PART III.

CHAP. VI.

Of WORDS in general.

are Words?

Q. WHAT ar words, or Sounds of Voice in any

Language, is the Medium by which we convey all our Ideas, and Notions of Things in Communication and Conversation one with another; and thereby exhibit our Perception, Judgment, and Reasoning of all Things, that are the Objects of our Senfes, Reflection or Underftanding.

Q. Have we Words adapted to, and expreffive of these Things?

A. Yes; which naturally creates four Claffes: First, Words which are termed Names, because they are fuch Words as exprefs Things themselves, and never fail to raise an Idea in the Mind; neither do they need the Help of any other Word to make us understand them. Secondly, Qualities, which exprefs the Manners, Properties, and Affections of those Things or Substances. Thirdly, Affirmations, which exprefs the Actions, Paffions, or Being of Things. Fourthly, Particles, or little Words, fhewing the Manner, or Quality of Actions, Paffions, or Being; as also their Relations, Regards, and Connections to, and with each other in Sentences: And this Digestion of Words is termed the four Parts of Speech in the Britifh Tongue, which answers all the Divifions of any other Language.

CLASS I.

CHA P. VII.

Of NAMES and their Accidents.

QWA
HAT are Names?

A. Names are those Words (whether expreffed by Sounds or Characters) that exprefs Things or Subftances themselves; and as already faid, need not the Help of any other Word to make us understand them; for when I hear any one fay, a Man, the Woman, an Ox, &c. thofe Sounds and Characters immediately excite fuch Ideas in the Mind, as it operates in Perception, Judgment and Reasoning, that fuch Words need no other to explain them.

Q. Why do we write a, the, and an before the Names? A. For the more fully diftinguishing of the Name, they being in the Quality of Indices, fhew the Name directly in View; a and the direct to Names beginning with a Confonant, and an directs to Names beginning with a Vowel. As,

Man.

But their received Term hereafter.

Q. Is there no Distinction or Difference in Names? A. Yes; there are three Sorts of Names: Firft, Common Names, which are fuch as agree to, or express a whole Kind; as, the Name Man fignifies any Man, &c.

Secondly, Proper Names, which diftinguifh Particularsof a Kind from each other; as, John, Thomas, William, &c. diftinguish thefe Men from all the reft of Mankind.

Thirdly, Perfonal Names, which are used when we fpeak of, about, or concerning Perfons, or Things, that have been juft before spoken of, and thereby avoid the Re

petition of the fame Word; and these supply the Place of the Names of Men, Women, and Things.

Q. Which of the three Sorts of Names do you treat of firft?

A. Common Names, being the general Method of both ancient and modern Grammarians, in moft, if not in all their Grammars.

Q. What further diftinguishes Names from the other Claffes of Words?

A. Names expreffing Things themselves, can never make Senfe with the Word Thing after them; as, Man Thing, Virtue Thing, &c.

Q. Have the British Names any Number?

A. Yes; Names in general, fignifying either one, or more than one of the fame Kind, muft naturally have two different Numbers to exprefs this Difference; as the fingular Number, which expreffeth but one Thing, or Subftance; and the plural Number, which fpeaks of, or about many, of the fame Things, or Subftances. And this Diftinction of Number is made by adjoining the Letter s ta the fingular.

Girl,

Girls.

an Orphan, Orphans.

This alfo gives another Sign to distinguish Names from the other Parts of Speech.

Q. Is this the general Rule for forming the Singular Number of Names into the Plural, by annexing the little s to the Singular?

A. This may be termed the general Rule, yet, as all other general Rules, it is fubject to fome Exceptions; but they are but few in Number, and the Lift of each Exception fhort: Therefore it appears moft proper to exhibit them, before any Tables or Lifts of the Common Names, that are regular in forming their Plural Number.

N. B.

N. B. Children need not enter upon Exceptions until they have fufficient Understanding of what is regular.

Q. What is the firft Exception to the general Rule? A. When Common Names terminate with c or g, foftened by e fervile, or with fe or ze, the annexing to fuch Common Names the Plural s, gives the Name in the Plural the Appearance of ending with es; but in this Situation the three laft Letters are bound to make a diftinct Sound, and therefore the Plural of fuch Words have a Syllable more than the Singular; as more fully appears by the following Lift, or Table.

N. B. Put a before Confonants, put an before Vowels in the Singular; put the before any, whether the Word begin with a Vowel or Confonant, or be Singular or Plural. The Reason why I have borrowed, and inserted on the Left-hand Margin, fome of the fecond Sort of Particles against the Common Names, will be fully made appear further on.

TABLE