English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Part 7

The distinction between a common and a proper noun, is very obvious. For example: _boy_ is a common noun, because it is a name applied to _all_ boys; but _Charles_ is a proper noun, because it is the name of an _individual_ boy. Although many boys may have the same name, yet you know it is not a common noun, for the name Charles is _not_ given to all boys. _Mississippi_ is a proper noun, because it is the name of an individual river; but _river_ is a common noun, because it is the name of a _species_ of things, and the name _river_ is common to _all_ rivers.

Nouns which denote the genus, species, or variety of beings or things, are always common; as, _tree_, the genus; _oak, ash, chestnut, poplar_, different species; and red _oak_, white _oak_, black _oak_, varieties.

The word earth, when it signifies a kind or quant.i.ty of dirt, is a common noun; but when it denotes the planet we inhabit, it is a proper noun. The _words_ person, place, river, mountain, lake, &c. are _common nouns_, because they are the names of whole _species_, or cla.s.ses of things containing many sorts; but the _names_ of persons, places, rivers, mountains, lakes, &c. are _proper nouns_, because they denote _individuals_; as, Augustus, Baltimore, Alps, Huron.

_Physician, lawyer, merchant_, and _shoemaker_, are common nouns, because these names are common to cla.s.ses of men. _G.o.d_ and _Lord_, when applied to Jehovah or Jesus Christ, are proper; but when employed to denote heathen or false _G.o.ds_, or temporal _lords_, they are common.

The Notes and remarks throughout the work, though of minor importance, demand your attentive and careful perusal.

NOTES.

1. When _proper_ nouns have an article annexed to them, they are used after the manner of _common_ nouns; as, "Bolivar is styled _the_ Was.h.i.+ngton of South America."

2. _Common_ nouns are sometimes used to signify _individuals_, when articles or p.r.o.nouns are prefixed to them; as, "_The_ boy is studious; _That_ girl is discreet." In such instances, they are nearly equivalent to proper nouns.

3. _Common_ nouns are sometimes subdivided into the following cla.s.ses: _Nouns of Mult.i.tude_; as, The people, the parliament: _Verbal or participial nouns_; as, The beginning, reading, writing; and _Abstract nouns_, or the names of qualities abstracted from their substances; as, knowledge, virtue, goodness. Lest the student be led to blend the idea of abstract nouns with that of adjectives, both of which denote qualities, a farther ill.u.s.tration appears to be necessary, in order to mark the distinction between these two parts of speech. An abstract noun denotes a quality considered _apart_ (that is, abstracted) _from_ the substance or being to which it belongs; but an adjective denotes a quality _joined_ (adjected) _to_ the substance or being to which it belongs. Thus, _whiteness_ and _white_ both denote the same quality; but we speak of whiteness as a distinct object of thought, while we use the word _white_ always in reference to the noun to which it belongs; as, _white_ paper, _white_ mouse.

4. Some authors have proceeded to still more minute divisions and sub-divisions of nouns; such, for example, as the following, which appear to be more complex than useful: _Natural nouns_, or names of things formed by nature; as, man, beast, water, air: 2. _Artificial nouns_, or names of things formed by art; as, book, vessel, house: 3. _Personal nouns_, or those which stand for human beings; as, man, woman, Edwin: 4. _Neuter nouns_, or those which denote things inanimate; as, book, field, mountain, Cincinnati. The following, however, is quite a rational division: _Material nouns_ are the names of things formed of matter; as, stone, book: _Immaterial nouns_ are the names of things having no substance; as, hope, immortality.

To nouns belong gender, person, number, and case.

GENDER.

GENDER is the distinction of s.e.x. Nouns have three genders, the masculine, the feminine, and the neuter.

The _masculine gender_ denotes males; as, a _man_, a _boy_.

The _feminine gender_ denotes females; as, a _woman_, a _girl_.

The _neuter gender_ denotes things without s.e.x; as, a _hat_, a _stick_.

_Neuter_ means _neither:_ therefore neuter gender signifies neither gender; that is, neither masculine nor feminine. Hence, neuter gender means _no gender_. Strictly speaking, then, as there are but two s.e.xes, nouns have but _two_ genders; but for the sake of practical convenience, we apply to them three genders, by calling that a gender which is _no_ gender. The English and the pure Persian, appear to be the only languages which observe, in the distinction of s.e.x, the natural division of nouns.--The genders of nouns are so easily known, that a farther explanation of them is unnecessary, except what is given in the following

NOTES.

1. The same noun is sometimes masculine _and_ feminine, and sometimes masculine _or_ feminine. The noun _parents_ is of the masculine _and_ feminine gender. The nouns _parent, a.s.sociate, neighbor, servant, friend, child, bird, fish, &c._ if doubtful, are of the masculine _or_ feminine gender.

2. Some nouns naturally neuter, are, when used figuratively, or _personified_, converted into the masculine or feminine gender.

Those nouns are generally rendered masculine, which are conspicuous for the attributes of imparting or communicating, and which are by nature strong and efficacious; as, the _sun, time, death, sleep, winter, &c._ Those, again, are generally feminine, which are conspicuous for the attributes of containing or bringing forth, or which are very beautiful, mild, or amiable; as, the _earth, moon, church, boat, vessel, city, country, nature, s.h.i.+p, soul, fortune, virtue, hope, spring, peace, &c._ This principle for designating the s.e.x of a personified object, which is quite rational, is generally adhered to in the English language; but, in some instances, the poet applies the s.e.x according to his fancy.

The masculine and feminine genders are distinguished in three ways:

1. _By different words_; as,

_Masculine_. _Feminine_.

Bachelor maid Boar sow Boy girl Brother sister Buck doe Bull cow c.o.c.k hen Dog b.i.t.c.h Drake duck Earl countess Father mother Friar nun Gander goose Hart roe Horse mare Husband wife King queen Lad la.s.s Lord lady Man woman Master mistress Milter sp.a.w.ner Nephew niece Ram ewe Singer songstress or singer Sloven s.l.u.t Son daughter Stag hind Uncle aunt Wizard witch Sir madam

2. _By a difference in termination_; as, Abbot abbess Actor actress Administrator administratrix Adulterer adulteress Amba.s.sador amba.s.sadress Arbiter arbitress Auditor auditress Author auth.o.r.ess Baron baroness Benefactor benefactress Bridegroom bride Canon canoness Caterer cateress Chanter chantress Conductor conductress Count countess Czar czarina Deacon deaconess Detracter detractress Director directress Duke dutchess Elector electress Emba.s.sador emba.s.sadress Emperor emperess Enchanter enchantress Executor executrix Fornicator fornicatress G.o.d G.o.ddess Governor governess Heir heiress Hero heroine Host hostess Hunter huntress Inheritor inheritress or inheritrix Instructor instructress Jew Jewess Lion lioness Marquis marchioness Mayor mayoress Patron patroness Peer peeress Poet poetess Priest priestess Prince princess Prior prioress Prophet prophetess Proprietor proprietress Protector protectress Shepherd shepherdess Songster songstress Sorcerer sorceress Suiter suitress Sultan sultaness or sultana Tiger tigress Testator testatrix Traitor traitress Tutor tutoress Tyrant tyranness Victor victress Viscount viscountess Votary votaress Widower widow

3. _By prefixing another word_; as,

A c.o.c.k-sparrow A hen-sparrow A man-servant A maid-servant A he-goat A she-goat A he-bear A she-bear A male-child A female-child Male-descendants Female-descendants

PERSON.

PERSON is a property of the noun and p.r.o.noun which varies the verb.

The _first person_ denotes the speaker.

The _second person_ denotes the person or thing spoken to; as, "Listen, _earth!"_

The _third person_ denotes the person or thing spoken of; as, "The _earth_ thirsts."

Nouns have but _two_ persons, the second and third. When a man speaks, the _p.r.o.noun I_ or _we_ is always used; therefore nouns can never be in the _first_ person. In examples like the following, some philologists suppose the noun to be in the _first_ person:--"This may certify, that I, _Jonas Taylor_, do hereby give and grant," &c. But it is evident, that the speaker or writer, in introducing his own name, speaks _of_ himself; consequently the noun is of the _third person_.

If you wish to understand the persons of nouns, a little sober thought is requisite; and, by exercising it, all difficulties will be removed.

If I say, my _son_, have you seen the young man? you perceive that the noun _son_ is of the _second_ person, because I address myself _to_ him; that is, he is spoken _to;_ but the noun _man_ is of the _third_ person, because he is spoken _of_. Again, if I say, young _man_, have you seen my son? _man_ is of the _second_ person, and _son_ is of the _third_.

"Hast thou left thy blue course in the heavens, golden-haired _sun_ of the sky?"

"_Father_, may the Great Spirit so brighten the chain of friends.h.i.+p between us, that a child may find it, when the sun is asleep in his wig-wam behind the western waters."

"Lo, earth receives him from the bending skies!

Sink down, ye _mountains_, and, ye _valleys_, rise!"

"Eternal _Hope_, thy glittering wings explore Earth's loneliest bounds, and ocean's wildest sh.o.r.e."

In these examples, the nouns, sun, father, mountains, valleys, and hope, are of the _second_ person, and, as you will hereafter learn, in the nominative case independent. Course, heavens, sky, Spirit, chain, friends.h.i.+p, child, sun, wig-wam, waters, earth, skies, wings, earth, bounds, ocean, and sh.o.r.e, are all of the _third_ person.

NUMBER.

Number is the distinction of objects, as one or more. Nouns are of two numbers, the singular and the plural.

The _singular_ number implies but one; as, a _book_.

The _plural_ number implies more than one; as, _books_.

NOTES.

1. Some nouns are used only in the singular form; as, hemp, flax, barley, wheat, pitch, gold, sloth, pride, honesty, meekness, compa.s.sion, &c.; others only in the plural form; as, bellows, scissors, ashes, riches, snuffers, tongs, thanks, wages, embers, ides, pains, vespers, &c.

2. Some words are the same in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, swine; and, also, hiatus, apparatus, series, species.

3. The plural number of nouns is generally formed by adding _s_ to the singular; as, dove, doves; face, faces; but sometimes we add _es_ in the plural; as, box, boxes; church, churches; lash, lashes; cargo, cargoes.

4. Nouns ending in _f_ or _fe_, are rendered plural by a change of that termination into _ves_; as, half, halves; wife, wives: except grief, relief, reproof, and several others, which form their plurals by the addition of _s_. Those ending in _ff_, have the regular plural; as, ruff, ruffs; except staff, staves.

5. Nouns ending in _y_ in the singular, with no other vowel in the same syllable, change it into _ies_ in the plural; as, beauty, beauties; fly, flies. But the _y_ is not changed, where there is another vowel in the syllable; as, key, keys; delay, delays; attorney, attorneys; valley, valleys; chimney, chimneys.

6. _Mathematics, metaphysics, politics, optics, ethics, pneumatics, hydraulics_, &c. are construed either as singular or plural nouns.