FeW of the modern European lan guages vary the words themselves to ex press comparison. The French, e. g. ex press by plus and le plus, what we express by more and most; or (what is obviously equivalent, though custom limits their use to particular cases) by the termina tions er and est. What is the meaning of these terminations ? is a natural the answer is not so easy. It appears, however, very probable; that er is nothing more or less than the word which we still use in the form ere, signifying before; and that wiser signifies wise before. Now, as has been well remarked by Mr. Dal ton, then and than are the same in origin and signification : hence, wiser than I, is exactly represented by, wise before then 1, i. e. wise before, then (that is; next in order) I. This derivation, if correct, ex plains the ground of the peculiarity above stated, in the use of the comparative : he is the wiser of the two, means, simply, he is wise before (the other) of the two.— It might he conjectured, that the super lative termination est, is an abbreviation of most annexed to an adjective, in the same manner as in topmost, undermost, &c.; but Mr. H. Tooke has shewn, that more is merely mo-er, and most mo-eat, which leaves the origin of the terminations er and est as it was found.
25. Those adnouns, which, without ex pressing qualities, vary or determine the extent of the signification of the nouns to which they belong we call restrictives. Some restrictives are, by the custom of our language, applicable to singular nouns only ; as one, a or en, another, this, that, each, every, &c. : others to plural nouns only; as two, three, these, those, other, few, all, &c.; but most restrictives, like all ad jectives, are applicable to both singtdar and plural nouns. Of the restrictives, two are called articles, the and an, which last is abbreviated into a before conso nants, h when pronounced, mt long as in use, and one. An is simply another form of the numeral one, still used in North Britain under the form one; and in the French, the numeral and the article cor responding to one are the same. But though an and one have the same origin and primary signification, there is occa sionally an obvious difference in the mode of their employment. This difference is well expressed by Dr. Crombie : "If, in stead of saying, 'A horse, a horse, a king dom for a horse,' I should say, One horse, one .horse, one kingdom for one horse,' the sentiment, I conceive, would not be strictly the same. In both ex pressions, the species is named, and io both, one of that species is demanded ; but with this difference, that, in the for mer, the name of the species is the em phatic word, and it opposes that species to every other ; in the latter, unity of ob ject seems the leading idea." An is call
ed the indefinite article, because it leaves undetermined what one individual is meant ; the determines the application of the noun to some particular individual, and hence it is termed the definite arti cle. It has the same primary signification with that; but they vary in the mode of their employment, the former never be ing employed without a noun, the latter having its noun frequently understood ; and farther, that is more emphatic than the: these, however, are the refinements of language, and have no foundation in the origin of words. Mr. H. Tooke con siders that as the past particle, and the as the imperative mood of the verb DEAN, to get, to take, to assume : and the, he ob serves, may very well supply the place of the corresponding Anglo-Saxon article Fe, which is the imperative of peon, to see; for it answers the same purpose in dis course to say see man, or take man. We really like the import of our forefathers' article so much better than that of our own, that we shall cheerfully give up the for se, unless it should appear, that the and that have their origin in some verb signifying to point at. Of that large class of restrictives called numerals, the origin of some may be traced ; and as we wish to give our readers some insight in to the labours of Mr. H. Tooke, we shall mention his derivation of words in this class. It is in the highest degree proba ble, that all numeration was originally performed by the fingers, the actual re sort of' the ignorant ; for the number of the fingers is still the utmost extent of numeration. The !lands doubled, closed, or shut in, may therefore well be denomi nated ten (the past particle of tyann to enclose, to shut in) for therein you have closed all numeration ; and if you want more, you must begin again, ten and one, ten and two, &c. to twaintens, when you must begin again as before. Score is the past particle of reirian to shear, to sepa rate ; and means separated parcels or tal leys. The ordinal numbers, as they are called, are formed like the abstract nouns in eth : fifth, sixth, tenth, &c. is the unit whichfive-eth, six-eth, ten-eth, i. e. makes up the number five, six, ten, &c. The ordinal numerals are _obviously abbrevia tions of expression, for one, and one, and one, &c.; and we need not be sur prised, as they are continually used, and were so originally, without any noun following them, to find them occa sionally receiving the variations of the noun.