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Show 104 .Additional Notes. as may, can, shall, all which are probably the remains of verbs otherwise obsol ete. Lastly, when we recollect, that in the moods and tenses of verbs one word expresses never less than three ideas in our lanrruao·e and many more in the Greek and Latin; as besides those 0 0 ' three primary ideas the idea of person, and of number, are always expressed in the indicative mood, and other id eas suggested in tlte other moods, we cannot but admire what excellent abb rev iations of language are thus achieved; and when we observe the wonderful iil tricacy and multiplicity of sounds in those languages, especially in the Greek verbs, which change both the beginnin g and ending of the original word through three voi ces, and three numbers, with un counted vari ations of dialect; we cannot but admire the simpli city of modern languages compared to these ancient ones; and must finally perceive, that all language consists simply of nouns, or names of ideas, disposed in succession or in combination, all of which are expressed by separate words, or by various terminations of the same word. Conclusion. The theory of the progressive production of language in the ear ly times of society, and its gradual improvements in the more civilized ones, may be readily induced from the preceding pages. In the commencement of Society the names of the ideas of entire things, which it was necessary most frequent1y to communicate, would first be invented, as the names of individual persons, or places, fire, water, this berry, that root; as it was necessary perpetually to announce, whether one or many of such external things existed, it was soon found more convenient to add this idea of number by a change of termination of the word, than by the addition of another word. As many of these nouns soon became general terms, as bird, beast, fish, animal; it was next convenient to distinguish them when used for an individual, from the same word used as a general term; whence the two articles a and the, in our language, derive their origin. Next to these names of the ideas of entire thmgs, the words most perpetually wanted in conversation would probably consist of the The Theory and St·ructure qf Language. 105 names of the ideas of the parts or properties of things; which might be derived from the names of some things, and applied to others, which in these respects resembled them; these are termed adjectives, as rosy cl•eek, manly voice, beastly action; and seem at first to have been formed simply by a change of termination of their correspondent substantives. The comparative degrees of greater and less were found so frequently necessary to be suggested, that a change of termination even in our language f?r this purpose was prod ucecl; and is as frequently used as an additional word, as wiser or more wise. The expression of general similitude, as well as partial similitude, becomes so frequently used in conversation, that another kind of adjective, called an ad verb, was expressed by a change of termination, or addition of the sy liable ly or like; and as adjectives of the former kind are applied to substantives, and express a partial similitude, these are applied to verbs and express a general similitude, as to act heroically, to speak boldly, to think freely. The perpetual chain of causes and effects, which constitute the motions, or changing configurations, of the universe, are so conveniently divided into active and passive, for expre~sing the exert~ons <>r purposes of common life, that it became particularly convemet:t in all languages to substitute changes of termination, instea~ of addit ional nouns, to express, whether the thing spoken of was 111 .a st~te of acting or of being ac~ed upon: This chang~ . of termma~10n betokenino- action or suffermg constitutes the participle, as lovmg, loved; whlch, as it ex presses a property of bodies, is classed amongst adjectives in the preceding pages. . . . Besides the perpetual all usions to the active or passive state of things, the compa.rati ve times of these ~1otions, or changes, were also perpetually required to be expressed; 1t was therefore fou~ d ~onv~nient in all languages to suggest them by changes of termm~tw ns m preference to doing it by addition~l nouns. At the same t ime t~e actual or real existence of the thmg spoken of was perp~tually Iequired, as well as the times of their existence, m~d the active or ~.assive state of that existence: And as no conversatiOn could be carued on without unceasingly alluding to these circumsta.nce~, they ?ecame .in all languages suggested by changes of termmatwn; wluch are p |