INTERROGATION is a part of the object of language, performed by means of the verb, which remains to be con sidered. We have mentioned it (at p. 7.) in enumerating the forms of imperative influence which mankind, by means of language, exert on one another. Its peculiar object is, to obtain information from the person addressed. Mr Harris considers it as a modification of the use of the verb, and constituting a distinct mood, although the verb when thus applied should not possess a distinct form. It is a direct request, and therefore implies the imperative in a very prominent degree. " What is your name ?" is ano ther mode of saying " tell me your name." Interrogative words and interrogative arrangements of words arc abbre viations implying the subaudition of the imperative of the verb " to tell." " Who is there ?" means " tell me the person who is there." Interrogative words implying a request for the particu lar mention of one circumstance that must be selected as true, from many others that are imaginable, have a close etymological connection with the relative, and sometimes consist of it unaltered. Quis in Latin is different from qui, but is evidently derived from it, and the variation which it receives is intended to intimate that the imperative of the verb " to tell" is understood; or rather it is so altered as to express this imperative distinctly and fully. In the Italian language, we have an instance of the employment of a different sort of word ; 44 what do you want ?" is ex pressed by cow volete ? which literally translated is " thing you want." But on most other occasions, in every lan guage, the interrogative words are more or less allied to the relative. From qui in Latin, we have quis? qualis ? quando? quo? quorsum? and from ", who," and " which," in English, the words " when ?"" where ?" and" whence i" are evidently derived.
There are other questions which may be denominated alternative in their nature, because the speaker supposes two opposite statements, one of which must be true and the other false. A subject and a predicate are connected in a question, and the only reply that it admits of is, either an assertion of a connection betwixt the subject and this predicate, or betwixt it and a predicate which is complete ly the reverse. This may be also done by single words of affirmation or negation, rendered completely significant by their reference to the question. Interrogations of all kinds, however, imply the meaning of the imperative of the verb to tell." The words of which they consist are a sort of subjoined sentences to this imperative, and are in some de gree elliptical in their first creation, though generally ren dered precise by receiving a peculiar form.
rather resemble nouns which are governed in the ablative, or phrases consisting of a noun with a governing preposi tion. They sometimes are employed to qualify the cha racter of an idea expressed by an adjective or a verb. At other times they superadd some circumstance of relation ship to objects which are capable of being separately con ceived.
\Ve cannot concur with those recent grammarians, who consider as instances of corruption the formation of ad verbs by means of alterations made in the forms of words belonging to different parts of speech. They are words skilfully devised for fulfilling a definite object. They do not, as has been supposed, always arise from abbreviation. Although they are capable of being expressed by a plu rality of words, this property is common to them with all parts of speech. Some of them are evidently abbrevia tions, while others have marks of being used as single wordS previously to any phrases into which they can be resolved. We have not even any demonstrative evidence that all of them are derivatives, and that none are original words.
Adverbs are divided into different species. Some ex press intensity, remission, or other modifications of attri butes expressed by adjectives and verbs. Such are the adverbs " very" and " much ;" as 44 very good" " much better," " much obliged ;" also their comparative and su perlative forms, as "more" and 44 most." The words " slightly," " little" " less," and " least," are of a similar nature. Some have considered the comparative and su perlative degrees of nouns as condensed combinations of adjectives in their positive state with the adverbs " more" and 44 most," because they can be resolved into phrases thus constructed. "Richer" and " richest," are " more rich" and " most rich." But these adverbs may in their turn be resolved into other phrases containing adjectives. " More" is " in a greater degree," and " most" " in the greatest degree ;" and, from the first consonant being com mon to them with the positive adjectives magnus, multus, "many," and "much," and their terminations being charac terised by the consonants r and at, it appears evident that " more" and " most" are derivatives. The Latin word nfaxim evidently derived from maximus, in the same manner as a great variety of adverbs is derived from ad jectives.