Part 84 (1/2)

”And also now the sluggard _soundest_ slept”

--_Pollok, C of T_, B vi, l 257

”In theht, and _easiest_ learnt, What makes a nation happy, and keeps it so”

--_Milton, P R_, B iv, l 361

OBS 5--No use of words can be _right_, that actually confounds the parts of speech; but into present practice, the same words may be used either adjectively or adverbially _Firmer_ and _ruder_ are not adverbs, but adjectives In the example above, they may, I think, be ranked with the instances in which quality is poetically substituted forto the pronouns which follow theant _Easiest_, as used above by Pope, may perhaps be parsed upon the sa to _those_, or to _persons_ understood before the verb _move_

But _soundest, plainest_, and _easiest_, as in the latter quotations, cannot be otherwise explained than as being adverbs _Plain_ and _sound_, according to our dictionaries, are used both adjectively and adverbially; and, if their superlatives are not misapplied in these instances, it is because the words are adverbs, and regularly coh sometimes used adverbially by reputable writers, is presented by our lexicographers as an adjective only; and if the latter are right, Milton's use of _easiest_ in the sense and construction of _raht to have preferred _plainliest_ to _plainest_, in the adverbial sense of _most plainly_

OBS 6--Beside the instances already mentioned, of words used both adjectively and adverbially, our dictionaries exhibit many primitive terms which are to be referred to the one class or the other, according to their construction; as, _soon, late, high, low, quick, slack, hard, soft, wide, close, clear, thick, full, scant, long, short, clean, near, scarce, sure, fast_; to which may as well be added, _slow, loud_, and _deep_; all susceptible of the regular forularly convertible into adverbs in _ly_; though _soonly_ and _longly_ are now obsolete, and _fastly_, which means _firmly_, is seldom used In short, it is, probably, from an idea, that no adverbs are to be compared by _er_ and _est_ unless the same words may also be used adjectively, that we do not thus cohly, quickly, loudly_, &c, after the example of Milton But, however custo sieneral to be preferred, especially in prose For example: ”The more it was complained of, the _louder_ it was praised”--_Daniel Webster, in Congress_, 1837 If it would seem quaint to say, ”The _loudlier_ it was praised,” it would perhaps be better to say, ”The _more loudly_ it was praised;” for our critics have not acknowledged _loud_ or _louder_ to be an adverb Nor have _slow_ and _deep_ been so called Dr Johnson cites the following line to illustrate the latter as an _adjective_:

”Drink hellebore, my boy! drink _deep_, and scour thy brain DRYDEN”

--_Joh Dict, w Deep_

”Drink hellebore, e_ thy brain”

--_Dryd IV Sat of Persius_

OBS 7--In some instances, even in prose, it makes little or no difference to the sense, whether we use adjectives referring to the nouns, or adverbs of like i reference to the verbs: as, ”The whole conception is conveyed _clear_ and _strong_ to the _ are adjectives, referring to _conception_; but we ht as well say, ”The whole conception is conveyed _clearly_ and _strongly_ to the ainst a power that exists _independent_ of their own choice”--_Webster's Essays_, p 46 Here we ht as well say, ”exists _independently_;” for the independence of the power, in whichever way it is expressed, is nothing but _the oeth _fast_ on and prospereth”--_Ezra_ ”Skill comes so _slow_, and life so _fast_ doth fly”--_Davies_ Dr Johnson here takes _fast_ and _slow_ to be adjectives, but he ht as well have called the or construction is concerned For what here qualifies the things spoken of, is nothing but _the ht as well be expressed by the words, _rapidly, slowly, swiftly_

Yet it ought to be observed, that this does not prove the equivalent words to be adverbs, and not adjectives Our philologists have often been led into errors by the argument of equivalence

EXAMPLES FOR PARSING

PRAXIS VIII--ETYMOLOGICAL

_In the Eighth Praxis, it is required of the pupil--to distinguish and define the different parts of speech, and the classes and modifications of the_ ARTICLES, NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, pronOUNS, VERBS, PARTICIPLES, _and_ ADVERBS

_The definitions to be given in the Eighth Praxis, are two for an article, six for a noun, three for an adjective, six for a pronoun, seven for a verb finite, five for an infinitive, two for a participle, two (and sometimes three) for an adverb,--and one for a conjunction, a preposition, or an interjection Thus_:--

EXAMPLE ParseD

”When was it that Roly the admiration of mankind?”--_R G Harper_

_When_ is an adverb of time 1 An adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses tiree or manner 2 Adverbs of ti? How soon?_ or, _How often?_ including these which ask

_Was_ is an irregular neuter verb, fro, been_; found in the indicative ular nunifies _to be, to act_, or _to be acted upon_ 2

An irregular verb is a verb that does not for _d_ or _ed_ 3 A neuter verb is a verb that expresses neither action nor passion, but si 4 The indicative mood is that for, or asks a question 5 The imperfect tense is that which expresses what took place, or was occurring, in time fully past 6 The third person is that which denotes the person or thing ular number is that which denotes but one

_It_ is a personal pronoun, of the third person, singular nuender, and nominative case 1 A pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun 2 A personal pronoun is a pronoun that shows, by its form, of what person it is 3 The third person is that which denotes the person or thing ular nuender is that which denotes things that are neither male nor female 6 The nominative case is that form or state of a noun or pronoun, which usually denotes the subject of a finite verb

_That_ is a conjunction 1 A conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences in construction, and to show the dependence of the terms so connected

_Roular number, personified feminine, and nominative case 1 A noun is the na, that can be known or mentioned 2 A proper noun is the naroup 3 The third person is that which denotes the person or thing ular nuender is that which denotes persons or animals of the female kind 6 The nominative case is that form or state of a noun or pronoun, which usually denotes the subject of a finite verb