given in our Dictionaries on the authority of Spencer; but, we believe, it was obsolete even in his time. From the latter part of the compound (Saxon cuth, known,) we have still preserved UNCOUTH, strange, or uncommon, with its adverb and substantive UNCOUTHLY and UNCOUTHNESS: all which words are now frequently applicable to strangeness or awkwardness of appearance, or of manner. The Scotch couthy is kind, that kindness which proceeds from intimate acquaintance; and the phrase 'kyth and kind' denotes friends and relations.

We have noticed that the letters c, ch, and k, are interchangeable in the comparison of different dialects; and, without entering into the controversy, whether the classic tongues produced or grew upon the Gothic stem, we are convinced that we shall find many analogies in the Greek and Latin, which will assist us in the derivation of words that, at first sight, seem to have no kindred etymons in either of these languages. The Italian scarso, the Spanish escaso, the Dutch skaars, and the English SCARCE, are all adjectives signifying defective, or wanting; and it is by no means improbable that they are etymologically connected with the Latin cassus (carsus), from carere, to want. In that case, the initial s is merely a contraction of the inseparable preposition es (afterwards to be explained); and the English scarce may be fairly considered as the descendant of the old French eschars, which had the same signification.

Scarce denotes a deficiency in the requisite quantity of things; Seldom marks a deficiency in the number of acts, or appearances, of the same species, that occur

during a certain period. The former is consequently an adjective and the latter is an adverb. FEW, (Saxon feawa,) expresses that the number, whether of things or of occurrences, is comparatively small, without regard to their being either wished for or feared. The things may be useful, or they may be worthless. Scarce is opposed to Plentiful; Seldom to Often; and Few to Many. FEWNESS is smallness of number, and has a synonyme in PAUCITY, which comes from the Latin Paucus, Few. Few is a numeral adjective; and will be mentioned again, when we treat of that class of words. It was brought forward in this place solely for the sake of contrast.

Scarce is sometimes used adverbially; but the proper adverb is SCARCELY, which expresses that the act, or result, of which we speak, is nearly but not completely accomplished. SCARCITY, (for which some have written SCARCENESS,) is the state of being Scarce; and, although its etymology does not necessarily so confine it, the word is almost always applied to denote those deficiencies of which we complain. We speak of a scarcity of money, and a scarcity of food; but not of a scarcity of wars or of earthquakes, however seldom these may occur. What is scarce is, when wanted, more highly prized; and hence the scarcity of things that can be bought is associated in the mind with DEARTH, or DEARNESS. DEAR is high-priced, and, in a consequent sense, an epithet of tender affection. Thus we are reminded of the Latin carus: but we must not further anticipate our future explanations.

The Saxon genogan is explained in Lye's Dictionary

by multiplicare, to multiply; but there are no examples given of its usage; and we suspect that it was often equivalent to the Dutch verb genoegen, to satisfy. From this source is our word ENOUGH, and, also, what has been called its plural, ENow. Both are equivalent either to sufficient, or sufficiently, according as they continue adjectives, or acquire an adverbial application. When quantity only is attended to, we write Enough; but, when speaking of number, we say Enow. 'This is enough and those are enow.' The Saxon synonyme had also a double orthography, (genog and genoh), but we are not aware that they were then distinguished as they are now. In old English, the spelling was Ynowh or Ynow.

Numeral Adverbs are of two kinds, which may be classed like the Cardinals and Ordinals of the adjectives; the one stating the number of times that an act is performed, and the other the order in which their succession is arranged.

The first column cannot be carried farther with words of similar formation, but the other three columns may be extended at pleasure; though it is seldom found necessary to carry the Ordinal beyond the tenth or twelfth. The second and fourth columns illustrate our former remark, that the place of an adverb may be supplied by means of other words.

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CHAPTER XX.

OF INTERJECTIONS.

THE nature of the class of words termed Interjections has already been defined.* Some of these are so associated with our feelings as to remind us instantaneously of the several thoughts by which they are produced; while others are applicable to different states of the mind, and are distinguished, solely, either by the context, or by the tone in which they are pronounced. Some seem, like the cries of animals, to be the voice of nature, being alike in many languages; while others are contractions of words, or of short sentences, that are peculiar to particular nations.

The following Interjections are elicited by uneasy

sensations:

OH! and OH DEAR! are exclamations, arising from bodily or mental pain, or at the unexpected appearance of a disagreeable object.

AH! is expressive of sorrow for a person's own sufferings, or of compassion for those of others.

The Oh! and Ah! which we have here distinguished are, nevertheless, confounded in different dialects; and, in those districts which have preserved the guttural sounds, the h, in both, is strongly aspirated. The Ach of the Teutonic and Celtic tongues is probably, in its origin, the same as the English Acн, or * Page 40.

ACHE (Saxon ace), pain; which is now pronounced, and often written, AKE. The plural, ACHES, was formerly a word of two syllables; as is to be seen in Shakspeare, and often in Hudibras.

O! when expressive of entreaty, or of vehement desire, is a varied usage of OH! but is now generally written without the h. It is either a direct prayer, or a wish, to be relieved from pain. In the former case, it precedes the name of the person or being who is addressed, which name, or pro-name, is then understood to be in, what the Latin and other languages call, the VOCATIVE CASE; though English nouns and pronouns do not, on that account, vary in orthography from their nominatives. Hear us, O Lord!' and 'O, that I could see him!' are examples; and the latter phrase is, in some grammars, said to be in the OPTA-TIVE MOOD, from the Latin Optare, to wish.

ALAS! (formerly ALASS!) is the French hélas! and the Italian ahilasso! from lasso, Latin lassus,) weary, unhappy, wretched.

ALAS THE DAY! and ALAS THE WHILE! are equivalent to 'unhappy day!'' unhappy time !' but are both obsolete.

ALACK! (from lack, want or need,) is an expression of regret for some deprivation.

ALACK-A-DAY! what a miserable, or lost, day! This is rather antiquated, and the contraction, LACK-A-DAY! (and, more particularly, its ludicrous orthography LACK-A-DAISEY!) is now never written in serious composition.

Wo! or Wo Is ME! expresses the extremity of

L