Lectures on Language Part 21

_Dryden_, b. VI. l. 980.

This sentiment, he probably borrowed from Pythagoras and Plato, who argue the same sentiment, and divide this spirit into "_intellectus_, _intelligentia_, et _natura_"--intellectual, intelligent, and natural. Whence, "_Ex hoc Deo, qui est mundi anima: quasi decerptae particulae sunt vitae hominum et pecudum._" Or, "Omnia animalia ex quatuor elementis et _divino spiritu_ constare manifestum est. Trahunt enim a terra carnem, ab aqua humorem, ab aere anhelitum, ab igne fervorem, _a divino spiritu ingenium_."--_Timeus, chap. 24, and Virgil's Geor. b. 4, l. 220, Dryden's trans. l. 322._

Pope alludes to the same opinion in these lines:

"All are but parts of one stupendous whole.

Whose body nature is, and G.o.d the soul."

[12] Page 41.

[13] Exodus, iii. 2, 3.

[14] Cardell's grammar.

[15] The Jews long preserved this name in Samaritan letters to keep it from being known to strangers. The modern Jews affirm that by this mysterious name, engraven on his rod, Moses performed the wonders recorded of him; that Jesus stole the name from the temple and put it into his thigh between the flesh and skin, and by its power accomplished the miracles attributed to him. They think if they could p.r.o.nounce the word correctly, the very heavens and earth would tremble, and angels be filled with terror.

[16] Plutarch says, "This t.i.tle is not only _proper_ but _peculiar to G.o.d_, because =He= alone is _being_; for mortals have no partic.i.p.ation of _true being_, because that which _begins_ and _ends_, and is constantly _changing_, is never _one_ nor the _same_, nor in the same state. The deity on whose temple this word was inscribed was called =Apollo=, Apollon, from _a_ negative and _pollus_, _many_, because G.o.d is =one=, his nature simple, and _uncompounded_."--_Vide, Clark's Com._

[17] The same fact may be observed in other languages, for all people form language alike, in a way to correspond with their ideas. The following hasty examples will ill.u.s.trate this point.

_Agent._ _Verb._ _Object._ _English_ Singers Sing Songs _French_ Les chanteurs Chantent Les chansons _Spanish_ Los cantores Cantan Las cantinelas _Italian_ I cantori Cantano I canti _Latin_ Cantores Canunt Cantus

_English_ Givers Give Gifts _French_ Les donneurs Donnent Les dons _Spanish_ Los donadores Dan o donan Los dones _Italian_ I danatori Dano o danano I doni _Latin_ Datores Donant Dona

_English_ Fishers Fish Fishes _French_ Les pecheurs Pechent Les poissons _Spanish_ Los pescadores Pescan Los peces _Italian_ I pescatori Pescan I pesci _Latin_ Piscatores Piscantur Pisces

_English_ Students Study Studies _French_ Les etudiens Etudient Les etudes _Spanish_ Los estudiantes Estudian Los estudios _Italian_ I studienti Studiano I studii _Latin_ Studiosi Student Studia

[18] Mr. Murray says, "These compounds," _have_, _shall_, _will_, _may_, _can_, _must_, _had_, _might_, _could_, _would_, and _should_, which he uses as auxiliaries to _help_ conjugate _other_ verbs, "are, however, to be considered as _different forms_ of the _same_ verb." I should like to know, if these words have any thing to do with the _princ.i.p.al_ verbs; if they only alter the _form_ of the verb which follows them. I _may_, _can_, _must_, _shall_, _will_, or _do love_. Are these only different forms of _love_? or rather, are they not distinct, important, and original verbs, pure and perfect _in_ and _of_ themselves? Ask for their etymons and meaning, and then decide.

[19] Diversions of Purley, vol. 1, p. 77.

[20] Dr. Edwards observes, in a communication to the Connecticut Society of Arts and Sciences, from personal knowledge, that "the Mohegans (Indians) have _no adjectives_ in all their language. Altho it may at first seem not only singular and curious, but impossible, that a language should exist without adjectives, yet it is an indubitable fact." But it is proved that in later times the Indians employ adjectives, derived from nouns or verbs, as well as other nations.

Altho many of their dialects are copious and harmonious, yet they suffered no inconvenience from a want of contracted words and phrases. They added the ideas of definition and description to the things themselves, and expressed them in the _same_ word, in a modified form.

[21] Matthew, chap. 24, v. 48.

[22] Examples of a _dis_-junctive conjunction. "They came with her, _but_ they went without her."--_Murray._

Murray is _wrong_, _and_ Cardell is _right_. The simplifiers are wrong, _but_ their standard is so likewise.

"Me he restored to my office, _and_ him he hanged."--_Pharaoh's Letter._