FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1204   1205   1206   1207   1208   1209   1210   1211   1212   1213   1214   1215   1216   1217   1218   1219   1220   1221   1222   1223   1224   1225   1226   1227   1228  
1229   1230   1231   1232   1233   1234   1235   1236   1237   1238   1239   1240   1241   1242   1243   1244   1245   1246   1247   1248   1249   1250   1251   1252   1253   >>   >|  
e of the "wonderful proofs of ingenuity in the _framers_ of language;" and laboured to defend it as being "correct upon principle;" that is, upon the principle that "_the sum of_" is understood to be the subject of the affirmation, when one says, "Two _and_ two _is_ four," in stead of, "Two and two _are_ four."--See _Webster's Philosophical Gram._, p. 153. This seems to me a "wonderful proof" of _ignorance_ in a very learned man. OBS. 8.--In Greek and Latin, the verb frequently agrees with the nearest nominative, and is understood to the rest; and this construction is sometimes imitated in English, especially if the nouns follow the verb: as, "[Greek: Nuni do MENEI pistis, elpis agape, ta tria tanta]."--"Nunc vero _manet_ fides, spes, charitas; tria haec."--"Now _abideth_ faith, hope, charity; these three."--_1 Cor._, xiii, 13. "And now _abideth_ confession, prayer, and praise, these three; but the greatest of these is praise."--ATTERBURY: _Blair's Rhet._, p. 300. The propriety of this usage, so far as our language is concerned, I doubt. It seems to open a door for numerous deviations from the foregoing rule, and deviations of such a sort, that if they are to be considered exceptions, one can hardly tell why. The practice, however, is not uncommon, especially if there are more nouns than two, and each is emphatic; as, "Wonderful _was_ the patience, fortitude, self-denial, _and_ bravery of our ancestors."--_Webster's Hist. of U. S._, p. 118. "It is the very thing I would have you make out: for therein _consists_ the form, and use, and nature of language."--_Berkley's Alciphron_, p. 161. "There _is_ the proper noun, and the common noun. There _is_ the singular noun, and the plural noun."--_Emmons's Gram._, p. 11. "From him _proceeds_ power, sanctification, truth, grace, and every other blessing we can conceive."--_Calvin's Institutes_, B. i, Ch. 13. "To what purpose _cometh_ there to me incense from Sheba, _and_ the sweet cane from a far country?"--_Jer._, vi, 20. "For thine _is_ the kingdom, _and_ the power, _and_ the glory, forever."--_Matt._, vi, 13. In all these instances, the plural verb might have been used; and yet perhaps the singular may be justified on the ground that there is a distinct and emphatic enumeration of the nouns. Thus, it would be proper to say, "Thine _are_ the kingdom, the power, and the glory;" but this construction seems less emphatic than the preceding, which means, "For thine is the kingdom, _thin
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1204   1205   1206   1207   1208   1209   1210   1211   1212   1213   1214   1215   1216   1217   1218   1219   1220   1221   1222   1223   1224   1225   1226   1227   1228  
1229   1230   1231   1232   1233   1234   1235   1236   1237   1238   1239   1240   1241   1242   1243   1244   1245   1246   1247   1248   1249   1250   1251   1252   1253   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
language
 

kingdom

 

emphatic

 

plural

 

abideth

 

construction

 

singular

 
deviations
 

proper

 

praise


Webster

 

wonderful

 

principle

 

understood

 

Emmons

 
defend
 

common

 
frequently
 
proceeds
 

laboured


blessing

 

conceive

 

Calvin

 

sanctification

 

correct

 

agrees

 

ancestors

 
Berkley
 
Alciphron
 
nature

consists

 

Institutes

 

justified

 
ground
 

distinct

 

enumeration

 
preceding
 
instances
 

cometh

 

incense


purpose

 

bravery

 
country
 

forever

 

proofs

 

ingenuity

 

framers

 

denial

 

charity

 

greatest