English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Part 31

PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES.

The changes in the termination of words, in all languages, have been formed by the _coalescence_ of words of appropriate meaning. This subject was approached on page 49. It is again taken up for the purpose of showing, that the moods and tenses, as well as the number and person, of English verbs, do not solely depend on inflection.

The coalescing syllables which form the number and person of the Hebrew verb, are still considered p.r.o.nouns; and, by those who have investigated the subject, it is conceded, that the same plan has been adopted in the formation of the Latin and Greek verbs, as in the Hebrew. Some languages have carried this process to a very great extent. Ours is remarkable for the small number of its inflections.

But they who reject the pa.s.sive verb, and those moods and tenses which are formed by employing what are called "auxiliary verbs,"

_because they are formed of two or more verbs_, do not appear to reason soundly. It is inconsistent to admit, that walk-_eth_, and walk-_ed_, are tenses, because each is but one word, and to reject _have_ walked, and _will_ walk, as tenses, because each is composed of two words. _Eth_, as previously shown, is a contraction of _doeth_, or _haveth_, and _ed_, of _dede, dodo, doed_, or _did_; and, therefore, walk-_eth_; i.e. walk-_doeth_, or _doeth_-walk, and walk-_ed_; i.e. walk-_did_, or _doed_ or _did_-walk, are, when a.n.a.lyzed, as strictly compound, as _will_ walk, _shall_ walk, and _have_ walked. The only difference in the formation of these tenses, is, that in the two former, the a.s.sociated verbs have been contracted and made to coalesce with the main verb, but in the two latter, they still maintain their ground as separate words.

If it be said that _will walk_ is composed of two words, each of which conveys a distinct idea, and, therefore, should be a.n.a.lyzed by itself, the same argument with all its force, may be applied to walk-_eth_, walk-_ed_, walk-_did_, or _did_ walk. The result of all the investigations of this subject, appears to settle down into the hackneyed truism, that the pa.s.sive verbs, and the moods and tenses, of some languages, are formed by inflections, or terminations either prefixed or postfixed, and of other languages, by the a.s.sociation of auxiliary verbs, which have not yet been contracted and made to coalesce as _terminations_. The auxiliary, when contracted into a _terminating syllable,_ retains its distinct and intrinsic meaning, as much as when a.s.sociated with a verb by juxtaposition: consequently, an "auxiliary verb" may form a part of a mood or tense, or pa.s.sive verb, with as much propriety as a _terminating syllable_. They who contend for the ancient custom of keeping the auxiliaries distinct, and parsing them as primary verbs, are, by the same principle, bound to extend their dissecting-knife _to every compound word in the language_.

Having thus attempted briefly to prove the philosophical accuracy of the theory which recognises the tenses, moods, and pa.s.sive verbs, formed by the aid of auxiliaries, I shall now offer one argument to show that this theory, and this _only_, will subserve the purposes of the practical grammarian.

As it is not so much the province of philology to instruct in the exact meaning of single and separate words, as it is to teach the student to combine and employ them properly in framing sentences, and as those _combinations_ which go by the name of compound tenses and pa.s.sive verbs, are necessary in writing and discourse, it follows, conclusively, that that theory which does not explain these verbs in their _combined_ state, cannot teach the student the correct use and application of the verbs of our language. By such an arrangement, he cannot learn when it is proper to use the phrases, _shall have walked, might have gone, have seen_, instead of, _shall walk, might go_, and _saw_; because this theory has nothing to do with the combining of verbs. If it be alleged, that the speaker or writer's own good sense must guide him in combining these verbs, and, therefore, that the directions of the grammarian are unnecessary, it must be recollected, that such an argument would bear, equally, against every principle of grammar whatever. In short, the theory of the compound tenses, and of the pa.s.sive verb, appears to be so firmly based in the genius of our language, and so practically important to the student, as to defy all the engines of the paralogistic speculator, and the philosophical quibbler, to batter it down.

But the most plausible objection to the old theory is, that it is enc.u.mbered with much useless technicality and tedious prolixity, which are avoided by the _simple_ process of exploding the pa.s.sive verb, and reducing the number of the moods to three, and of the tenses to two. It is certain, however, that if we reject the _names_ of the perfect, pluperfect, and future tenses, the _names_ of the potential and subjunctive moods, and of the pa.s.sive verb, in writing and discourse we must still employ those _verbal combinations_ which form them; and it is equally certain, that the proper mode of employing such combinations, is as easily taught or learned by the old theory, which _names_ them, as by the new, which gives them _no name_.

On philosophical principles, we might, perhaps, dispense with the _future_ tenses of the verb, by a.n.a.lyzing each word separately; but, as ill.u.s.trated on page 79, the combined words which form our perfect and pluperfect tenses have an _a.s.sociated_ meaning, which is destroyed by a.n.a.lyzing each word separately. That arrangement, therefore, which rejects these tenses, appears to be, not only _unphilosophical_, but inconsistent and inaccurate.

For the satisfaction of those teachers who prefer it, and for their adoption, too, a modernized _philosophical_ theory of the moods and tenses is here presented. If it is not quite so convenient and useful as the old one, they need not hesitate to adopt it. It has the advantage of being _new_; and, moreover, it sounds _large_, and will make the _commonalty stare_. Let it be distinctly understood, that you teach _"philosophical grammar, founded on reason and common sense_," and you will pa.s.s for a very learned man, and make all the good housewives wonder at the rapid march of intellect, and the vast improvements of the age.

MOOD.

Verbs have three moods, the indicative, (embracing what is commonly included under the _indicative_, the _subjunctive_, and the _potential_,) the imperative, and the infinitive.--For definitions, refer to the body of the work.

TENSE OR TIME.

Verbs have only two tenses, the present and the past. A verb expressing action commenced and not completed, is in the present tense; as, "Religion _soars_: it _has_ gained many victories: it _will_ [to] _carry_ its votaries to the blissful regions."

When a verb expresses finished action, it is in the past tense; as, "This page (the Bible) G.o.d _hung_ out of heaven, and _retired_."

A verb in the imperative and infinitive moods, is always in the _present_ tense, high authorities to the contrary notwithstanding.

The _command_ must _necessarily_ be given in time present, although its _fulfilment_ must be future. John, what are you doing? Learning my task. Why do you learn it? Because my preceptor _commanded_ me to do so. When _did_ he command you? _Yesterday_.--Not _now_, of course.

That it is inconsistent with the nature of things for a command to be given in _future_ time, and that the _fulfilment_ of the command, though future, has nothing to do with the tense or time of the command itself, are truths so plain as to put to the blush the gross absurdity of those who identify the time of the fulfilment with that of the command.

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

You _may read_ the book which I _have printed_. _May_, an irregular active verb, signifying "to have and to exercise might or strength,"

indic. mood, pres. tense, second pers. plur. agreeing with its nom.

_you. Read_, an irregular verb active, infinitive mood, pres. tense, with the sign _to_ understood, referring to _you_ as its agent.

_Have_, an active verb, signifying to _possess_, indic. present, and having for its object, book understood after "which." _Printed_, a perf. participle, referring to book understood.

Johnson, and Blair, and Lowth, _would have been laughed at, had_ they _essayed_ to _thrust_ any thing like our modernized philosophical grammar down the throats of their contemporaries.

_Would_, an active verb, signifying "to exercise volition," in the past tense of the indicative. _Have_, a verb, in the infinitive, _to_ understood. _Been_, a perfect part. of to _be_, referring to Johnson, Blair, and Lowth. _Laughed at_, perf. part, of to _laugh at_, referring to the same as _been. Had_, active verb, in the past tense of the indicative, agreeing with its nom. _they. Essayed_, perf. part, referring to they.

Call this "_philosophical_ parsing, on reasoning principles, according to the original laws of nature and of thought," and the _pill_ will be swallowed, by pedants and their dupes, with the greatest ease imaginable.

LECTURE XII.

OF IRREGULAR VERBS.

Irregular verbs are those that do not form their imperfect tense and perfect participle by the addition of _d_ or _ed_ to the present tense; as,

_Pres. Tense. Imperf. Tense. Perf. or Pa.s.s. Part._ I write I wrote written I begin I began begun I go I went gone

The following is a list of the _irregular_ verbs. Those marked with an R are sometimes conjugated _regularly_.

_Pres. Tense. Imperf. Tense. Perf. or Pa.s.s. Part._ Abide abode abode Am was been Arise arose arisen Awake awoke, R. awaked Bear, _to bring forth_ bare born Bear, _to carry_ bore borne Beat beat beaten, beat Begin began begun Bend bent bent Bereave bereft, R. bereft, R.

Beseech besought besought Bid bade, bid bidden, bid Bind bound bound Bite bit bitten, bit Bleed bled bled Blow blew blown Break broke broken Breed bred bred Bring brought brought Build built built Burst burst, R. burst, R.

Buy bought bought Cast cast cast Catch caught, R. caught, R.

Chide chid chidden, chid Choose chose chosen Cleave, _to adhere_ clave, R. cleaved Cleave, _to split_ cleft cleft, _or_ clove cloven Cling clung clung Clothe clothed clad, R.

Come came come Cost cost cost Crow crew, R. crowed Creep crept crept Cut cut cut Dare, _to venture_ durst dared Dare, _to challenge_ REGULAR Deal dealt, R. dealt, R.

Dig dug, R. dug, R.

Do did done Draw drew drawn Drive drove driven Drink drank drunk, drank[6]

Dwell dwelt, R. dwelt, R.

Eat eat, ate eaten Fall fell fallen Feed fed fed Feel felt felt Fight fought fought Find found found Flee fled fled Fling flung flung Fly flew flown Forget forgot forgotten Forsake forsook forsaken Freeze froze frozen Get got got[7]

Gild gilt, R. gilt, R.

Gird girt, R. girt, R.

Give gave given Go went gone Grave graved graven, R.

Grind ground ground Grow grew grown Have had had Hang hung, R. hung, R.

Hear heard heard Hew hewed hewn, R.

Hide hid hidden, hid Hit hit hit Hold held held Hurt hurt hurt Keep kept kept Knit knit, R. knit, R.

Know knew known Lade laded laden Lay laid laid Lead led led Leave left left Lend lent lent Let let let Lie, _to lie down_ lay lain Load loaded laden, R.

Lose lost lost Make made made Meet met met Mow mowed mown, R.

Pay paid paid Put put put Read read read Rend rent rent Rid rid rid Ride rode rode, ridden[8]

Ring rung, rang rung Rise rose risen Rive rived riven Run ran run Saw sawed sawn, R.

Say said said See saw seen Seek sought sought Sell sold sold Send sent sent Set set set Shake shook shaken Shape shaped shaped, shapen Shave shaved shaven, R.

Shear sheared shorn Shed shed shed s.h.i.+ne shone, R. shone, R.

Show showed shown Shoe shod shod Shoot shot shot Shrink shrunk shrunk Shred shred shred Shut shut shut Sing sung, sang[9] sung Sink sunk, sank[9] sunk Sit sat set Slay slew slain Sleep slept slept Slide slid slidden Sling slung slung Slink slunk slunk Slit slit, R. slit Smite smote smitten Sow sowed sown, R.

Speak spoke spoken Speed sped sped Spend spent spent Spill spilt, R. spilt, R.

Spin spun spun Spit spit, spat spit, spitten [10]

Split split split Spread spread spread Spring sprung, sprang sprung Stand stood stood Steal stole stolen Stick stuck stuck Sting stung stung Stink stunk stunk Stride strode, strid stridden Strike struck struck _or_ stricken String strung strung Strive strove striven Strow strowed strown, _or_ _or_ strowed _or_ strew strewed strewed Sweat swet, R. swet, R.

Swear swore sworn Swell swelled swollen, R.

Swim swum, swam swum Swing swung swung Take took taken Teach taught taught Tear tore torn Tell told told Think thought thought Thrive throve, R. thriven Throw threw thrown Thrust thrust thrust Tread trod trodden Wax waxed waxen, R.

Wear wore worn Weave wove woven Wet wet wet, R.

Weep wept wept Win won won Wind wound wound Work wrought, wrought, worked worked Wring wrung wrung Write wrote written

[6] The men were drunk; i.e. inebriated. The toasts were drank.

[7] Gotten is nearly obsolete. Its compound forgotten, is still in good use.