Page images
PDF
EPUB

red

A

[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

"No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark."-English Bible.

66

"Save we

two in the house."-Id. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God."- Id. "Every man save thou hath told his tale."— - Chaucer. "All slept sound, save she who bore them both."-Rogers.

Save, as commonly used, seems rather to be the adjective safe, f being exchanged for its kindred letter v. Indeed, the original letter is v, since this word is derived from the Latin salvus, from which is derived the French sauf (fem. sauve). The leading idea in safe is freedom, exemption (from danger, injury, etc.); and it would be easy to extend this idea of exemption to other things than danger and injury, so that the word should be employed to express exemption from what is included in a general statement. "All perished, save he;" that is, he safe, he being safe, he excepted (nom. absolute). "But the poor man had nothing, save (safe) one little ewe lamb.”

Compare with this form the Latin salva fide, safe faith, faith being preserved; salvo eo, safe (save) that, that being excepted. Also the use of sauf (safe) in French; as, "Partage de toute la partie libre de l'ager publicus, sauf celui de la Campanie."-Louis Napoleon. (Partition of all the unappropriated part of the public land, safe that of Campania.)

Chaucer uses sauf with the sense of save; as, "Sauf (safe) his cappe, he rode all bare;" "That no man wote thereof, sauf God and he;" "He wol suffre no wight bere the key sauf he himself."*

14. But. This word is sometimes used as a preposition; as, "Whence all but him had fled."- Hemans. The usual form, however, is "all but he." The latter form is easily explained if we consider but as a contraction of be out, be being a verb in the imperative mood. All had fled, be out he (b'ut he), be he out of the number. If this explanation is not accepted, but must be taken as a conjunction, with an ellipsis of such words as may be necessary to form a complete proposition; as, “All had fled, but he had not fled." The supplying of the ellipsis would sometimes exhibit very awkward and unsatisfactory constructions. "Who can it be but perjured Lycon?" This passage presents no difficulty if but is regarded either as a preposition or as a contraction of be out; but if this word is considered a conjunction, it is not very easy to supply the ellipsis. "Who can it be but it can be perjured Lycon?" One who understands the language would scarcely be satisfied with this. "None but Nestor answered him." "None answered him, but Nestor answered him," does not express the meaning of the passage. The writer intends to make prominent the idea of the exclusion of all the others, while the latter sentence makes Nestor's answering the prominent idea.

It is to be observed that the nominative case is used after but without regard to the case of the preceding noun; so that this word can not be said to "connect like caзes." Thus,

"My father hath no child but I."-Shakespeare.

"I do not think

So fair an outside, and such stuff within,
Endows a man but HE."-Id.

I hope it be not gone to tell my lord
That I kiss aught but he."-Id.

In these passages child, man, and aught are in the objective case, and it is not easy to see how "the ellipsis" is to be supplied, awkwardly or otherwise.

*Some may prefer to consider save an apocopated participle, like shave, shape, take, confuse, etc., which are employed in old English for sharen (shaved), shapen, (shaped), taken, confused, etc.; as, "It hadde ben anoint."-Chaucer. "His berd was shave as neighe as ever he can."-Id. The construction would still be that of the nominative absolute. "All perished, saved he❞—he saved.

Butan is sometimes a preposition in the Anglo-Saxon language; as, "Butan wifum and cildum," without or besides women and children. If but were usually followed by the objective case, it would be a preposition; but as the weight of authority is against this construction, the simplest way is to consider but as a contraction of be out, and the following nominative the subject of the verb. Those who attempt to dispose of this word as a conjunction will find difficulties much more embarrassing than that of regarding but (b'ut) as two words, the verb be and the adverb out (in Anglo-Saxon ut); as do n't, which, so far as sound is concerned, might be written dont, is in reality two words, the verb do and the adverb not. I'll, or ile as formerly it was sometimes written, is in reality two words, the pronoun I and the verb will.

15. The two words out of are generally regarded as one preposition; but out is an adverb, with a meaning of its own. "He was not out (on the outside) of the house to-day." Here out is an adverb modifying the verb was, and of is a preposition forming with the house an adjunct to out. 'Help me out (to the outside) of the pit." "We are out (in want) of bread."

[ocr errors]

16. When any of the words in the list of prepositions stands without an objective case, it is generally an adverb; as, "He is lying down." In many cases, however, an objective may be properly supplied; as in the following passage, in which hill is omitted after down, being readily suggested by what precedes :

"The king of France, with forty thousand men,

Marched up a hill, and then marched down again.”

The French
Some place

17. The Latin prepositions per and versus are employed in some technical expressions; as, "Ten dollars per barrel;" "Smith versus Jones." preposition sans, without, occurs in Shakespeare; as, "Sans teeth." the Latin words plus, minus, and via in the list. As plus and minus are adjectives in Latin, and via a noun, it is not necessary to transform them to prepositions. The expression "6 minus 3" means 6 less by 3. "The amount of £3,000 per annum, less by the students' fees."-Charles Kingsley. Compare dimidio minus, less by half. Via signifies by the way (of understood). Goold Brown places among prepositions despite, inside, outside, left hand, etc., in such expressions as the following: "Despite old spleen," "inside the room," "outside the peach," "left hand the town." But of should be expressed after such words.

RECAPITULATION.

According, bating, excepting, saving, withstanding, during, pending, concerning, regarding, respecting, and touching are participles belonging to nouns expressed or understood. Except is usually a participle; when followed by an objective it is a verb in the imperative mood. Save is a form of the adjective safe,† the noun with which it is connected being in the nominative case absolute; when followed by an objective it is a verb in the imperative mood. But is a contraction of be out; be is a verb in the imperative mood, modified by the adverb out, the noun that follows being the subject of be.

"Except, and but and save in the sense of except, are sometimes followed by nominatives, and thus used as conjunctions: but the better usage is to convert them into prepositions by putting the substantives after them in the objective case."-Kerl's Treatise on the English Language. If by "better usage "the author means the practice of the best writers, he is greatly mistaken; if he means better treatment, it is not easy to see how those obstinate nominatives he and I are to be treated so as to be put in the objective case and made to stay there.

Or an apocopated participle for saved.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

EXERCISES.

1. Name the prepositions, the adjuncts, and the words modified:

He went from New York. He went to New Orleans. He went from New York to New Orleans. The book lies before him. The book lies on the table. The book lies before him on the table. The book lies on the table before him. I bring fresh showers for the thirsty flowers. I bring fresh showers from the sea. I bring from the sea fresh showers for the thirsty flowers. For the thirsty flowers I bring from the sea fresh showers. Our country sinks beneath the yoke. Our country sinks beneath the yoke of the oppressor. Thomas swam across the river. Thomas swam across the river with great ease. With great ease Thomas swam across the river. I wandered along the mazes of the rivulet. I wandered along the mazes of the rivulet for several hours. He has laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains. The company crowded about the fire. How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke! Why should I for others groan when none will sigh for me? Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight. Care supplies sighs to my breast and sorrow to my eyes. By fairy hands their knell is rung. By forms unseen their dirge is sung. No sense have they of ills to come. Gently on thy suppliant's head, dread goddess, lay thy chastening hand. They from his presence hid themselves among the thickest trees. Above the clouds is the sun still

shining. Confusion on thy banners wait. From hill to hill, from peak to peak, the echo sounds.

On a rock, whose haughty brow

Frowns o'er old Conway's foaming flood,

Robed in the sable garb of woe,

With haggard eyes the poet stood.—Gray.

2. Insert an appropriate preposition in the place of the following blanks:

ran...

[ocr errors]

She moves.... the house. The stars are shining. . . . us. Edgar the street. I have not seen him .... that time.

....

He threw
his ball.... the well. Mary often walks the bank.... the river.
There are some good boys.... them.
Not being able to pass

them stood the tree of life. the thicket, he went. . . . it. I had never seen him .. that time. The dogs barked. . . . me. He wished me to sit. . . . him. He trades. London and Paris. His success is .... his expectations. He was killed. . . . the blow....a hatchet. The stream flows.... the side. . . . the mountain. The exile longs

. his country. She walks. ... the garden. He fell . . . . the horse. She walked out.... the house. She walked out. the house... the garden. The pigeons flew.... the barn. He has put all his

enemies.... his feet. The rope was placed .... his neck. Sisyphus rolls a huge stone. . . . a hill. He has bestowed a valuable gift........ them. Break . . . . the thick array. . . . his thronged legions. She has her friend her. Stay.... the house. Let him go.... me; for I

can not go . . . . him.

3. Form sentences each containing one or more of the following prepositions: About. Above. After. Along. Among. Around. At. Before. Below. Beside. By. From. With. Through. To. Till. Without.

PARSING EXERCISES.

"He died for glory."

For is a preposition-it is used in connection with the noun glory to form an adjunct modifying the verb died.

Rule. A preposition with its object forms an adjunct modifying some preceding word.

"John is respectful and obedient to his parents."

To is a preposition-it is used in connection with the noun parents to form an adjunct modifying the adjectives respectful and obedient. Rule. A preposition with its object forms an adjunct modifying some preceding word.

He died for glory. John is respectful and obedient to his parents. The books belong to John and William. He sleeps with his ancestors. That boy is devoted to study. They labor from morning till night. He has gone to Pensacola. His cottage is surrounded by trees and covered with vines. He is walking around the farm. She gazes at him from the window.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.

What is a preposition? What is an adjunct? From what is the word preposition derived? What is the noun called? Give an example in which the same words have more than one adjunct. Give an example in which the noun in an adjunct is modified by another adjunct. Give examples in which an adjunct is placed out of the natural order. May the same preposition have more than one object? Give an example in which there are more antecedents than one. What adverbs are sometimes made to change places with the preposition from? Give an example in which a gerund is used after a preposition. An infinitive. A proposition. adjunct. Give a list of the prepositions beginning with a. With b. With f. With i. With m. With o. With p. With r. With s. With t.

ADVERBS.

An adverb. An With d. With e. With u. With w.

An ADVERB is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb; as, "He acts cautiously;" "He is remarkably cautious;" "He acts more cautiously."

T

In the first example the adverb cautiously modifies the verb acts; in the second example remarkably modifies the adjective cautious; in the third more modifies the adverb cautiously.

Remarks. An adverb is an abridged expression for an adjunct; cautiously meaning in a cautious manner, remarkably meaning in a remarkable degree, more meaning in a greater degree. So here in this place, then at that time, etc.

2. In general we have adverbs for such adjuncts as would be most commonly used. Adverbs and adjuncts are often employed indiscriminately to express the same idea; as, "He acted prudently;" "He acted with prudence."

3. Though it is generally true that a word which is equivalent to an adjunct is an adverb, yet this is not always the case. A qualifying adjective joined to a noun denotes the possession of the quality by the object, and such adjectives are equivalent to adjuncts formed by of or with denoting possession. "A wise man"="“a man of (possessing) wisdom;" "The swift-footed Achilles"-"Achilles with (possessing) the swift foot." Other adjectives expressing the want of the quality are equivalent to adjuncts formed by the preposition without, denoting negation of possession. "An unwise man "="a man without (not possessing) wisdom."

[ocr errors]

4. Some adverbs are adjuncts from which the prepositions have been dropped. Awhile for a while; sometimes at some times. Twilight loves to linger for a while;""Twilight loves to linger a while." "No mortal author knows to what use his works may sometime or other be applied.”—Addison. Sometime should have

been written as two words, at being understood.

5. Such adverbs as ahead, away, are formed by uniting the preposition a with nouns. Ahead at the head; ashore on the shore.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

EXERCISES.

1. What do the adverbs in the following sentences modify?

He labors diligently. They live happily. She is very industrious. The lady was fashionably dressed. Eugene listens attentively. My book is here. Go immediately. Thomas was thoroughly disgusted. Come again. Come often and stay long. He studies well. The enemy was wholly unprepared. He sometimes studies well. He speaks fluently. He speaks very fluently. She writes correctly. She moves gracefully. I never saw a more graceful person. My work is almost done. When did you see Orlando? Should you like to see him again? Where did you see him? How did he behave? Admirably. He was greatly beloved. How often have you seen the

[blocks in formation]

rhinoceros?

enough.

Twice. She never told her love. The basket is full

2. Form sentences each containing one or more of the following adverbs: Wisely. Beautifully. Now. Then. Furiously. Hardly. Once. Sometimes. Sooner. Forward. Fast. Slowly. Bravely. Yonder. Completely. Out. Away. So.

*More properly written as two words, a while, the word while being simply a moun time.

« PreviousContinue »