ or _period_ of time, from which it was corrupted gradually into its present shape. _Thanne_, tha anne, _thane_, _thenne_, _then_, _than_, are different forms of the same word.

"We see nowe bi a mirror in darcnesse: thanne forsathe, face to face.

Nowe I know of partye; _thanne_ forsathe schal know as I am knowen."--1.

Cor. 13: 12. _Translation in 1350._

I have a translation of the same pa.s.sage in 1586, which stands thus: "For nowe we see through a gla.s.se darkley: but _thene_ face to face: now I know in part: but _then_ shal I know even as I am knowen." Here several words are spelled differently in the same verse.

=Then=, _the anne_, that time. =When=, _wha anne_, "_wha-icht-anne_,"

which, or what _anne_, period of time.

_Area_ means an open s.p.a.ce, a plat of ground, a spot or place. Arena is from the same etymon, altered in application. =There=, _the area_, the _place_ or _spot_. "If we go _there_," to that place. =Where=, which, or what ("wha-icht area") place. =Here=, _his_ (latin word for _this_,) _area_, this place. These words refer to _place_, _state_, or _condition_.

_While_ is another spelling for _wheel_. "To while away our time," is to _pa.s.s_, spend, or _wheel_ it away. _While_ applies to the _period_, or s.p.a.ce of time, in which something _wheels_, _whirls_, _turns_ round, or transpires; as, "You had better remain here _while_ (during the time) he examines whether it is prudent for you to go."

=Till= is _to while_, to the _period_ at which something is expected to follow. "If I will that he tarry _till_ (to the time) I come what is that to thee?"

The idea of _time_ and _place_ are often blended together. It is not uncommon to hear lads and professed scholars, in some parts of our country say "down _till_ the bottom, over _till_ the woods." etc. Altho we do not regard such expressions correct, yet they serve to explain the meaning of the word. The only mistake is in applying it to _place_ instead of _time_.

=Whether= is _which either_. "Shew _whether_ of these _two_ thou hast chosen."--_Acts 1: 24._ It is more frequently applied in modern times to circ.u.mstance and events _than to_ persons and things. "I will let you know _whether_ I _will_ or _will not_ adopt it," one or the other.

=Together= signifies two or more united. _Gethered_ is the past participle of _gather_.

"As Mailie, an' her lambs _thegither_, Were ae day nibbling on the tether."

_Burns._

=Ever= means _time_, _age_, _period_. It originally and essentially signified _life_. _For ever_ is for the age or period. _For ever_ and _ever_, to the ages of ages. _Ever-lasting_ is _age-lasting_.

Ever-lasting hills, snows, landmarks, etc.

=Never=, _ne-ever_, _not ever_, at no time, age or period.

=When-ever.=--At what point or s.p.a.ce of _time_ or _age_.

=What-ever.=--What thing, fact, circ.u.mstance, or event.

=Where-ever.=--To, at, or in what place, period, age, or time.

=Whither-so-ever=, which-way-so-ever, where-so-ever, never-the-less, etc. need only be a.n.a.lyzed, and their meaning will appear obvious to all.

=Oft=, _often_, _oft-times_, often-_times_, can be understood by all, because the noun to which they belong is _oft-en_ retained in practice.

=Once=, twice, at one time, two times.

=Hence=, _thence_, _whence_, from _this_, _that_, or _what_, place, spot, circ.u.mstance, post, or starting place.

=Hence-for-ward=, _hence-forth_, in time _to come_, after this period.

=Here-after=, after this _era_, or present time.

=Hither=, to this spot or place. _Thither_, to that place. _Hither-to_, _hither-ward_, etc. the same as _to you ward_, or to G.o.d ward, still retained in our bibles.

=Per-haps=, it may hap. _Perchance_, _peradventure_, by chance, by adventure. The latin _per_ means _by_.

=Not=, no ought, not any, nothing. It is a compound of _ne_ and _ought_ or _a_ught.

=Or= is a contraction from other, and _nor_ from _ne-or_, no-or, no other.

=No-wise=, no ways. I will go, or, other-wise, in another way or manner, you must go.

=Than=, _the ane_, the one, that one, alluding to a particular object with which a comparison is made; as, This book is larger _than_ that bible. That _one_ bible, this book is larger. It is always used with the comparative degree, to define particularly the object with which the comparison is made. Talent is better than flattery. Than flattery, often bestowed regardless of merit, talent is better.

=As= is an adjective, in extensive use. It means the, this, that, these, the same, etc. It is a defining word of the first kind. You practice _as_ you have been taught--_the same duties_ or _principles_ understood.

We use language _as_ we have learned it; in _the same_ way or manner. It is often a.s.sociated with other words to particularly specify the way, manner, or degree, in which something is done or compared. I can go _as well as_ you. In _the same well_, easy, convenient way or manner you can go, I can go in _the same_ way. He was _as_ learned, _as_ pious, _as_ benevolent, _as_ brave, _as_ faithful, _as_ ardent. These are purely adjectives, used to denote the degree of the likeness or similarity between the things compared. Secondary words are often added to this, to aid the distinction or definition; as, (_the same_ ill.u.s.trated,) He is _just as willing_. I am _quite as well_ pleased without it. _As_, like many other adjectives, often occurs without a noun expressed, in which case it was formerly pa.r.s.ed by Murray himself _as_ (like, or the same) a relative p.r.o.noun; as, "And indeed it seldom at any period extends to the tip, _as happens_ in acute diseases."--_Dr. Sweetster._ "The ground I have a.s.sumed is tenable, _as will appear_."--_Webster._ "Bonaparte had a special motive in decorating Paris, for 'Paris is France, _as has_ often been observed."--_Channing._ "The words are such _as seem_."--_Murray's Reader! p. 16, intro._

=So= has nearly the same signification as the word last noticed, and is frequently used along with it, to define the other member of the comparison. _As_ far _as_ I can understand, _so_ far I approve. _As_ he directed, _so_ I obeyed. It very often occurs as a secondary adjective; as, "In pious and benevolent offices _so_ simple, _so_ minute, _so_ steady, _so_ habitual, that they will carry," etc. "He pursued a course _so_ unvarying."--_Channing._

These words are the most important of any small ones in our vocabulary, because (_for this cause_, be this the cause, this is the cause) they are the most frequently used; and yet there are no words _so_ little understood, or _so_ much abused by grammarians, _as_ these are.

We have barely time to notice the remaining parts of speech.

"Conjunctions" are defined to be a "part of speech void of signification, but so formed as to help signification, by making two or more significant sentences to be one significant sentence." Mr. Harris gives about forty "species." Murray admits of only the _dis_-junctive and copulative, and reduces the whole list of words to twenty-four. But what is meant by a _dis_-junctive _con_-junctive word, is left for you to determine. It must be in keeping with _in_definite _defining_ articles, and _post_-positive _pre_-positions. He says, "it joins words, but disjoins the sense."[22] And what is a _word_ with out _sense_,"

pray tell us? If "words are the signs of ideas," how, in the name of reason, can you give the sign and separate the sense? You can as well separate the shadow from the substance, or a quality from matter.

We have already noticed Rule 18, which teaches the use of conjunctions. Under that rule, you may examine these examples. "As it _was_ in the beginning, _is_ now, _and_ ever _shall be_."--_Common Prayer._ "What I _do_, _have done,_ or _may_ hereafter _do_, _has been_, and _will_ always _be_ matter of inclination, the gratifying of which _pays_ itself: and I _have_ no more merit in employing my time and money in the way I _am known_ to do, than another has in other occupations."--_Howard._