But, independently of any difference originating in causes of this kind, some have called in question the propriety of certain distinctions maintained by others, whether as exist ing in the same language, or as common to all. Some parts of speech, reckoned by the generality to be distinct, have been ranked together by a few individuals under a more comprehensive head.
This generalization has been carried the greatest length in Tooke's Diversions of Purley. This author reckons the Noun and the Verb the only essential parts of speech. He does not, however, acquiesce in the views of Mr Harris, who sets out with a binary division of the subject which has the appearance of being similar. Mr Harris considers the adverb, the preposition, and the conjunction, as merely sub sidiary and inferior materials, which connect the other parts of speech, and give ornament and fulness of expression to the whole ; while Mr Tooke considers them, in every in stance in which they are used, as equally essential with nouns and verbs, and refuses them a separate rank only because they are possessed of the same character with one or other of these parts of speech. He considers their only peculiarity as consisting in an abbreviated form, which has originated in the efforts of mankind to express their thoughts with celerity.
We have already observed that Mr Tooke founds his doctrine of the distinction of all words into nouns and verbs on this principle, that language implies " the signs of ideas," and also a "separate instrument for the purpose of communication." This separate instrument he calls the verb. He considers every verb as implying a noun, and also as implying something more, though he leaves the pro blem unsolved, what is that definite circumstance which, when added to the noun, makes it a verb ? We coincide with this author in so far as he maintains that language consists of the signs of ideas, together with certain contrivances for connecting these so as to answer the purposes of language. We adopt from him the valua ble suggestion, that the verb contains the name of an idea, and, in this respect, comprehends the character of a noun, together with some additional circumstance ; but we are obliged to give this suggestion a much wider extension, and to consider all the parts of speech, the noun itself in cluded, as consisting of two parts, one of which is the sign of an idea, and the other a sign of a definite place which that idea is to occupy in the order of discourse Instead of saying with this author that the verb is quod loquimur, and the noun de we would say that both the one and the other contain the name of an idea, and also a mark of some specific application, arising from the present occa sions of the speaker. Both express certain objects dc
quibus loquimur, while the quod loquimur is the result of the collocation of the words thus mutually adapted Such differences of mutual adaptation furnish the only good foundation for a distribution of the parts of speech. Great nicety in. our subdivision is not essential to the ex planation of their nature. We may, independently of this, point out the circumstances in which any part of speech to which we happen to give a separate name approaches to various others, or differs from them in its character. We shall therefore, without condemning the plans of others, adopt the division and arrangement which appear to us, in the mean time, most convenient. Even where a dispute may arise about the propriety of a particular dis tinction, in consequence of a slight difference in the obvious form of some words, which may have led to an erroneous conception of their nature, this is worthy of being noticed, for the purpose of assigning to it its due share of impor tance. Useful information may be derived from the de tection of deceitful resemblances and deceitful differences, as well as from processes of analytical science apparently more profound. To content ourselves with showing that other persons were misled by them, and reprobating the errors which they embraced, is a plan of conduct neither fitted to promote scientific inquiry nor liberality of feeling.
Of Nouns.
THE word Noun in our language, as well as the cor responding words used by grammarians in other lan guages, signifies " a name." Nouns are, for the most part, defined to be " words which denote objects or substances." Some consider them as including substantives and adjec tives ; substantives denoting substances, and adjectives de noting qualities. Others regard these two sorts of words as deserving a separate rank in language, and therefore restrict the meaning of the term "noun" to substantives. The words to which these different appellations are as signed agree in some respects, and differ in others ; and the propriety of ranking them together or separately will depend on the definition given to the noun. Mr Tooke considers both substantives and adjectives as nouns, and as in fact the same sort of words, only that the adjective contains, besides the name of the object, a sign that it is to be coupled in language with some other. We shall, on the present occasion, restrict the term noun to the sub stantive, and shall use these terms indiscriminately, some times preferring the latter as better fitted to prevent any ambiguity on the part of the reader, created by the gene ral usages of grammarians.