, Freya and those others, pertain to a long
mythology, but to one existing at that very
it in its strength. And how was it, we may
at Paul did not protest against a Christian
retaining the name of Phebe, (Rom. xvi. 1,)
ess of the same mythology?

ill conclude this lecture by a comparison,
e which I trust what has been said will
intly justify. Suppose the pieces of money,
in the ordinary intercourse of life are passing
h our hands, had each one something of its
hich made it more or less worthy of note;
one was stamped some striking maxim, on
r some important fact, on a third a memo-
late; if others were works of finest art, graven
are and beautiful devices, or bearing the
f some ancient sage, or heroic king; if others
vere the sole surviving monuments of mighty
s that once filled the world with their fame;
careless indifference to our own improve-
would it argue in us, if we were content that
should come and go, without our vouchsafing
so much as one serious regard.
cy there is, a currency intellectual and
al of no meaner worth, and one with which we
o transact so much of the higher business of
es. Let us see that we come not here under
ndemnation of any such incurious dulness
which I have imagined.

Such a

ON

N the fi

IN

my inte
course, the
from the st
is to this,
distinction,
What, it m
paring cert
of them t
that they
essential r

same time
-these dif
and on the
them; or

the eyes
latent nov

hands of 1
Synonyms
main, but
So soon
once perce
tion, that
is given

f my lectures here, I expressed n of considering, during their vantages which might be derived of the distinction of words. It he subject of synonyms and their I propose to devote the present. e asked, do we mean, when, comwords with one another, we affirm they are synonyms? We mean words which, with great and blances of meaning, have at the subordinate, and partial differences ces being such as either originally, und of their etymology, inhered in ences which they have acquired in by use; or which, though nearly y are capable of receiving at the nd discreet masters of the tongue. words of like significance in the a certain unlikeness as well.

e term is defined thus, it will be at by any acquainted with the derivay speaking, it is a misnomer, and se words with a certain inaccuracy

7. since according to strict etymo

T

he terms synonyms," or synonymous,"
1 to words, would affirm of them that they
not merely almost the same extent of
ng, but altogether and exactly the same,
ey were in their signification perfectly iden-
nd coincident. The terms, however, are not
rily so used, and plainly are not so, when it
ertaken to trace out the distinction between
ms; for, without denying that there are such
cely coincident words, such perfect synonyms,
ese could not be the object of any such dis-
ation;
since where there was no real dis-
n, it would be lost labour and the exercise of
verse ingenuity to attempt to draw one.
yms then, as the word is generally under-
and as I shall use it here, are words with
r differences already existing between them,
the capabilities of such :-neither on the
le absolutely identical; but neither, we may
n the other only very remotely related to one
r; for the differences between these last
e self-evident, will so lie on the surface and
m themselves to all, that it would be im-
e to make them clearer than they already
d it would be like holding a candle to the
attempt it. They must be words which are
or less liable to confusion, but which yet
not to be confounded; words, as one has
quæ conjungi non confundi debent; words
ch there originally inhered a difference, or
n which, though once absolutely identical,
as gradually grown up and so established

itself in the
instinct of th
claims to b

by all.
But here
to us; this
possess syno
differenced n
and necessa

languages ha
no such word
been found
of a feeling
been sought.
different and

than this.
dialect, kin
distinct, coa
contribution
Sometimes t
sufficiently
different wo

are merely
the same C
in like ma
have fixed
they impos
imposing th
they find t
the langua
that which

nteresting question presents itself ely, how do languages come to s of this latter class, which are by etymology or other deep-lying stinction, but only by usage? If een made by agreement, of course uld exist; for when one word had was the adequate representative object, no further one would have t languages are the result of very less formal and regular processes ious tribes, each with its own indeed but in many respects into one people, and cast their Language into a common stock ave the same word, but in forms nt to cause that both remain as nus in Latin, "serpo" and "repo" ightly different appropriations of word, and "puteo" and "foeteo" Or again, a conquering people Ives in the midst of a conquered; dominion, but do not succeed in guage; nay, being few in number, ves at last compelled to adopt the conquered; or after a while be called a transaction, a comthe two languages finds place.

;

was it in England; our modern English being emain such a compromise between the Anglon and the Norman-French.

ese are causes of the existence of synonyms reach back to an early period in the history nation and a language; but other causes at a period are also at work. When a written ture springs up, authors familiar with various n tongues, import from one and another words are not absolutely required, which are oftenrather luxuries than necessities. Of these 1 are thus proposed as candidates for admission fail to receive the rights of citizenship, and longer or shorter probation are rejected; it be, never get beyond their first proposer. But gh receive the stamp of popular allowance to e embarrassment for a while, and until their on with the already existing words is adjusted. single illustration of the various quarters from the English has thus been augmented, and e end enriched, I would instance the words x," "device," "finesse," "artifice," and "strata'and enumerate the various sources from which ave gotten these words. Here "trick" is , "devisa" is Italian," "finesse" is French, ficium" is Latin, and "stratagema" Greek.

and bye however, as a language becomes itnore an object of attention, at the same time society, advancing from a simpler to a more rated state, has more things and thoughts to ss, it is felt to be a waste of resources to have

same object.
boundless wo

to be named.
in the measu

shades and v

sisting in the
utterance in
vagance to en
could adequa
gance in one
be almost sur
too great scar
thought or f
adequate sign
that which
"desynonym
coming to dis

have hitherto
and, as such,
tive enrichin
felt to be ac
which were

have each it
which it sha
others shall 1
It is not t
process is eff
plan. The
plishes its c
words insen