NUMERALS have the same relation to the substantive noun as adjectives, and therefore belong to this class of words. They express a modification or limitation of the idea conveyed by some substantive. Their peculiar ob ject is, to denote the degree of frequency with which any sort of thought contained in a noun is repeated ; that is, the frequency of the exemplification of a general idea.
In English, the singular number is sometimes merely distinguished from the plural by the want of the terminat ing s, as " the house" for the singular, and " the houses" for the plural. At other times the word " one," or the word " an," or " a," is prefixed. " An" and " a" have been called by grammarians indefinite articles, but in this there is no propriety. They merely signify unity, and this is expressed by them in the most definite manner. In the French language, they are always translated by un. They ought, therefore, to be called numeral adjectives. They cannot be prefixed to plural nouns, being peculiar to the singular, or the exhibition of an idea without repetition.
The words " some" and " several" are used as general plural adjectives. There are others implying- the result of a general comparison with respect to number ; as," few" and " many." But these words do not describe the fre quency of the repetition with precision, and for this pur pose language is furnished with corresponding numeral adjectives. One added to one, forms a number which has the separate name " two :" one and one and one, or two and one, have the name " three :" one repeated once more, or a repetition of two, forms the number called " four." Our idea of number, as a separate subject of thought and of language, has no existence previous to our experience in numbering individuals. This gives rise to the observa tion of a general feature in the acts of the mind, called numbering ; and hence the generalization of numbers. Words signifying a particular degree of repetition become applicable to all acts of the mind in which an idea is re peated with the same frequency.
The general words expressive of numbers are derived from the names of particular objects ; though, perhaps, we can seldom succeed in tracing them. As the two sides of the body exhibit pairs of organs, two eyes, for ex ample, and two hands, the word for " two" might arise from the most interesting of these pairs. Perhaps the numeral tres, " three," has been borrowed from the idea of vibration, and owes its etymology to the verb tremo, or some older verb of the same meaning. The two words are at least evidently akin. The words first used to ex press the succeeding numbers might be suggested by the first two or three, with the help of a sign intimating redu plication, as in " two," 44 four," and " eight," or addition, as in 44 five," 66 six ," 66 seven," and " nine." Numeration by tens has, with very few exceptions, taken place in every part of the world. This has been suggest ed by the numbering of the fingers, which form an assem blage familiar to us from our childhood. The word for " ten" would therefore be borrowed from the word signi fying 66 hand," or 44 fingers." /exx in Greek, and decent in Latin, evidently spring from the same root with and digitus, a finger. The combinations of tens with one another, and the addition of the words for the different units, are prominent processes in the words employed among the ancients as well as the moderns for the higher numbers, and in the marks invented to express them com pendiously in writing.
THERE is one adjective which, from some peculiarity, There is one adjective which, from some peculiarity, has been generally reckoned a separate part of speech, under the title of " the definite article." The English words an and a have been called indefinite articles, but their nature has been shown to be that of numeral adjec tives. The words To, in Greek, the in English, le and la in French, and the corresponding words in other lan guages, have been called the definite articles ; but they have every characteristic of the adjective. They have even corresponding inflexions in those languages in which adjectives are inflected. Their general meaning, and the purpose of the speaker in using them, are the same with those of the adjective. They represent an idea or quality subordinate to an object expressed by a substantive noun. This quality consists in a reference to some previous men tion, or to some knowledge previously possessed of an object. A historian, after having named and described a variety of objects, speaks familiarly of them, by using their general names preceded by the adjective the, as, "the army," " the town," " the battle," " the siege," and " the truce." Another use of it is, for attaching a speciality by means of a genitive case, or another adjective, or some of those phrases which we shall afterwards show to be equivalent ; as, " the King of Prussia," "the governor of Malta," and also, " the French nation," 66 the Italian territory," " the Christian religion." Where no speciality is attached, it means, " known by former mention," or, 66 mutually under stood betwixt the speaker and the hearer." Where it is followed by the genitive or another adjective, it means, " to be known or distinguished by this mark." Some classes of objects are never mentioned without the use of this adjective, as, " the French," " the English." This phraseology has arisen from the habit of prefixing the words French and English to more general nouns, as, " the French or English people." We say, " the French are gay ;" " the English love the pleasures of the table." We have, indeed, equivalent expressions without the article in the words, 44 Frenchmen," and Englishmen." The only circumstances which have led to the idea that the article was a distinct part of speech, seem to be the same which we have mentioned of the pronoun, viz. its brevity, and its frequency. It is a mistaken notion to con sider it as possessing the power of distinguishing the ap plication of a generic name to an individual, from the use of that name in a less definite acceptation. It has not this power in a greater degree than other adjectives. If we speak of " the man," we no more distinguish any indivi dual, than when we say "a man," and not so much as when we say, a wise man." It is only after an individual has already been distinguished that the adjective " the" charac terises him, by referring to that description. It is of very general and familiar application ; because any object may be mentioned as already known, or may be introduced with a view of being characterised by some special mark. Like every other adjective, it becomes fitted to particularise the intended object in proportion as it is used with skill and propriety.