5. A derivative or compound word is a word that is derived from a primitive or first word, or one that is resolvable into two or more simple words.

6. Distinct Compounds are joined together by a hyphen; as, short-sighted, sing-song, son-in-law.

7. Permanent Compounds coalesce, and omit the hyphen; as, penknife, bookbinder. The hyphen is also omitted where nouns are used adjectively; as, sea weed, meadow ground.

8. Many words which are primitives in the English language, are compounds in other languages; as, prefix, conjoin, superscribe.

Remark. Hard is a primitive or simple word; hardness is a derivative word; and hard-hearted is a compound word.

Questions.-What is Etymology? The meaning of modifications? What are the advantages resulting from a knowledge of Grammar? Repeat 3? From what is the word primitive derived? What is a primitive word? A derivative word? What is said of distinct compounds in 6? Of permanent compounds in 7? Of the omission of the hyphen? What remark in 8? What kind of word is hard? Hardness? Hard-hearted? Good? Why? Goodness? Obeyed? Studying?

LESSON II.

NOUN.

Explanations. Supposing a class of scholars about to commence the study of Grammar, after calling them out and arranging them in proper order, I should first request their attention. should then say to them, you are now entering upon a very useful and interesting study, especially if it is rightly taught and well understood. If you understand Grammar well, you will know much more about the meaning of words, and how they are connected with one another; you will know how to use words correctly, and to spell them properly. Every young gentlemen and lady ought to know how to spell well and to use words correctly. I will endeavor to tell you something about Grammar, if you will try to remember all I say. I shall teach you only one thing at a time. You must first understand that and apply it before I teach you another. You are to apply all the knowledge which you may obtain, at every step of your progress; and, at the same time, you are to be putting in practice what you have previously learned. Whatever we have in our mind when we think, is called an idea. Whatever we say when we tell what we think, is called language. There are many languages in the world. The language which we speak is called the English language. We are mostly the descendants or children of Englishmen, and, consequently speak the same language that our fathers spoke. The grammar of our language is called English grammar. The English language probably contains seventy or eighty thousand words. Most of these have a different meaning but not a different

use.

To ascertain their use, we divide them into classes; these classes are called parts of speech. Part means division; speech means language. The first class of words which we shall explain, is the noun. This is the most ancient and the most important part of speech. The word noun means name. Every word which is the name of any thing, is a noun. The names of persons, places, things, and also of animals, are nouns. John is the name of a person, Boston is the name of a place, book is the name of a thing, and horse is the name of an animal. John, Boston, book, and horse are nouns. You will mention the names of several things in the room, and tell me what you call them, and why. Parsing is dividing into parts, or telling the parts of speech according to grammatical rules and definitions. I will now give a definition of the noun, which you must get so well that you will be able to say it with your book shut without making any mistake. After having learned this definition, you will find all the nouns contained in the examples, which succeed the definition of the noun. You will find nothing, except the noun, for your first lesson. Read the form of parsing before the examples; parse or mention all the other nouns in the parsing examples, in the same manner that you do the word in the form of parsing. Let the word there parsed, be a hook, on which you may suspend all other nouns. Each new lesson will be explained by your teacher before he gives it out. Your teacher will ask He will

you, when you say a word is a noun, why it is a noun. also ask you the same question when you call a word a noun, which is not a noun. When you discover your mistake and say it is not a noun, he will say, 'Why not?' The exercise of why and wherefore, will enable you more easily to see your mistake and correct it Subjoin means add at the end. I shall subjoin a few questions to the examples, which you will answer when you attend to parsing. You will learn the questions subjoined, and all others which your teacher may ask, so as to answer them readily and promptly. You will not seek aid, at present, from any other source, except from the explanations and definitions given in your Grammar, and from your teacher. The words in the forms of parsing in this book are selected from the succeeding parsing examples, and will be distinguished by Italic, or leaning letters.

DEFINITION.

9. A NOUN* is the name of any person, place, or thing, that exists.

10. The name of any thing that we can see, hear, feel, taste, or smell is a noun.

(b)

FORM OF PARSING.

Book is a noun, because it is the name of something.

Examples.-John has a book in his hands. Lynn is nine miles from Boston, the metropolis of New-England. It is distinguished for the manufacture of women's shoes, and for the industry of its *Noun is used in preference to substantive, for the sake of conciseness, Substantive is from the Latin word substantia, a substance.

b The five human senses are, seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling.

inhabitants. Washington is the capital of the United States. The sun shines during the day, and the moon during the night. Our teacher has a desk, with pens, ink, quills, paper, pencils, folder, and a knife upon it.

Questions. What will be the benefit of understanding Grammar well? What ought every young gentleman and lady to know? What are you to learn at a time? What is next said? What is that called which we have in our minds when we think? When we express what we think? Are there many languages in the world? What is our language called? Why do we speak the English Language? What is the grammar of our language called? How many words does the English language probably contain? Do all words have the same meaning? How do we ascertain their use? What are these classes called? What does part mean? Speech? What is the most important part of speech? What does the word noun mean? What is every word called which is the name of any thing? Can you mention the name of a person? Of a place? Thing? An animal? What is parsing? What directions do you find about parsing? What does subjoin mean? What is said about answering the questions subjoined? From what are the words in the forms of parsing selected? First definition of the noun? 9. Second? 10. How many human senses are there? What are they? What is the definition of a word? Why is noun preferable to substantive? From what is subWhat is its meaning?

The meaning of it. stantive derived?

Ans.

LESSON III.

ABSTRACT NOUNS.

Explanations.-In this lesson, I shall introduce and explain a class of nouns which are more difficult to be learned than those in the preceding lesson. A part of these, I shall assist you in remembering by their terminations or endings. To enable you to distinguish those nouns which have no uniform termination, permit me to mention another definition of the noun. Noun is the term by which we distinguish any thing supposed to exist, whether material or immaterial. A material substance is one that fills space. An orange fills space, and is, therefore, a material substance. Soul, virtue, and goodness, do not fill space, and are, therefore, immaterial. Still, we know they are nouns, because they have existence, and because they make sense of themselves without associating them with any other words. We never saw a thought, but we know that we have one occasionally in our head, and that the name of it must be noun. We cannot see mind or spirit, but we know that such things do exist, and that they are nouns. Knowledge. whiteness, pride, and temperance, which are the names of immaterial things, are, also, nouns. Grammarians usually call the names of qualities abstract nouns. Abstract means drawn from or separate. An adjective without its noun is an abstract term; as, good, one, two, three. An adjective with its noun is a concrete term: as, good men, one man, boys, three girls. Concrete is from the Latin word concretus, and signifies the union of distinct particles. Most abstract nouns are formed from adjectives or verbs. Some, however, come from words in other languages, as, virtue from the Italian word virtu or the Latin virtus. They are the names of those qualities which are indicated by the adjective or verb from which they are deriv.

two

ed. The name of the quality indicated by prudent, is prudence; by temperate, is temperance.

You will find all the nouns in the parsing examples, and give the reasons why they are nouns, as I have done in the form of parsing.

11. Words ending with ion, ness, ny, ty, cy, ce, and ment, are usually nouns. A noun will also make good sense with any of the articles, a, an, or the, before it.

FORM OF PARSING.

Union is a noun, because it is the name of something. You can remember it, because it ends with ion.

Examples.-Union, tranquility, and peace, promote the prosperity and happiness of a nation. Vanity is the mother of ostentation. Fluency and flippancy are not always an indication of mental cultivation. Improvement depends on application. Testimony is the solemn declaration of a witness; the effect of that declaration on the mind, is called evidence. Education is the formation of manners-instruction. Dr. Webster. Antimony, acrimony, and ceremony, accent the first syllable.

Questions.-How are you assisted in remembering some nouns? What other definition of the noun do you find? What is a material substance? Give an example? Immaterial? Why are they nouns? Mention the names of some immaterial things? What are such nouns usually called? Why are the words conscience, magnificence, or caution, nouns ? The meaning of abstract? What is an adjective without its noun ? Give an example? What is an adjective with its noun? Give an example? From what is concrete derived? What does it signify? From what are inost abstract nouns formed? What is said of virtue? Of what qualities are they the names? What is the name of the quality indicated by prudent? By temperate? What directions are given respecting your parsing lesson? Repeat 11? How can you remember whether testimony is a noun ?

LESSON IV.

ARTICLE.

Explanations. We will now proceed to explain another part of speech, called the article. It will be easily remembered, because it consists of only three words, a, an, and the. The article is used to specify nouns, and also to limit their meaning. A and an are the same article. Their only difference arises from the manner in which they are used. Letters are divided into vowels and consonants. The vowels are a, e, i, o, and u. An should be used before words beginning with any of these letters, or with a silenth. Silent means having no sound. A should be used before all the other letters in the alphabet, when they begin a word. W and y are consonants when they begin a word,or come before a vowel in the same syllable; as in the word swim. In all other situations they are vowels; that is, when they assume the sound of any one of the vowels, a, e, i, o, or u. All the letters in the alphabet, except a, e, i, o, u, w,and y, are consonants. A or an is called the indefinite article, and usually means one. In, when entering into the composition of words, frequently means not. In

consistent means not consistent; indefinite, not definite. Definite means particular. The is called the definite article, and has pretty nearly the meaning of this, that, these, or those. The scholar, after having learned what is said of the article and its definitions, will find all the nouns and articles in the parsing examples. He will observe the form of parsing,and answer the questions subjoined.

12. The words, a, an, and the, are called articles. 13. An Article is a word placed before nouns, to limit, define, or modify their meaning.

14. A or an is called the indefinite article, the is called the definite article.

earth is round.

FORM OF PARSING.

The is an article, placed before the noun sky. Repeat 13. Examples.-The sky is blue. An orange is yellow. The An apple is round. The ears are the organs of hearing. An hour contains sixty minutes. A mountain is a high hill. An article points out its noun. A day contains twenty-four hours. A moment of time is soon passed.

Questions.-What is the subject of the present lesson? Of how many words does it consist? Name them? What is the use of the articles? Are a and an the same article? In what does their difference consist? How are letters di

vided? Which are the vowels? When should an be used? The meaning of silent? When should a be used? When are w and y consonants? When vowels? What letters are consonants? What is a or an usually called? What does a or an mean? The meaning of in in composition? The meaning of indefinite? Of definite? The meaning of the ? What are we to find in the parsing examples? What words are called articles? What is an article? What is a or an called? The?

LESSON V.

ADJECTIVE.

Explanations. Having explained the noun and the article, this lesson will be devoted to the adjective. You have been taught that nouns are the names of things. Other words are frequently joined or added to nouns to modify their meaning. These words are called adjectives. Adjective means joined to. Because it is added to a noun, some grammarians call it an adnoun. Bonnet is the name of something worn on the head. To tell what kind of bonnet it is, we add or join to it such words as will best answer our purpose. We may call it a new bonnet, an old bonnet, a black bonnet, a white bonnet, a fashionable bonnet, or a handsome bonnet. We call one apple sweet; another, bitter; one, red; another, yellow. These words added to the nouns bonnet and apple, are called adjectives. A noun will make good sense alone; an adjective will not make good sense without joining it to a noun. Adjectives of quality are the most numerous. "They show what kind of person or thing is denoted by the noun to