NOTTKAA, a town of Asiatic Russia, in Trans-Caucasia, is built on the southern slope of the Caucasus mountains, 80 in. s.w. of Derbeud, in lat. 41° 12' n., long. 47° 13' e. Pop. (1867) 23,371, consisting of native Tartars belonging to the creed, of Armenians. and a few Russians, chiefly officials. Breeding the silk-worm is the staple branch of industry. The native breed of silk-worms is somewhat coarse, and is now being supplanted by the Italian breed.
NOUN (•at. nomem, a name). in grammar, is the terra applied to that class of words that "name" or designate the persons and things spoken about. In a wide sense, such words as rich, tall, are nouns, as well as john, man, tree; for they are names applicable to all objects possessing these attributes. But as words like John, man, tree, suffice of themselves to mark out or designate an object or a definite class of objects, while words expressive of a single attribute, like rich, tall, can be used only in conjunction with such a word as rung or tree, the one class are called adjective nouns, or simply adjectives (q.v.), while the others are called substantive nouns, or simply substantives or nouns. Nouns or names, in this narrower sense, may be divided into classes in a variety of ways, according to the ground we take for our division. One of the distinctions commonly 'made by grammarians is into proper nouns and common nouns. A proper noun is ,usually defined to be "the name of any individual person, or place," as John, London; while a common noun is applicable to every individual of a class of objects, as prince, city. But this definition fails to point out the real difference; for there are several Lou dons, and there are more Johns than princes; other things also have proper names, besides persons and places. as ships (the Minotaur), and bells (Big Ben). Providence again, although applicable to only one being in the universe, is not a proper noun. Wherein, then, lies the difference? In order to answer this question, we must advert to an important distinction made by logicians with regard to the import of names. A word
is said to denote all the objects to which it is applicable as a name; thus, the word man is a name for all the objects known individually, as James. John, Adam, Caesar, etc., and therefore denotes the whole human race;,but while thus denoting or naming them. it also implies something concerning them; in the language of logic, it connotes that they possess certain attributes, namely (1) a certain corporeal form, knows as the human form; (2) ani mal life; (3) rationality. All tins, at least, is included in the meaning or connotation of the word "man." Now, if we consider any noun of the class called. common, we find that while it denotes, or names, or points out a certain object, or class of objects, it also conveys or implies some qualities or facts concerning them; in other words, all such names are connotatitw, or have a meaning. Not so with proper nouns. To say that a man is called John Butler, informs us of no quality he possesses, or of any fact except that such is his name. The name itself conveys no meaning; it is noneonnotatire. And this is what really constitutes a proper name; it is affixed to an object, not to convey any fact concerning it, but merely to enable you to speak about it. Proper names, indeed, are often given at first on account of the object possessing 'certain attributes; but once given, they do not continue to connote those attributes. The first John Baker was pro bably so called because lie exercised the trade of baking; but his ceasing to bake would not have made him lose the name; and his descendants were called Baker, regardless of their occupation.
. Proper names are thus meaningless marks, to distinguish one individual from another; and the A, B, C, etc., which a geometrician affixes to the several angles of a figure. are as much proper names as Tom, Lawrie, etc., applied to the individual bells of a chime. The proper contrast then, to a proper noun is not a common noun—meaning by that a name common to a class of objects—but a significant noun.