OF THE ABBREVIATIVE.

THE abbreviative is equivalent to one or more other words.

The abbreviatives divide into: 1, the preposition; 2, the adverb; 3, the affirmative, and the negative; 4, the continuative; 5, the conjunction.

The preposition expresses a relation of position between an act and an object. Equivalent to an active verb, it has an accusative, which it connects properly with a verb to be at (having) home; to come from (having had) town; to go to (bent on having)

town.

These three elementary prepositions merely express present, past, and future relation with an object.

When a preposition seems to connect its accusative with a pronoun or noun, it is that a verb is understood: a knight (clad) in black armour. Such is the case with the preposition of, commonly used in the aforesaid way the colour (proceeding) of the rose.

D

The prepositions are:

about at the out of, surrounding here and there

among

around

at

before

behind

amid many, interspersing

at the round of, encircling

having, coinciding with

at the fore of, fronting, preceding

at the hind of, facing the back of, following

below at the low of, commanded by

beneath at the nether of, commanded by beside at the side of, adjoining

between at the interval of, dividing beyond at the yon of, surpassing

by

down

for

from

in

into

near

of

off

on

over

since

at the side of, in contact with, adjoining
at the down of, descending

to, at the fore of, nearing, anticipating
having had, having been at, losing
at the in of, contained by

to the in of, entering

at a little distance from, neighbouring

having been in, proceeding from

from the on of, not on

at the top of, supported by
at the over of, commanding
from the time of

through

till

to

towards

under

up

upon

with

within

without

at the through of, traversing

to the time of

going to have, to be at, gaining
face to face with, aiming at

at the under of, commanded by

at the up of, ascending

up and on

having, mutually having, accompanying
with and in, encompassed by, not exceeding
not with

A passive verb has necessarily been had recourse to in those cases where the language has no active verb to express the relation.

The adverb is equivalent to a preposition and its accusative: a noun with an adjective article, or an article and an adjective. It relates properly to a verb, as an adjective does to a noun, and expresses a circumstance of the act: its time, place, manner, degree, number, order, The prepositions supplied are at, in, from, to,

reason.

for:

He did it there and then; he behaved wisely; I much regret it; he has done it twice; do this first; why has he done it?

We shall class the adverbs in the order of the different sorts of words, articles or adjectives, which enter into their composition.

The demonstrative adverbs are now, then, at this,

at that time; here, there, in or at this, in or at that

place; hither, thither, to this, to that place; hence, thence, from this, from that time or place.

The indefinite adverbs are : once, at one time, always, ever, never; anywhere, in any place, everywhere, nowhere; so, in such a way.

The numeral adverbs are: once, twice, thrice, one, two, three times.

The relative adverbs are: when, at which time; while, whilst, during which time; whither, to which place; whence, from which place; where, at which place; how, in which way, as ... as, in the degree in which; (more). than (surpassing the degree). . .in which. The indefinite relative adverbs are: whenever, whensoever; wherever, wheresoever; whithersoever; whencesoever; however, in whatever way.

The interrogative adverbs are: when? at what time; where? in what place; whither? to what place; whence? from what place; why? for what reason; how? in what manner.

The qualificative adverbs form a class nearly as numerous as the adjectives: wisely, in a wise way; greatly, in a great degree. They have a comparative and a superlative: near, nearer, nearest; bravely, more bravely, most bravely. Here we have also irregular forms well, better, best; ill, worse, worst; little,

less, least; much, more, most; far, farther, farthest; forth, further, furthest.

The ordinal adverbs are: firstly, in the first place, secondly, thirdly, &c.

Adverbs are also used with adjectives and qualificative adverbs to express the degree and sometimes the manner of an attribute: more, less, most great; truly brave, rather rashly, kindly severe, lavishly kind. About is thus used with numerals: about twenty

men.

The affirmative and the negative are each equivalent to a proposition: yes, I affirm, assent, consent; no, I deny, dissent, refuse. When used adverbially, no becomes not I repine not.

The continuative, that, is the same word with which we are already acquainted as a demonstrative pronoun, and then a relative pronoun. Become an abbreviative, it merely continues the thread of discourse: he said that it was so, he said it was so.

The conjunction is equivalent to a proposition expressing an operation of the mind, of frequent occurrence, by means of which we pass from one thought to another, and, in some cases, from one idea to another: one and one make two; the gun will go off, if you pull the trigger; don't do that, for it is wrong; he is poor, but he is generous; he breathes, then he is alive.