28. When a proposition is not true in every case, what should be stated along with it?

29. What is the difference between a proposition and a rule? Are all rules universal?

30. What is a Sentence ?

31. What is the fewest number of words in a Sentence ?

32. When a Sentence has but two words, what are these words?

33. Which word includes, in its meaning, the time of an action?

34. What is the word that is usually joined to the Subject?

35. How may the Predicate be enlarged ?

36. What Part of Speech arises from the enlargement of the Predicate?

37. What is the Adverbial Phrase? What new Part of Speech appears in it ?

38. What is the Part of Speech used to connect Sentences ?

39. What Part of Speech names Subjects and Objects of Sentences, by means of a reference?

40. What Parts of Speech have a full meaning in themselves?

41. What Parts have no meaning in themselves?

42. What kind of meaning has the Adjective or the Adverb standing alone?

PARTS OF SPEECH.

THE NOUN.

DEFINITION.

1. THE Noun is the Subject or the Object of a Sentence:-as 'Cæsar conquered Gaul;' famine raises prices.'

Cæsar and Gaul are nouns ; Cæsar is the subject and Gaul the object.

The Noun is not the only word that may be the subject or the object of a sentence; the same purpose may be served by a Pronoun, and by a particular part of the Verb called the Infinitive. In-'I choose to remain,' and 'I prefer remaining,' the subject 'I' is a pronoun, the objects 'to remain' and 'remaining' are Infinitives. Hence, in defining the noun, we must assign some other marks to distinguish it from these other words.

The Noun is distinguished from the Pronoun by the following mark:

2. The Noun is the name of an actual thing, while the Pronoun names by means of a reference. 'Cæsar usurped the government of Rome; but he was speedily slain.' 'Cæsar' and 'he' are subjects; 'Cæsar' is

a noun, and is the name of the actual person; 'he' is a word that names by referring to the former sentence, where

The Noun is distinguished from all parts of the Verb, as follows:

3. The Noun is changed, or inflected, for number, case, and gender. The Infinitives of the Verb are not inflected at all.

When the meaning allows of it, a noun has singular and plural forms-'city,' 'cities;' case forms-'Cæsar,' 'Cæsar's; gender forms-'baron,' 'baroness.' The infinitive of the verb is unchangeable. The verb has many changes; the chief is to give difference of time.

The full Definition of the Noun, according to the rules of defining (p. 15), is this:-The Noun is a Part of Speech (Higher Class); it may be the subject or the object of a sentence (1), it names an actual thing (2), it may be changed or inflected for number, case, and gender (3) (Differences).

CLASSES OF NOUNS.

4. 1. Proper, Singular, Meaningless Nouns : -Snowdon, Greece, Jupiter, William Tell.

These are called proper, because they are the property of some individual person or thing. They are called singular for the same reason. 'Snowdon' is the peculiar and exclusive

They are called meaningless, in opposition to the next class, because they are mere marks to designate a person or thing, and do not convey any information about the person or thing.

Examples of Proper Names.

Persons-Solomon, Homer, Cato, Constantine, Joan of Arc, Oliver Cromwell.

Places-Asia, Tartary, Pekin, Sahara, Constantinople, Jordan, Horeb.

Branches of Knowledge-Geometry, Chemistry, Surgery, Agriculture, Navigation.

Days, Months, Festivals-Saturday, March, Christmas.

Diseases-Fever, Palsy, Gout, Plague, Hooping-cough, Consumption. There are more than one thousand diseases.

Some meaningless nouns may never have been used but for one object; as 'Rome,' for the city of that name; 'Jehovah,' for the Deity. These are Proper and Singular names in the strictest sense: they are exclusively possessed by an individual.

But, as we have many objects to name, we often use the same name for a variety of objects, without any resemblance to one another. Thus, 'Jupiter,' the name of a god, is used to name one of the planets.

'Wellington' and 'Victoria' are applied to persons, to animals, to towns, to streets, to forts, to harbours, to machines, &c.

Persons were at first named by a single word, as Abraham, Samuel, Socrates. To avoid confusion from the same name being applied to many persons, the Romans employed double and even triple names-Titus Livius, Marcus Tullius Cicero. We do likewise: John Hampden, Charles James Fox, signify each one person.

Family surnames are used in the plural, as designating a plurality of persons:-the Gracchi, the Howards, the Macleods. So, speaking of any one, we may say-a Howard, a Macleod, a Brown. Such names are so far class names; the point of resemblance of the subjects being common descent, or family relationship, real or supposed.

When the same name is given to several places, rivers, or buildings, &c., a second designation is used: Newcastle-uponTyne, Newcastle-under-Lyne; North Esk, South Esk; St. Paul's in London.

5. II. Common, General, Significant Nouns: -mountain, kingdom, man.

These nouns are called common and general because they are common to a great many things, by reason of the agreement of those things.

Snowdon, Skiddaw, St. Bernard, Lebanon—are in some respects different from each other, yet they all agree in a very important point. They are masses of high ground. On account of their likeness, they receive the name 'mountain.' This name is significant; it signifies the fact common to all mountains. The name 'Snowdon' is not significant-it is meaningless; it might have been given to a river, or a country, or a horse.

All names of Classes, being also general, are significant: the classes-mineral, plant, animal, bird, man-are each made up of individuals resembling one another.

There may be higher and lower classes; as the class Animal, which contains the classes—men, quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes. Every such class name is a significant

name.

6. Some Singular objects have names that are Significant :-as Providence, Omnipotence, for the Deity.

These are rare and peculiar. Fate, Nature, Destiny, are of the same kind.

Usually when a Singular person or thing has a significant designation, it is by uniting several significant names, which separately may apply to many individuals, but collectively apply to only one. The present Pope' is an individual, expressed by three significant words; but when these are