which kind of pretty similies Philosophers and Grammarians seem to have vied with one another; and have often endeavoured to amuse their readers and cover their own ignorance, by very learnedly disputing the propriety of the similie, instead of explaining the nature of the Conjunction. But, pray, have you any authority for the derivation of these words? Are not all former etymologists against you? H.-Except in IF, and BUT (in one of its meanings), I believe they are all against me. But I am persuaded that all future etymologists, and perhaps some philosophers, will ac Feu estoit la meilleure Saulse du Monde; aussi sont ces Parties l'assaisonnement de nostre langage, ne plus ne moins que le feu et le Sel des breuvages et viandes, dont nous ne nous sçaurions passer; excepté que nostre parler n'en a pas toujours nécessairement à faire: comme l'on peut dire du langage des Romains, duquel aujourd'huy tout le monde presque use; car il a osté presque toutes les prépositions excepté bien peu; et quant aux articles que l'on appelle, il n'en reçoit pas un tout seul, ains use de noms sans bordure, par manière de dire; et ne s'en fault pas esmerveiller, attendu qu'Homère à peu de noms prépose des articles, comme si c'étoient anses à des vases qui en eussent besoign, ou des pennaches sur des morions.-Or que les Dialecticiens aient plus besoign de conjonctions, que nuls autres hommes de lettres, pour la liaison et tissure de leurs propositions, ou les disjonctions d'icelles, ne plus ne moins que les cochers ont besoign d'attelages pour atteler de front leur chevaux; ou comme Ulysses avoit besoign d'ozier en la caverne de Cyclops pour lier ses moutons; cela n'argue ni ne preuve pas que la conjonction soit autrement partie d'oraison, mais bien un outil propre à conjoindre selon qu'elle en porte nom, et à contenir et assembler non pas toutes choses, ains seulement celles qui ne sont pas simplement dites si l'on ne vouloit dire que la Chorde ou courroye dont une balle seroit liée fust partie de la balle ou la colle d'un papier ou d'un livre qui est collé; et les données et distributions des deniers partie du gouvernement comme Demades disoit que les deniers que l'on distribuoit manuellement par teste à chasque citoyen d'Athènes, pour veoir les jeux, estoient la colle du gouvernement de l'estat populaire. Et quelle est la conjonction qui face de plusieurs propositions une, en les cousant et liant ensemble, comme le marbre fait le fer quand on le fond avec lui par le feu; mais pour cela le marbre n'est pas pourtant, ny ne l'appelle lon pas partie de fer; combien que ces choses-là qui entrent en une composition et qui sont fondues avec les drogues que l'on mesle, ont accoustumé de faire et de souffrir ne sçay quoi de commun, composé de tous les ingrédiens.-Quant aux prépositions on les peult accomparer aux pennaches ou autres Ornemens que lon met au dessus les habillemens de Testes, ou bien aux bases et soubassement que lon met au dessoubs des Statues; pour ce qu'elles ne sont pas tant parties d'oraison, comme alentour des parties."-Plutarch, Platonic Questions.-9th. Amyot. : knowledge their obligation to me. For these troublesome conjunctions, which have hitherto caused them so much mistaken and unsatisfactory labour, shall save them many an error and many a weary step in future. They shall no more expose themselves by unnatural forced conceits to derive the English and all other languages from the Greek, or the Hebrew; or some imaginary primæval tongue. The Particles of every language shall teach them whither to direct and where to stop their inquiries: for wherever the evident meaning and origin of the Particles of any language can be found, there is the certain source of the whole. B. Without a moment's reflection, every one must perceive that this assertion is too general and comprehensive. The mixture which is found in all cultivated languages; the perpetual accession of new words from affectation as well as from improvement, and the introduction of new Arts and Habits, especially in learned nations; and from other circumstances; forbid the deduction of the whole of a language from any one single source. H.-Most certainly. And therefore when I say the whole, I must beg to be understood with those exceptions. And, that I may not seem to contradict myself when we shall hereafter come to treat of them, I beg you likewise to remember, that I by no means include in my assertion, the Abbreviations of language: for they are always improvements superadded by language in its progress; and are often borrowed from some other more cultivated languages. Whereas the original Mother-tongue is always rude and tedious, without those advantages of Abbreviation. And were he once more in being, I should not at all doubt of being able to convince even Junius himself (who with many others could so far mistake the course and progress of speech, as to derive an uncultivated from a cultivated language) that, instead of referring the Anglo-Saxon to his favourite Greek as its original, he must seek out (and I suppose he would easily find) a Parent for the latter. But, I beg pardon, this is rather digressing from my purpose. I have nothing to do with the learning of mere curiosity: nor am any further concerned with Etymology, than 1 "Il y a un point, passé lequel les recherches ne sont plus que pour as it may serve to get rid of the false philosophy received concerning language and the human understanding. If you please, therefore, I will return to the Conjunctions I have derived; and, if you think it worth the while, we will examine the conjectures of other persons concerning them; and see whether I have not something better than the authorities you ask after in my favour. B.-I should be glad you would do so. CHAPTER VIII. ETYMOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH CONJUNCTIONS. IF. H.-Ir and AN may be used mutually and indifferently to supply each other's place. Besides having Skinner's authority for IF, I suppose that the meaning and derivation of this principal supporter of the Tripod of Truth, are so very clear, simple, and universally allowed, as to need no further discourse about them. Skinner says "Ir (in agro Linc. Gif) ab A. S. LF, si. Hoc a verbo Lifan, dare, q. d. Dato." Lye, in his edition of Junius, says-" Haud inscite Skinnerus, qui deduxit ab A. S. Lifan, dare, q. d. Dato.” GIF is to be found not only, as Skinner says, in Lincolnshire, but in all our old writers. G. Douglas almost always uses Gif: once or twice only he has used If; once he uses la curiosité. Ces vérités ingénieuses et inutiles ressemblent à des étoiles, qui, placées trop loin de nous, ne nous donnent point de clarté.” -Voltaire, Sur la Société Royale et sur les Académies. 1 See Plutarch Περι του ΕΙ του εν Δελφοις. Εν δε Διαλεκτική δη που μεγιστην εχει δυναμιν ὁ συναπτικος ούτοσι συνδεσ μος, άτε δη το λογικωτατον σχηματιζων αξιωμα.-Το γαρ τεχνικον και λογικόν, ώσπερ ειρηται, γνωσις ακολουθίας, την δε προσληψιν ἡ αισθησις τῷ λόγῳ διδωσιν. όθεν ει και αισχρον ειπειν, ουκ αποτρέψομαι τουτο είναι τον της αληθειας τριποδα τον λογον, όν την του λεγοντος προς το προηγούμενων ακολουθιαν θεμενος, ειτα προσλάβων την ύπαρξιν, επαγει το συμπέρασμα της αποδείξεως. Τον ουν Πυθιον ει δη μουσικη τε ήδεται, και κυκνων φωναις και κιθαρας ψόφοις, GEWE, and once GIFFIS, and sometimes IN CASE and IN CAIS for GIP. "GIF luf be vertew, than is it leful thing; GIF it be vice, it is your undoing." Douglas, Prol. to 4th boke, at p. 95. "Thocht sum wald swere, that I the text haue waryit, Douglas, Pref. p. 11. "Be not ouer studyous to spy ane mote in myn E, Now hark schirris, thare is na mare ado : Quha list attend, GYFFIS audience and draw nere. Douglas, Pref. p. 12. Chaucer commonly uses IF; but sometimes YEUE, YEF, and YF. "Lo here the letters selid of thys thyng That I mote beare in all the haste I may ; YEUE ye woll ought unto your sonne the kyng, I am your seruaunt bothe nyght and day." Chaucer, Man of Lawes Tale, fol. 22. p. 1. col. 2. "And therfore he of full auisement Nolde neuer write in non of his sermons Of suche unkynde abhominacions, Ne I ne wol non reherce, YEF that I may." Chaucer, Man of Lawes prol. fol. 18. p. 2. col. 1. "She was so charytable and so pytous She wolde wepe YF that she sawe a mous Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde." Prol. to Canterbury Tales. Prioresse. And it is to be observed that in Chaucer and in other old τι θαυμαστον εστι Διαλεκτικης φιλια τουτο ασπαζεσθαι του λογου το μέρος και αγαπαν, ᾧ μαλιστα και πλειστα προσχρωμενους δρα τους φιλοσοφους. 1 [In this instance, however, it is plain that GIFFIS is not used conjunctively: Give audience and draw near." For information upon the Gothic, Teutonic, and Norse representatives of If and Gif, see Additional Note.-ED.] writers, the verb to GIVE suffers the same variations in the manner of writing and pronouncing it, whether used conjunctively or otherwise: as does also the Noun derived from it. "And after on the daunce went Whan that she YAFE, and sayd: Haue this. Not Auarice the foule caytyfe Was halfe to grype so ententyfe As Largesse is to YEUE and spende, And God alway ynowe her sende, Chaucer, Romaunt of the Rose, f. 125. p. 2. c. 1. "A wyfe is Goddes YEFTE verely; Al other maner YEFTES hardely As londes, rentes, pasture, or commune, A wyfe wol laste and in thyn house endure Wel lenger than the lyst parauenture." Chaucer, Marchauntes Tale, fol. 28. p. 2. col. 2. "FORGIFF me, Virgill, GIF I thee offend." Douglas, Pref. p. 11. "GIF us thy ansueir, quharon we sal depend." Douglas, 3d booke, p. 70. "And suffir Tyrianis, and all Liby land Douglas, 4th booke, p. 103. In the mene tyme, of the nycht wache the cure We GIF Messapus."-Douglas, 9th booke, p. 280. In Henry the VIIth's will, dated 1509, you will also find |