ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

composition. The accurate distinction of genders, and cases in nouns, and of persons in verbs, allowed the writers to choose the most proper place for their words, without affecting the perspicuity of the sentence. But in this respect, modern languages are very defective, in which the nouns and verbs being in general indeclinable, they must be closely connected in the sentence to their respective articles, and auxiliary verbs: whence, an uniform arrangement and position is requisite, in which no change can be made, without injuring the sense, or rendering it equivocal, or unintelligible. Greek authors, on the contrary, could indulge in grand and lofty sentences, composed of members of various extent, and terminated in whatever part of speech might seem most proper. Hence, the ear is gratified with an endless variety of pauses, and a harmonious flow of periods; an emphatic word, like the principal figure in a picture, being placed where it produces the best effect. Unable as we moderns are, to form a competent notion of these beauties, still, from the testimony of ancient critics, whose perfect knowledge and delicacy of taste, qualified them to form a better judgment on the subject, we must yield our assent to the justice of the praises, which in every age, have been bestowed on the Greek language. In one point, however, the English scholar may appreciate the excellence of this language, in as far as his own possesses a similar property, although in an inferior degree: and that is the compound. ing of words. The prolific power of the Greek was unbounded: verbs were the trees, from which sprung innumerable branches, in endless variety and abundance. These verbs are at one time compounded together, at another time with substantives; nouns are formed from them, and even from different parts of the same verb: but the power of combination with prepositions, was of a much more extraordinary extent with any one of the Greek prepositions, any verb,

verb, unless its meaning made it naturally unfit for such an alliance, could be united. Instances of these combinations are common, and even of verbs and nouns joined withdouble and treble prepositions. As such compound words possess an unrivalled strength, richness, and significant brevity, they show the creative powers of a language, containing inexhaustible resourses for composition. In poetry, their effect is most particularly felt, supplying it with one of its most striking and beautiful ornaments. power of compounding words, so extensive, and indeed To this indefinite, no resemblance can be traced in the works of art, excepting in the unlimited combination of letters forming words, and the multiplication of numbers in arithmetic.

From the whole of these observations on the English, Latin and Greek languages, may be formed some notion of the characteristics of each, and of their respective merits. To the Greek we must allow the praise of harmony, copiousness, and an amazing ductility, by which it can express in original, derivative, and compound words, every discovery in science, or invention in art: the Latin is recommended by its majesty, precision, and vigour; and the classic writers in both these languages, are to be considered as the best models of learning and taste. But in these acknowledgements of superior excellence, let us not shut our eyes to the many admirable properties of our own tongue : the English language, drawing its stock of words from yarious sources, and very imperfectly understood, without the help of Greek and Latin, is energetic, rich, and copious and perhaps, if we were restricted to the use of one modern tongue, to the exclusion of all others, none could be found better calculated for every purpose of social intercourse, more capable of expressing the general sentiments of the mind, or more deserving the study and cultivation of men in every situation.

ENGLISH

GRAMMAR.

GRAMMAR is the Art of rightly expressing our thoughts

by words.

Grammar in general, or Universal Grammar, explains the principles which are common to all languages.

The Grammar of any particular Language, as the English Grammar, applies these common principles to that particular language, according to the established usage and custom of it.

Grammar treats of Sentences; and of the several parts. of which they are compounded.

Sentences consist of Words; Words, of one or more Syllables; Syllables, of one or more Letters.

So that Letters, Syllables, Words, and Sentences, make up the whole subject of Grammar.

LETTERS.

A LETTER is the first Principle, or least part, of a Word.

An Articulate Sound is the sound of the human voice, formed by the organs of speech.

A Vowel is a simple articulate sound, formed by the impulse of the voice, and by the opening only of the mouth in a particular manner.

A Consonant cannot be perfectly sounded by itself; but joined with a vowel, forms a compound articulate sound, by a particular motion or contact of the parts of the mouth.

A Diphthong, or compound vowel, is the union of two or more vowels pronounced by a single impulse of the voice.

In the English there are twenty-six Letters:

J, j; and V, v; are consonants; the former having the sound of the soft g, and the latter that of a coarser f; they are therefore entirely different from the vowels i and u, and distinct letters of themselves; they ought also to be distinguished from them, each by a peculiar name; the former may be called ja, and the latter gee.

The names, then, of the twenty-six letters will be as follow; a, bee, cee, de, e, ef, gee, aitch, i, ja, ka, el. m, en, o, pee, cue, ar, ess, tee, u, v, double u, ex, y, zad.

Six of the letters are vowels, and may be sounded by themselves; a, e, i, o, u, y.

E is generally silent at the end of a word; but it has its effect in lengthening the preceding vowels, as bid, bide: and sometimes likewise in the middle of a word; as, ungrate ful, retirement. Sometimes it has no other effect, than that of softening a preceding g; as lodge, judge, judgement ; for which purpose it is quite necessary in these and the like words.

Y is in the sound wholly the same with i; and is written instead of it, at the end of words; or before i ; as, flying, denying it is retained likewise in some words derived from the Greek; and it is always a vowel.

W is either a vowel, or a diphthong; its proper sound is the same as the Italian u, the French ou, or the English oo : after o, it is sometimes not sounded at all; sometimes like a single u.

The rest of the letters are consonants; which cannot be sounded alone: some not at all, and these are called Mutes: b, c, d, g, k, p, q, t; others very imperfectly, making a kind of obscure sound; and these are called

Semi-vowels or Half-vowels, l, m, n, r, f, s, the first four of which are also distinguished by the name of Liquids.

The Mutes and the Semi-vowels are distinguished by their names in the Alphabet; those of the former all beginning with a consonant, bee, cee, &c.; those of the latter all beginning with a vowel, ef, el, &c.

X is a double consonant, compounded of c, or k, and s. Z seems not to be a double consonant in English, as it is commonly supposed: it has the same relation to s, as v has to f, being a thicker and coarser expression of it.

His only an Aspiration, or Breathing: and sometimes at the beginning of a word is not sounded at all; as, an hour, an honest man.

C is pronounced like k before a, o, u; and soft like s, before e, i, y: in like manner g is pronounced always hard before a, o, u; sometimes hard and sometimes soft before i andy and for the most part soft before e.

The English Alphabet, like most others, is both deficient and redundant; in some cases, the same letters expressing different sounds, and different letters expressing the same sounds.

SYLLABLES.

A SYLLABLE it a sound either simple or compounded, pronounced by a single impulse of the voice, and constituting a word, or a part of a word.

Spelling is the art of reading by naming the letters. singly, and rightly dividing words into their syllables. Or, in writing, it is the expressing of a word by its proper letters.

In spelling, a syllable in the beginning or middle of a word, ends in a vowel, unless it be followed by, or by two or more consonants: these are for the most part to be separated; and at least one of them always belongs to the

preceding