66 7. Soft o'er the shrouds aërial whispers breathe, 8. 9. A wretched creature, and must bend his body, They but now who deem'd In bigness to surpass earth's giant sons, N.B.-"But" is sometimes called a negative relative (= who + not), when it corresponds to the Latin quin" e.g., "There is no vice so simple, but assumes some mark of virtue on its outward parts." Here parse "but" as a conj., and supply it or which as nom. to assumes." It is worthy of note that in A.S. the conj. was butan," the prep. "būtan." 66 66 1 But he was lost. 2 "But" may be called a prep. governing the infin. (or verbal noun) "to complain;" or the ellipsis may be supplied: "He does nothing but he does complain." But I can see. 4 I cannot act otherwise, but I can warn you, &c. It is A.S., "ægther," one of two. (a) Adjective, or, as some say, adj. pron. : e.g., 1. I will take either road at pleasure.--2. Either of the roads is good.-3. Take either of them you like. 66 (b) Conjunction, when it is followed by or as correlative: e.g., "It is either summer or winter." tive of 66 § 10.-Else. 66 66 A.S., "elles." It is "ales or alys," the imperaalesan or alysan," to dismiss. Compare "if" for "gif," the imperative of "gifan," to give. "Else" is- (a) Adverb, when it means "otherwise:" e.g., "I cannot do it else." K 66 (b) Adjective, when it means. other : e.g., 1. So did almost1 everybody else.-2. When all else fails. (c) Conjunction: e.g., "I am not allowed, else I would do it." "For" is A.S., probably from “fairina” = cause. It is (a) Conjunction, when it means "because:"e.g., "I cried unto the Lord, for I was in distress." () Preposition, when it governs an object: e.g., "He bought the parrot for his friend." § 12.-Half. "Half" is A.S. "half" or "healfe," a side, a part. "Half" is used as (a) Noun, generally preceded by the article. The plural "halves" is used: e.g., "Two halves make one whole." (b) Adjective, often preceding the article: e.g., “I have eaten half an orange." Here, also, it may be called a noun, of being understood "half of an orange." (c) Adverb, modifying an attribute: e.g., Half breathless from the steep hill's edge, (d) Verb, with the signification "to divide into two equal parts:" e.g., "They will half the inheritance." § 13.-Like. "Like" from A.S. "lic," is primarily an adjective. It is, according to Dr. Latham, the only adjective which governs a case-viz., the dative; e.g., "Sunbeam of summer, O what is like thee?" Here "thee" is said to be the dative, governed by "like." Most modern grammarians supply the ellipsis by to. variously reckoned as (a) Adjective. This is its real character. "Like" is (b) Adverb, when it seems to correspond to Latin "similiter," and to modify an attribute. (c) Preposition, because it is followed by a noun in the objective. This is an arbitrary mode of meeting a difficulty, and ignores both the origin and meaning of the word. The preposition to is also understood after "nigh," "near," and "next." EXAMPLES. 1. Words are like arrows.-2. The sea shone like a broad blue mirror.-3. But he clasped her like a lover.-4. This looks very like a paradox.-5. Authors, like coins, grow dear as they grow old.-6. Love in my bosom, like a bee, doth suck his sweet.— 7. Nike Narcissus, we are but nourishing our own image in the water.-8. Her feet disperse the powdery snow, that rises up like smoke.-9. Each particular hair did stand on end like quills upon the fretful porcupine. 10. O'er our heads the weeping beech-tree streamed 11. Its branches, arching like a fountain shower. He is gone on the mountain, He is lost to the forest, Like a summer-dried fountain, When our need was the sorest; Like the foam on the river, Like the bubble on the fountain, "Neither' (A.S. "náther") is "either" with the negative prefix "ne." It is (a) Adjective, or, as some say, adj. pron. e.g., : 1. I shall take neither of them.-2. Both may excite our wonder, but neither is entitled to our respect. (b) Conjunction, when followed by "nor" as its correlative: e.g., "It is neither summer nor winter." § 15.-No. (a) Adjective, shortened from "none," a compound of the negative and "one." As an adjective, it is joined to a noun: e.g., "No sailor trod the deck; no watch was stirring." (b) Adverb, shortened from "not:" e.g., "Have you heard the report? No." That is, "I have not heard the report." Or it may be the adjective "no" used adverbially. The adverb "no" cannot be joined to a verb expressed. § 16.-None. "None" is a definite numeral adjective. It differs from "no," as "mine" differs from "my." Its noun is seldom expressed, except after " none other :" e.g, They will lose none by me, though I get a few." is also called an indefinite pronoun. 66 § 17.-Off. It "Off" is a later form of the preposition "of." It is (a) Preposition, when followed by a noun: e.g., "Whales are caught off the coast of Greenland." (b) Adverb of place, when modifying a verb: e.g., "At a given signal they pushed off from the shore.' (c) Interjection, when the verb is omitted: e.g., "Off! base wretch !" (d) Adjective: e.g., "The off leader was greatly admired." It is, in such cases, generally united to a noun, so as to form a compound. § 18.-One. (See Part II., Ch. iv., § 6.) 66 § 19.-Only. Only" was formerly written "onliche," ie., like one. It is primarily an adjective. (a) Adjective, when it qualifies a noun: e.g., only son was wounded.” "His (b) Adverb, when it modifies an attribute: e.g., "He was only wounded.” 66 66 N.B. In the sentence "His son only was wounded,” it is doubtful whether "only" refers to "son or to was wounded." If it modify was wounded," it is an adverb: if it be taken to qualify "son," it is an adjective. It should be remarked that " 'only" here means "alone": 66 His son was wounded, and no one else." § 20. Other. "Other" (A.S. ather) is probably the numeral 66 "one" and the suffix "-ther." It is used as an adjective and as a noun. As a noun it has a possessive singular (other's) and a plural (others). "The other," contracted afterwards into "tother," was used for the ordinal numeral "second." (a) Adjective, or, as some say, adj. pron. e.g., 1. "This is none other but the house of God." 2. "Two women shall be grinding together; one shall be taken and the other left." (b) Noun, when it has the sign of the possessive, or that of the plural: e.g., "Do unto others as you would wish that they should do unto you." § 21.-Pass. "Pass" is used as 66 (a) Noun: e.g., (1) The pass was difficult.” (2) "Affairs have come to a pretty pass." (b) Verb: e.g., "They pass with banners spread." In the idiomatic sentence, "It came to pass,' pass may be parsed as (1) a noun, governed by "to" "It came to the pass"; or as (2) a verb, governed by "came"—"It (i.e., the event) came to pass (i.e., before our mental gaze)." |