marians generally call this modification of nouns NUMBER, and say that nouns have two numbers, the singular and the plural.

As this manner of expression has been so long employed, we shall feel obliged (through a regard to convenience, and to avoid the appearance of making unnecessary innovations), to adopt it on some occasions, though it is liable to serious objection, because it implies that unity is a number, whereas number consists of the aggregation or suin of two or more units. The difficulties which have occurred to some of the grammarians, and the less scientific writers on arithmetic, in attempting to define number, and the glaring absurdities which have been sometimes produced as definitions, are all to be traced to the improper extension (an extension unwarranted by the common usage of language, and reprobated by philosophers as early as the times of Aristotle) of the word number, so as to embrace under it the conception of unity as well as of plurality. It is not to be expected that any serviceable definition can be given embracing in the same terms conceptions so diverse-so opposed as unity and plurality. In other words, while a unit is considered one of the numbers, there can be no rational or logical definition of number. We may, indeed, have such jargon as "number is the consideration of an object as one or more;” or, "number is that property of a noun, by which it expresses one, or more than one," &c. When number is considered as made up of the aggregation or sum of units, the proper definition obviously presents itself. But then to talk of the singular number is absurd-a contradiction of terms. This use of the term number by most grammarians, and by a host of writers on arithmetic, is also altogether inconsistent with the current usage of language in speaking of every thing except grammar and arithmetic. When we use the word number in common discourse we always intend to indicate a plurality, and to exclude unity (except in such colloquial expressions as "number one"). A number of men, a number of things, always implies plurality, and is equivalent to several men, several things.

When we have occasion hereafter to speak of the singular form of nouns, we shall call it simply the singular form, and not the singular number; but as there is no other name in our language to express that modification or accident of nouns which we are considering, we are obliged to employ the term number, or numbers of nouns, for this purpose, whilst we admit its want of strict appropriateness, except as applied exclusively to the plural form. At the same time, we shall endeavor to guard our readers and ourselves against any misconcep tion to which the use of this term might possibly lead.

§ 34. In coming to treat of the formation of the plural of nouns, a class of the contrivances of articulate language distinct from what we have yet had under consideration, and a class which will employ much of our attention in the remainder of this treatise, is presented to our notice. (1) Hitherto we have contemplated nouns and verbs as performing their respective functions in propositions without any species of modification, whether effected by a change of their form, or by the assistance of other words. (2) Very few of the purposes which language now serves can be accomplished without advancing a step beyond this. With unmodified nouns, and unmodified verbs, we could form but a very small number of propositions, and express a very limited portion of our thoughts. (3) The learner will, no doubt, have discovered this fact already in attempting to form rational propositions consisting of two words-a simple unmodified noun, and an unmodified verb. (4) For example, of the subject expressed by the noun man without any modification, we can by the use of bare verbs make only a very limited number of assertions consistent with truth, and deserving the attention of rational beings. Man lives, man thinks, man speaks, talks, sings, walks, runs, &c., &c. Such propositions, though all true, contain truths so well known by mankind generally, that we seldom find occasion to employ them in this naked form in conversation or in writing, and even when we do, in order to give our assertion more appearance of weight, we usually employ some more dignified mode of expression, as man is endowed with thought, with speech, &c.

(5) Even, if we are allowed to modify at pleasure the verbs we employ, we can make only a limited number of true and rational assertions about the subject expressed by the naked term MAN. (6) But, when we are allowed to modify this term by the assistance of additional words, and, at the same time, to modify the verb, we

34. (1) What is said of the manner in which we have been contemplating nouns and verbs hitherto? (2) Can the purposes of language be effected by unmodified nouns and verbs? (3) What will the learner have already discovered in regard to this matter? (4) Give example, and go through the illustration.

(5) When allowed to modify the verbs we employ, can we make a large number of assertions in regard to the subject expressed by the bare word man? (6) How is it, when we are allowed to modify the subject noun and the verb? (7) Illustrate by examples.

can readily increase our stock of propositions. (7) For example, we cannot say with truth, man is happy, for many men are far from being happy. We cannot say, man is esteemed, man is loved, man is admired, man is envied, &c., because these predicates do not apply to every man indiscriminately. But we can say without offending against truth or propriety, a virtuous man is happy, an upright man is esteemed, a good man is loved, a great man is admired, a rich man is envied, &c. (8) In these propositions, it will be observed, the assertions are not made of man generally-of man considered as possessing only the necessary and essential characteristics of the human familyof any, or every man; but of a man—some individual man possessing a superadded quality, which does not necessarily, or in reality, belong to all men. The real subject of the foregoing propositions is not the bare word man, but the modified or completed subjects, a virtuous man, a good man, &c. (9) The modifying words virtuous, good, &c., together with the little determinative. sign a, are added to the noun (which forms, as it were, the basis or nucleus of the subject), and these together constitute the complete subject.

(10) Various contrivances are employed to complete the subjects of propositions; that is, to express with its proper limitations, qualifications, &c., the exact subject of which we make an assertion. In like manner, there are also various contrivances for expressing the proper limitations, qualifications, &c., of the predicates of propositions.

(11) All these contrivances, for want of a better name, we may, for the present, call MODIFICATIONS of nouns and verbs. (12) They may be divided into two general classes: 1st, modifications effected on the form of the noun or verb; and 2d, modifications effected by the assistance of other words. (13) The first class we shall call simply modifications. When we come to treat of the latter class, we shall call them, after the French manner, COMPLEMENTS (that is,

(8) of what are the assertions in the examples made-of man expressive of the human race, or of what? (9) What constitutes the real subjects of these propositions? (10) What is said of the contrivances employed to complete propositions?

(11) What name may be given to these contrivances? (12) Describe the two general classes of these modifications. (13) How shall we designate the first, and how the second class?

completements) of the subject and predicate respectively, or some times modifications of the subject-noun and verb respectively.

REMARK.-(14) The young learner will please remember that the word complement means that which fills up, or completes, and that it is not to be confounded with the more common word compliment, which is wholly unlike it in meaning, though similar in sound.

§35. (1) Our attention for the present is to be exclusively directed to the first class of modifications-those which are indicated by some change effected on the form of the noun or verb; and first, to the change of the form of the noun employed as subjectnoun to express plurality. (2) It may here be remarked that these modifications of the forms of both nouns and verbs-especially of the verbs-are of two distinct kinds; first, those which consist of a change of what is called the root, or radical part of the word without any thing being added to the word; for example, man is changed into men to form the plural. Here the sound of the root is changed or modified, but nothing is added. The second kind of modification is effected by adding a sound to the root; as, for example, the plural of the word book is formed by adding the sound of s; singular book, plural books, the first used to express a single book, the latter a number of books.

(3) There are now only a few nouns in our language that form their plurals by a modification of the sound of the root, or by what we shall call for the sake of distinction a radical modification." *

*We have got no appropriate distinctive name in our language for these two kinds of modification. Indeed the fact, on which this distinction rests, has been noticed by few of our grammarians. They have rid themselves of all trouble with nouns and verbs which undergo the radical modification, by setting them asido as irregular. This is a very convenient way of disposing of these words, but it is neither fair, nor philosophical to treat in this manner what is apparently the most ancient species of modification in our own language, in its mother the Anglo-Saxon, and in all the sis

(14) What is the meaning of the word complement, and from what word must it be distinguished?

§ 85. (1) To which class of these modifications are we to attend first? (2) What subdivision may be made of this first general class of modifications? Describe each subordinate

class.

(3) What distinctive names may be given to these modifications?

We shall add a list of these after we have treated of the forma tion of the plural by the more usual process, namely, by an addition made to the root or radical form of the word. This for distinction's sake we may call the flexional modification.

(4) Before we proceed to treat farther of these modifications of the forms of words, and in particular of the formation of the plurals of nouns, it will be necessary to give some account of the elementary sounds which constitute words, and of the written signs employed to represent these words to the eye. (5) Without some knowledge of these matters the learner will not be prepared to follow us readily in treating of the variations of form which words undergo in order to accomplish the purposes of language. In fact, we find that without presupposing such knowledge on his part, we cannot treat these modifications in a clear or satisfactory manner. We cannot refer to the different classes of sounds and of letters, without first briefly considering these classes, and putting the pupil in possession of their names.

REMARK. It is usual to introduce something on the sounds of the language in the beginning of grammars. We think it better not to introduce this discussion till such time as it is needed, and must be applied in treating of the contrivances of speech. Though its introduction here must for a short time suspend our remarks on the modification of nouns, the course we pursue saves the pupil the trouble of learning, first a number of dry facts apparently unconnected with the subject of the construction of language, and being again compelled to learn them a second time, when they come to be of practical use.

REMARKS ON THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, AND ON THE SIGN USED TO REPRESENT THESE Sounds.

§ 36. (1) Words consist either of a single sound uttered by a

ter dialects. Our cousins, the Germans, who have gone far ahead of us in grammatical and philological research, have given these two species of modi fication distinctive names.

*In pursuing our inquiries on this subject, we must never lose sight

(4) To what subject is it necessary to call the attention of the learner before we treat farther of the modification of the forms of words? (5) State the reasons for introducing this subject, and suspending our remarks on the formation of the plural, &c.

$86. (1) How are words constituted?