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SOLD ALSO BY A. H. MALTBY, DUARIE AND FECK,
8. BABCOCK AND S. WADSWORTH, NEW

HAVEN AND WHITE, GALLAHER

AND WHITE, NEW YORK.

1831.

THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

159442

ASTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
1899.

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1831, by NOAH
WEBSTER, in the Clerk's office, of the District Court of Connecticut.

Printed by HEZEKIAH HOWE,

PREFACE.

THE British Grammars of the English language appear to me to be very imperfect, and in some particulars, very erroneous. Since the publication of the grammars of Lowth and Priestley, who added most of the improvements, which have been made since the days of Wallis, some important discoveries have been made in the origin of words and in the construction of sentences, which have not been introduced into any grammar published in Great Britain; at least as far as my knowledge extends.

Grammar is a difficult subject, especially to the young student; and the difficulties that belong to the subject, have been increased by the use of terms merely technical in designating the parts of speech. On entering upon the subject, the young student meets with the words noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb; words he never saw or heard of before, as they are no part of the common language which he has been accustomed to use; and words which he does not understand. To remedy, as far as possible, this evil, I have, in this work, not only explained the technical terms, but have used other terms, with them, which serve as interpreters of the words commonly used. These interpreting words are more easily understood, and some of them are more strictly correct, or better adapted to express their true signification. Thus for noun, the English word name is often used; a word which every child understands. This accords with the practice of the nations on the continent of Europe. For pronoun, the word substitute or representative is sometimes used; for several of the words called pronouns are often used in the place of sentences, or they refer to them. Attribute is a word better understood than adjective; though it were to be wished, we could find a more familiar term for that class of words. For adverb, I often use modifier; a term much wanted to denote certain words which have the uses of different parts of speech. Thus most and very, which are adjectives, are often used as adverbs; as in the phrases most wise, very good. If we call the words, in such phrases, adverbs, then we call them by the

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