CHAPTER IV. The Grammatical Use of Thought Language or Grammar. The word, grammar,1 means belonging to 1. DEFINITIONS.elements, sands. In the GRAMMATICAL Use of Thought Language, we consider mainly the language itself, as it exists in its Word-elements: First, the Grammatical Classification of these Word-elements with the Attributes, and Syntax of each class; Second, how these Word-elements should be spoken, and how they should be written. NOTE I. In the Logical Use, we mainly consider the Thought; and, in the Rhetorical Use, the Thought and Language in their mutual relations; in the Grammatical Use, we mainly consider the Language itself. (Chap. I., 71.) 2. NOMENCLATURE. The Names or Terms, having a general use in Grammar, are Attributes or Properties of a Word, Formation of a Word, Form of a Word, Modifications of a Word, Table, Regular, Irregular, Defective, Redundant, Variable, Syntax of Words, Grammatical Analysis or Parsing. NOTE II. For convenience, we shall sometimes, in Grammar, call the meaning of an expression, whether it be a word, a phrase, or a sentence, the Ideal of that expression. Such terms as Ideatic, or Ideistic, if they were found in the dictionaries, would be better. 1 GRAMMAR. (m)ar, that which; gram, grain, letters, sand. See Dict., gramrie, grain, literal, littoral; also, Chap. IV., Letters. Attributes or Properties of a Word. LIT. DEF. The word, attribute,1 means that which has been given to [anything]. The word, property," means something that is real, peculiar. 3. The ATTRIBUTES or PROPERTIES of the different Grammatical Classes of words are given to each Class on account of its Logical, its Rhetorical, and its Grammatical uses. 4. The LOGICAL Attributes of a word belong to it on account of its meaning or the ideal which it names. 5. The RHETORICAL attributes of a word belong to it on account of its rhetorical use or office. 6. The GRAMMATICAL attributes of a word belong to it either on account of its grammatical class, or on account of the mode in which it is spoken, or written. Formation of a Word. LIT. DEF. The word, formation,3 means the office of that which shapes or builds. 7. The FORMATION OF A WORD is a phrase naming the act of putting the elements of a word together. Thus, if word-elements be used, the result is either a Simple, or a Compound word; if syllabic-elements, the result is either a Monosyllable, or a Polysyllable; if sounds, the result is either a Monophonic, or a Polyphonic; if letters, the result is either a Monogram, or a Polygram. Form of a Word. 8. The FORM OF A WORD is a phrase naming the effect caused by the formation of the word. Thus, a word, as to its form, may be Simple, or Compound; Monosyllable, or Polysyllable; Monophonic, or Polyphonic; Monogram, or Polygram. Modifications of a Word. LIT. DEF. The word, modification, means both the science and art of making forms; and, also, that by which a form has been made or changed. 1 ATTRIBUTE. e, belonging to; t,-—; tribu, has been given; at- ad, to [some thing.] 2 PROPERTY. ye, ; t1 -; proper, peculiar, real. 8 FORMATION. ion, office of, being: (a)t, that which; form, creates, builds. 4 MODIFICATION. ation, -; (i)fic, has been made; mod, mode, form, figure. 9. The term, MODIFICATION, is applied to the means by which the form of a word has been made, or changed. 10. Modifications are classified in two ways; first, according to use; second, according to the parts modified. 11. According to use, Modifications of Words are divided into the Logical, and the Rhetorical or Euphonic. 12. A LOGICAL Modification is one which causes a change in the meaning of a word. Thus, in the words, part, port; part means that which equals; while, the word, port, means that which bears, carries; the difference in meaning being caused by logical modification between the letters, a, o. impart, import, depart, deport, etc. See 13. A RHETORICAL or EUPHONIC Modification is one which is made on account of euphony. (See Chap. III., Euphony.) 14. According to the parts modified, Modifications of Words are divided into three kinds; Root, Suffix, and Prefix Modifications. 15. RooT Modifications are those which affect the form of the root. 16. A SUFFIX Modification is made by using a suffix with the root. 17. A PREFIX Modification is made by using a prefix with the root. NOTE III. In written, or printed language, the suffix is sometimes separated from its root; as, my own for myown. NOTE IV. The English language is remarkable, because it is so free from many of those Modifications of words which are found in other languages, and are used merely to show the attributes or properties of words; hence, by many it is called an Anomalous Language; by a few, a Grammarless Language. A careful study of the grammatical attributes or properties of its words and the means by which these are made known, reveals the gratifying facts; first, that the English language has all the Modifications really needful to show the attributes or properties of its words and, perhaps, a few more than are needed by thinkers; second, it also shows that the prevailing idea of the English language is, that the attributes or properties of words shall be shown by the meanings of the words and by their positions in sentences, rather than by the Modifications of the words themselves. Whoever studies the English language carefully, must be convinced that it is, preeminently, the language of the thinker and that, in this respect, it is most admirably adapted to become "The Universal Language," a mission which it seems destined to fulfil. It is, indeed, in its Grammar, the most philosophical language, which is spoken by the human lip, or written by the human hand. Table of a Word. LIT. DEF. The word, table,' means something arranged, classed. 18. TABLE is a term applied to an arrangement, showing the different modifications of a word, of a phrase, or of a sen tence. Regular Words. LIT. DEF. The word, regular,2 means according to some rule. 19. A REGULAR Word is one which is used according to some general rule, or table. Irregular Words. 20. An IRREGULAR Word is one which is not used accord ing to some general rule, or table. Defective Words. LIT. DEF. The word, defective,3 means like that which has been taken away. 21. A DEFECTIVE Word is one which lacks some of the attributes belonging to other words of its own kind or class. Redundant Words. LIT. DEF. The word, redundant,4 means that which flows back. 22. A REDUNDANT Word is one which has two or more TABLE. e, something; tabl, class, rank, order. See Dict., tabulate. ir, not. 2 REGULAR. ar, use, office; ul-al, belonging to, some; reg, rule, law, order; DEFECTIVE. tive,; fec=fic, has been taken; de, from. 4 REDUNDANT. ant, something, belonging to; (d)und, flows, waves; re, back, again. modifications to show the same attributes; or, that has two or more meanings. NOTE V. A word, which has two or more forms, is said to be Redundant in Form; a word, having two or more meanings, is said to be Redundant in Meaning. Thus, phenomenons, phenomena, are redundant forms of phenomenon. Brothers (members of the same family), and brethren (members of the same society), are redundant both in form and in meaning. Variable Words. LIT. DEF. The word, variable,' means capable of changes. 23. A VARIABLE Word is one which is sometimes used in one form or meaning, and sometimes in another form or meaning, or in both. Syntax of Words. 24. GRAMMATICAL SYNTAX is a term applied to those Rules, which are used; first, in determining the position or places of words in sentences; second, in determining the attributes or properties and the means of showing these attributes or properties, as they are used in Grammar. Grammatical Analysis or Parsing. LIT. DEF. The word, parsing," means the action of one who separates or analyzes. 25. GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS or PARSING is the act of finding the grammatical elements of a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence. 26. CLASSIFICATIONS. The Grammatical Use of Thought Language may be considered, first, as to the Narrator's Use of it; second, as to the Narratee's Use of it. 27. The NARRATOR'S Grammatical use of thought language is synthetic; because, he must give to each word, phrase, or sen 1 VARIABLE. (ia)ble, may, can; var, changes, turn. 2 PARSING. ing, — ; 8 = t, -; par, weighs up, makes equal. See Arith.. Par, Above Par, Below Par, etc. |