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Show 102 Additional Notes. . also suggest only the noun, or name of the thing spoken of, and an idea of its rno(le of existence, excluding the idea of time; which is expressed uy all the other moods and tenses; whence it appears, that the infinitive mood, as well as the participle, is not truly a part of the verb; but as the participle resembles the adjective in its construction; so the infinitive mood may be said to resemble the substantive, and it is often used as a nominative case to another verb. Thus in the words "a charming lady with a smiling countenance," the participle acts as an adjective; and in the words " to talk well commands attention, •: the infinitive mood acts as the nominative case of a noun substantive; and their respective significations are also very similar, as whipping, or to whip, mean the existence of a ·person acting with a whip. In the Latin language the verb in its simplest form, except the infinitive mood, and the participle, both which we mean to exclude from complete verbs, suggests four primary ideas, as amo, suggests the pr0noun I, the noun love, its existence in its active state, and the present time; which verbs in the Greek and Latin undergo an uncounted variation of termination, suggesting so many difFerent ideas in addition to the four primary ones. We do not mean to assert, that all verbs are literally derived from nouns in any language; because all languag·es have in process of time undergone such great variation; many nouns having become obsolete or have perished, and new verbs have been imported from foreign languages, or transplanted from ancient ones; but that this has originally been the construction of all verbs, as well as Hwse to whip and to love above mentioned, and innumerable others. Thus there may appear some difficulty in analyzing from what noun substantive were formed the ve.rbs to stand or to lie; because we have not properly the name of the abstract ideas from which these verbs arose, except we use the same word for the participle and the noun substantive, as standing, lying. But the verbs to sit, and to walk, are less difficult to trace to their origin;_ as we have names for the nouns substanti v.e, a seat, and a walk. But there is another verb of great consequence in all languages, which would appear in its simplest form in our language to sug- The Tlzeory and Structure rif Language. 103 gest but two primary ideas, as the verb to be, but that it suggests three prituary ideas like other verbs may be understood, if we use the synonimous term to exist instead of to be. Thus "I exist" suggests first the abstract idea of existence, not including the mode of existence, whether at rest, or in action, or in suffering; secondly it adds to that abstracted idea of existence its real state or actual restino· ' O' acting, or suffering, existence; and thirdly the idea of the present time: thus the infinitive mood to be, and the participle, being, suggest both the abstract idea of existence, and the actual state of it, but not the time. The verb to be is also used irregularly to designate the parts of time and actual existence; and is then applied to eitheT the active or passive participles of other verbs; and called an auxiliary verb; while the mode of existence, wh~ther at rest, or in action, or being acted upon, is expressed by the participle, as ''I am loving" is nearly the same as " I love," amo; and" I am loved," amatus sum, is nearly the same as amor. This mode of application of the verb to be is used in French as well as in English, and in the pas&ive voice of the Latin, and perhaps in many other languages; and is· by its perpetual use in conversation rendered irregular in them all, as I am, thou art, he is, would not seem to belong to the infinitive mood to be, any more than sum, fui, sunt, fuerunt, appear to belong to esse. The verb to have affords another instance of' irregular application; the word means in its regular sense to possess, and then suggests three ideas like the above verb of existence: first the abstracted idea of the thing spoken of, or possessio-n; secondly, the actual existence of possession, and lastly the time, as I have or possess. This verb to liave like the verb to be is also used irregularly to denote parts of past time, and is then jomed to the passive participles alone, as I have e3ten; or it is accompanied with the passive participle of the verb to be, and then with the active participle of another verb; as I have been eating. There is another word 'Will used· in the same irregular manner to denote the parts of future time, which is derived from the verb to u•ill; which in its regular use signifies to exert our volition. There are other words used fo express other circumstances attending upon verbs,. |