varieties,) which he says supplies a race of words denoting the hand, and its actions is merely a variety of CL. or rather of LG., the L. being in the one case (the general order however) first, and in the other last hence llaw, llofen, Welsh; loof, Scotch, &c.

KS, BS, as in kiss, buss, &c. are resolvable into gor, cor, vor, (contracted into os, or-is, &c.) from which, as we have seen, are for, fari, fatus, verb, word; hence also jeer, as gibe is from gab, that is to mouth or mock.

MN. which he says is an element signifying enclosure, as of the hand, &c. is merely a variety of the primary sign, denoting roundness or roundishness; hence mons, mont-es, mount; mond, Sax. mouth, &c.; as also fons, font-is, fount.

As to MND, MNT, (and he should have added MN, or men,) which is, as he justly remarks, a termination; we shall consider it when we come to the terminations.

R. Mr. Whiter remarks, (as Mr. Horne Tooke and others had done before,) is oftentimes not to be considered as a part of the element. This is without exception the falsest proposition in all the writings of Mr. Horne Tooke and Mr. Whiter, and would of itself have convinced me that they were but halfformed etymologers.

Spr. which Mr. Whiter says is an element for the sky, (a softened sound of skir, skirig, skig, originally cir,) is merely like sphere a softened sound of cir.

The names of the Sun and Moon, he says, (almost

truly,) are derived from the idea of an enclosure or circular fence. Their name signifies neither enclosure nor fence, but simply a circle; yet there is a connexion between their name and that of an enclosure or fence, because an enclosure or fence surrounds or encircles.

TB. which he says is the element of hollow, (as tub, &c.) like top, cop, cob, cup, tr, tor, cr, cir, cor, &c. (of all which it is only a variety) means simply round ·

TR, TM, &c. are not different elements, but the same sign of any thing round; hence it is properly applied to the earth, y in Chaldaic ark or arch; in some of the northern dialects yerd, yert; in Greek гŋ, a contraction of гɛg, гng, &c. ; in Latin terr-a. ‹

TR. to devour, is a variety of vor-o, from which is devor-o, devour, &c.

Thus it appears how near Mr. Whiter was to the truth in every element, (as he has termed it,) above given. I am afraid, however, of tiring the reader with too much of that, whose proper place is a dictionary, only I wished to give a sufficient number of instances to prove how very easy and how very certain true etymology is. I leave the Canon of Etymology by subjoining a proposition that had escaped me; namely, that r. or 1. (which we have considered as one letter,) from its difficulty of enunciation, (especially when it was pronounced gutturally,) and vibratory motion on the tongue, has shifted from its proper primary position in some words: thus Atlas, Atlantis, from Altas Altantis, a high hill in Mauri

tania; Atlantic or Altantic, is properly an adjective from the former name, and as applied to the ocean means that part of it which lies towards or in the direction of Atlas or Altas. Metal is a corruption or mispronunciation (which drew a mispelling after it), of melt: metals are substances that have been or may be melted; as gold, silver, copper, tin, iron and lead.

C

PART III.

THE COMPONENT PARTS OF SPEECH UNFOLDED.

IT has been sufficiently shown, I trust, that C L. CR. L C. or R C. is the primary simple word of written language, and that all the copiæ verborum are merely varieties and combinations of that one simple word, or rather sign. It will be not expected that all the varieties and combinations of that simple word or sign, should be treated of or even noticed in this work. Only those simple words, more important in the system of speech with the manner of their combinations, are intended to be explained here. I shall begin this subject with what have been termed particles, including the article, conjunction, preposition, pronoun, verbal, adjective and substantive terminations, and in short all affixes and prefixes. The discussion of these component parts of speech shall be as much as possible strictly English; not excluding

*The sign existed before the word: sign has reference to visible objects; word is so denominated because of its connexion with vor, cor, &c. the mouth; a sign is seen, a word is spoken. If the sign and word (that is, enunciation of the sign) be so well associated that the sound of the latter excites the idea of the former, the word is correct; if not, it is incorrect.

such remarks, however, on other dialects as are likely to illustrate the subject; for the reader will perceive, that what holds of English, applies equally to Hebrew, Greek, Latin, &c.: true grammar is not local but universal-not peculiar to any one of the dialects, but common to them all.

I have always found this the most difficult and perplexing part of philology, (it comprehends the whole of what is commonly called grammar, concerning which there has been so much mysticism and nonsense, and so little intelligibleness and rationality) and shall think myself fortunate if I can treat of it with tolerable clearness and precision. Particles are in truth the mummies of language, and it is almost impossible to ascertain their true nature and origin. It has been justly remarked by Horne Tooke, " that words most frequently in use, are most subject to contraction and corruption." The article, conjunction, preposition, pronoun and all the terminations are frequently in use, and therefore they are much corrupted from their original form: they have occasioned much mistake, mysticism and absurdity; and I shall think myself abundantly rewarded for all my anxious reflection and toilsome enquiry, if successful in putting down a set of contemptible systems, technical terms and mischievous arts, which have so long befooled and enslaved the disciples of learned authority, and stunned the world with the noise of their pretensions.

All the words now particularly in view, may be