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Show Muc E - lefs ought our written language to comply with the corruptions of oral utterance, or copy tha which every variation of time or plac makes different fro itfelf again be changed, while imitation is employed in obferving them an imitat thof changes, which wil This recommendation of fteadinefs and uniformity does not proceed from an opinion, that particula combinations of letters have much influence on human happinefs; or that truth may not be fuccefsfull taught by mades of {pelling fanciful and erroneous: I am not yet {o loft in lexicography, as to forget tha ‘words are the daughters of eavth, and that things are the fons of heaven I.anguage is only the inftrumen of {cience, and words are but the figns of ideas : I wifh, however, that the inftrument might be lefs apt t decay, and that figns might be permanent, like the things which they denote In fettling the orthography, I have not wholly negleted the pronunciation, which I have direfted by printing an accent upon the acute or elevated fyllable It will fometimes be found, that the accen is placed by the author quoted, on a different fyllable from that marked in the alphabetical feries; it i then to be underftood, that cuftom has varied, or that the author has, in my opinion, pronounced wrong Short directions are fometimes given where the found of letters is irregular; and if they are {ometime omitted, defect in fuch minute obfervations will be more eafily excufed, than fuperfluity In the inveftigation both of the orthography and fignification of words, their ETvMorocy was neceffarily to be confidered, and they were therefore to be divided into primitives and derivatives. A pri mitive word, is that which can be traced no further to any Engli/b root ;" thus circumfpef?, circumvent, circumfiance, delude, concave, and complicate, though compounds in the Latin, are to us primitives Deri vatives, are all thofe that can be referred to any-word in Englifhr of greater fimplicity The derivatives I have referred to their primitives, with an accuracy fometime needlefs ; for who doe not fee that remotenefs comes from remote, lovely from love, concavity from concave, and demonftrative fro demonfirate 2 but this grammatical exuberance the {cheme of my work did not allow me to reprefs. It i of great importance, in examining the general fabrick of a language, to trace one word from another, b noting the ufual modes of derivation and infleftion ; and uniformity muft be preferved in fyftematica works, though fometimes at the expence of particular propriety Among other derivatives I have been careful to infert and elucidate the anomalous plurals of nouns an preterites of verbs, which in the Teutonick diale&s are very frequent, and, though familiar to thofe wh have always ufed them interrupt and embarrafs the learners of our language The two languages from which our primitives have been derived are the Roman and Teutonick : unde the Roman 1 comprehend the French and provincial tongues; and under the Teutonick range the Saxox ‘German, and all their kindred dialeéts. Moft of our polyfyllables are Roman, and our words of one fyllable are very often Teutonick. oIn affigning the Roman original, it has perhaps fometimes happened that I have mentioned only th Latin, whe the word was borrowe from the French and confidering myfelf as employe only in th dlluftration of my own language, I have not been very careful to obferve whether the Latin word be pur .or barbarous, or the French elegant or obfolete For the Teutonick etymologies I am commonly indebted to Funius and Skinner, the only names which Jhave forborn to quote when I copied their books; not thatI might appropriate their labours or ufurp thei honours, but that I might fpare a general repetition by one general acknowledgment Of thefe, whom ought not to mention but with the reverence due to inftructors and benefattors, Fumius appears to hav excelled in extent of learning, and Skinner in reftitude of underftanding Funius was accurately fkilled i all the northern languages, Skinner probably examined the ancient and remoter dialects only by occafiona ‘infpection int which he ma Skinner is ofte his judgment diftionaries ; but the learning of Funius is often of no other ufe than to thow him a track b deviate from his purpofe, to which Skinner always prefles forward by the thorteft way ignorant, but never ridiculous: Funins is always full of knowledge; but his variety diftraét and his learning is very frequently difgraced by his abfurdities The votaries of the northern mufes will not perhaps eafily reftrain their indignation, when they find th name of Funius thus degraded by a difadvantageous comparifon ; but whatever reverence is due to his di ligence, or his attainments, it can be no criminal degree of cenforioufnefs to charge that etymologift wit want of judgment, who can ferioufly derive dream from drama, becaule life is a drama, and @ drama is e d |