AS CONNECTED WITH THE Faculties of the Mind, AND AS APPLIED TO THINGS IN NATURE AND ART. SOCIA MENTIS LINGUA. amil BY WILLIAM S. CARDELL. 1 NEW-YORK. CHARLES WILEY, No. 3 WALL-STREET. 1825. Southern District of New-York, ss. B 1825, in the forty-ninth year of the independence of the United States E IT REMEMBERED, That on the sixteenth day of February, A. D. of America, William S Cardell, of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit: "Essay on Language, as connected with the Faculties of the Mind, and as applied to things in Nature and Art. Socia mentis lingua. By William S. Cardell " In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled "an Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement ofLearning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints " JAMES DILL, Clerk of the Southern District of New-York. J. SEYMOUR, PRINTER, JOHN-STREET. Introductory dissertation, General view of language as intimately combined with General character of the English language, and its his- Philosophic exposition of speech in its practical adapta- ib. 13 ously called auxiliaries, Verb to be, Words of relation and description, adjectives, Actions or affirmations-verbs, Logic and philosophic elucidation of moods and tenses, Etymons and practical explanations of the words errone- 24 34 39 44 ib. ib. 62 66 107 121 138 141 165 ib. 178 180 182 184 185 187 193 Specimens giving a slight view of the changes in language, 194 Examples of errors in practice, 203 PREFACE. THIS Essay is not offered as a finished work; though the opinions advanced have not been hastily adopted, and it is believed they are substantially correct. The writer is sensible he has not done justice to his own principles; and the work would not have been made public, with all its present defects, if other arduous and indispensable engagements had not precluded the hope of devoting attention to this volume, for a considerable time to come. A few preliminary ideas will indicate the general design of this treatise, and will show that, however its doctrines may differ from those heretofore taught, they are not advanced without regard to existing f acts. Language, the chief instrument of all knowledge, must itself be the subject of interesting inquiry on scientific principles. Instead of treating words as the theme of contempt, and explaining them according to the metaphysics of the twelfth century, it is time that the modes of investigation, adopted in other philosophic researches should be applied to the structure of speech. A comprehensive plan of induction was attempted; and as the proper means to be employed for this purpose, a careful attention |