Page images
PDF
EPUB

are termed attributive. They are common to all languages, and must have been very early invented; fince objects could neither be distinguished, nor treated of in discourse, before names were affigned to their different qualities.

STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE.

ENGLISH TONGUE.

OF all the parts of fpeech VERBS are by far the

most complex and useful. From their importance we may juftly conclude, that they were coeval with the origin of language; though a long time must have been requifite to rear them up to that accuracy, which they now poffefs.

The tenfes were contrived, to mark the feveral diftinctions of time. We commonly think of no more, than its three great divifions, the past, the prefent, and the future; and we might fuppofe that, if verbs had been fo contrived, as merely to exprefs thefe, no more was neceffary. But language proceeds with much greater fubtilty. It divides time into its feveral moments; it regards it, as never ftanding ftill, but always flowing; things paft, as more or lefs diftant; and things future, as more or less remote by different gradations. Hence the variety of tenfes in almost every language.

The prefent may indeed be always regarded, as one indivifible point, which admits no variety; "I am,” "fum." But it is not fo with the paft. Even the poorest language has two or three tenfes, to express its varieties. Ours has four. 1. A past action may be reprefented, as unfinished, by the imperfect tenfe; "I was "walking, ambulabam." 2. As finished, by the perfect tenfe, "I have walked." 3. As finished fome time fince, the particular time being left undetermined; “I walked, ambulavi;” This is what Grammarians call an aorist or indefinite past. 4. As finished before fomething else, which is alfo past. This is the plufquamperfect; "I had walked, ambulaveram. I had "walked, before you called upon me." Our language, we must perceive with pleasure, has an advantage over the Latin, which has only three variations of past time.

The varieties in future time are two; a fimple or indefinite future, "I fhall walk, ambulabo ;" and a future having reference to fomething else, which is likewife future," I fhall have walked, ambulavero ;. “I fhall have walked, before he will pay me a vifit.

Befide tenfes verbs admit the distinction of voices, viz. the active and paffive; as "I love, or I am loved." They admit also the distinction of modes, which are intended to exprefs the perceptions and volitions of the mind under different forms. The indicative mode fimply declares a prepofition; "I write; I have written."

The imperative requires, commands, or threatens ; "Write thou; let him write." The fubjunctive expreffes a propofition under the form of a condition, or as fubordinate to something, to which reference is made; "I might write; I could write; I should write, if the

matter were fo." This expreffion of the perceptions and volitions of the mind in fo many various forms, together with the distinction of the three persons I, thou, and he, constitutes the conjugation of verbs, which makes fo great a part of the Grammar of all languages.

Conjugation is reckoned most perfect in those languages, which by varying the termination, or the initial fyllable of the verb, expreffes the greatest number of important circumstances without the help of auxiliary verbs. In the Oriental tongues verbs have few tenses; but their modes are fo contrived, as to exprefs a great variety of circumstances and relations. In the Hebrew they fay in one word, without the aid of an auxiliary, not only, "I taught," but, "I was taught; I caufed. to teach; I was caufed to teach; I taught myself.” The Greek, which is commonly thought to be the most perfect of all languages, is very regular and complete in the modes and tenfes. The Latin, though formed on the fame model, is not fo perfect; particularly in the paffive voice, which forms most of the tenses by the aid of the auxiliary "fum." In modern European tongues conjugation is very defective. The two great auxiliary verbs, to have and to be, with those other aux

iliaries, which we use in English, do, shall, will, may, and can, prefixed to a participle or to another verb in the infinitive mode, fuperfede in a great measure the different terminations of modes and tenfes, which formed the antient conjugations.

The other parts of fpeech, as they admit no variation, will require only a fhort difcuffion.

Adverbs are for the most part an abridged mode of fpeech, expreffing by one word, what might by a circumlocution be refolved into two or more words, belonging to other parts of fpeech. "Here," for inftance, is the fame with " in this place." Hence adverbs feem to be lefs neceffary, and of later introduction into fpeech, than feveral other claffes of words; and accordingly most of them are derived from other words, formerly established in the language.

Prepofitions and conjunctions ferve to exprefs the relations, which things bear to one another, their mutual influence, dependence, and coherence; and fo to join words together, as to form intelligible propofitions. Conjunctions are commonly employed for connecting fentences, or members of fentences; as, and, because, and the like. Prepofitions are used for connecting words, as of, from, to, &c. The beauty and strength of every language depend in a great measure on a proper use of conjunctions, prepofitions, and thofe relative pronouns,

which ferve the fame purpofe of connecting different parts of difcourfe.

Having thus briefly confidered the Structure of Language in general, we will now enter more particularly into an examination of our own Language.

The English, which was spoken after the Norman Conqueft, and continues to be spoken now, is a mixture of the antient Saxon and the Norman French together with fuch new and foreign words, as commerce and learning have in a fucceffion of ages gradually introduced. From the influx of fo many streams, from a junction of fo many diffimilar parts, it naturally follows, that the English, like every compounded language, must be somewhat irregular. We cannot expect from it that complete analogy in ftructure, which may be found in thofe fimpler languages, which were formed within themselves, and built on one foundation. our fyntax is fhort, fince there are few marks in the words themselves, which show their relation to each other, or point out either their concordance or their government in a fentence, But, if thefe be disadvantages in a compound language, they are balanced by the advantages, which attend it; particularly by the number and variety of words, by which fuch a language is commonly enriched. Few languages are more copious, than the English. In all grave fubjects efpecially, hiftorical, critical, political, and moral, no complaint can justly be

Hence

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »