Words preceded by Inseparable Adverbs.

Words preceded by the Inseparable Adverb be-.—Be-hove, befit, be-seem, be-lieve, be-lie, be-spatter, be-smear, be-get, be-labour, be-do, be-gin (on-ginnan in A. S.), be-gird, be-hold, be-mourn, bereave, be-deck, be-think, be-mire, be-rhyme. The forms throughout the allied languages are generally bi- or be-.

Words formed by the Inseparable Adverb un-.-Un-bind, undo, un-loose, un-lock, un-wind. The forms of the Inseparable in the different allied languages are-in Moso-Gothic, and-; in Old High-German, ind-, int-, in-; in Old Saxon, ant-; in Middle and New High-German, ent-; in Anglo-Saxon, on-; as on-bindan (un-bind), on-don (un-do), on-lýsan (un-loose), onlúcan (un-lock), on-windan (un-wind).

Words formed by the Inseparable Adverb a-.-A-light, arouse, a-rise, a-wake, a-wak-en, a-bet, a-bide, a-llay. The forms of this Inseparable, different in different allied languages, are -in Moso-Gothic, us-; in Old High-German, ur-, ar-, ir-, er-, ër-; in Old Saxon and in Anglo-Saxon, á-; as á-rísan (a-rise), á-weccan (a-wake).

Words formed by the Inseparable Adverb for-.-For-get, fordo, fore-go, for-give, for-bid, for-bear, for-swear. The for- here is of a different origin, and different in meaning and power, from the fore- in words like fore-tell. In different allied languages it takes different forms. In Moso-Gothic, fáir, faúr, fra. In Old High-German, far, fer, fir, for. In Middle and New High-German, ver. In Anglo-Saxon, for.

CHAPTER III.

ON DERIVATION AND INFLECTION.

§ 332. DERIVATION, like etymology, is a word used in a wide. and in a limited sense. In the wide sense of the term every word, except it be in the simple form of a root, is a derived word. In this sense the cases, numbers, and genders of nouns, the persons, moods, and tenses of verbs, the ordinal numbers, the diminutives, and even the compound words, are alike matters of derivation. In the wide sense of the term the word fathers, from father, is equally in a state of derivation with the word strength, from strong.

In the use of the word, even in its limited sense, there is considerable laxity and uncertainty, as may be seen by attending to the following terms :—

Gender, number, case.-These have been called the accidents of the noun, and these it has been agreed to separate from derivation in its stricter sense, or from derivation properly so called, and to class together under the name of declension. Nouns are declined.

Person, number, tense, voice.-These have been called the accidents of a verb, and these it has been agreed to separate from derivation properly so called, and to class together under the name of conjugation. Verbs are conjugated.

Conjugation and declension constitute inflection. Nouns and verbs, speaking generally, are inflected.

Inflection, a part of derivation in its wider sense, is separated from derivation properly so called, or from derivation in its limited sense.

Derivation proper may be divided according to a variety of principles. Amongst others—

I. According to the evidence.-In the evidence that a word is not simple, but derived, there are at least two degrees.

1. That the word strength is a derived word I collect to a certainty from the word strong, an independent form, which I can separate from it. Of the nature of the word strength there is the clearest evidence, or evidence of the first degree.

2. Fowl, hail, nail, sail, tail, soul; in Anglo-Saxon, fugel, hægel, nægel, segel, tægel, sawel.-These words are by the best grammarians considered as derivatives. Now, with these words I can not do what was done with the word strength, I can not take from them the part which I look upon as the derivational addition, and after that leave an independent word. Strength ―th is a true word; fowl or fugel-l is no true word. If I believe these latter words to be derivations at all, I do it because I find in words like handle, &c., the -l as a derivational addition. Yet, as the fact of a word being sometimes used as a derivational addition does not preclude it from being at other times a part of the root, the evidence that the words in question are not simple, but derived, is not cogent. In other words, it is evidence of the second degree.

II. According to the effect.-The syllable -en in the word whiten changes the noun white into a verb. This is its effect. We may so classify as to arrange combinations like -en (whose effect is to give the idea of the verb) in one order; whilst combinations like th (whose effect is, as in the word strength, to give the idea of abstraction) form another order.

:

III. According to the form.-Sometimes the derivational element is a vowel (as the -ie in doggie); sometimes a consonant combined sometimes a syllable (as the -en in whiten); sometimes a change of vowel without any addition (as the i in tip, compared with top); sometimes a change of consonant without any addition (as the z in prize, compared with price). Sometimes, too, it is a change of accent, like a súrvey, compared with to survey. To classify derivations in this manner is to classify them according to their form. For the detail of the derivative forms, see Deutsche Grammatik, ii. 89–405.

IV. According to the historical origin of the derivational elements. For this see Vol. I.

V. According to the number of the derivational elements.—In

fisher, as compared with fish, there is but one derivational affix. In fishery, as compared with fish, the number of derivational elements is two.

§ 333. Forms like tip, from top, price and prize, &c., are of importance in general etymology. Let it be received as a theory (as with some philologists is really the case) that fragmentary sounds like the -en in whiten, the -th in strength, &c., were once words; or, changing the expression, let it be considered that all derivation was once composition. Let this view be opposed. The first words that are brought to militate against it are those like tip and prize, where, instead of any addition, there is only a change; and, consequently, no vestiges of an older word. This argument, good as far as it goes, is rebutted in the following manner. Let the word top have attached to it a second word, in which second word there is a small vowel. Let this small vowel act upon the full one in top, changing it to tip. After this, let the second word be ejected. We then get the form tip by the law of accommodation, and not as an immediate sign of derivation. The i in chick (from cock) may be thus accounted for, the -en in chicken being supposed to have exerted, first, an influence of accommodation, and afterwards to have fallen off.

§ 334. Derivation by means of the addition of a Vowel.— The only vowel sound that in English constitutes by itself a form of derivation is that of the ee in feet, expressed for the most part by the letter y. It occurs with two very distinct

powers.

1. As a Diminutive; babe, bab-y. In Lowland Scotch it is far more common, and is spelt -ie; as dogg-ie, lass-ie, ladd-ie, mous-ie, wif-ie = little (or dear) dog, lass, lad, mouse, wife. In the word baby its power as a diminutive is obsolete.

2. After certain words ending in -r; as fish-er-y, rook-er-y, brav-er-y, fool-er-y, prud-er-y, slav-er-y, witch-er-y, nurs-er-y, stitch-er-y, and a few others. Respecting these latter words it must be remembered —

a. That they are Double Derivatives ;

b. That the -r is probably the same as the -r in children; * The -y in words like might-y originated in -ig; as miht-ig, A. S.

c. That the vowel sound is not of Saxon or even Gothic origin. It originates from the -y in words like astronom-y, histor-y, prophec-y, necromanc-y, &c., all of which are words derived, not from any Gothic language, but from the Latin or Greek. The original forms of these endings was -ia, as astronom-i-a, histor-i-a, &c. Hence words like fish-er-y, &c., are improperly formed.

Derivation by means of the addition of the liquid L.—1. Substantives.-Gird-le, kern-el.

2. Adjectives.-Litt-le, mick-le.

3. Verbs.-Spark-le.

Derivation by means of the addition of the liquid R.—Substantives.-Words that in A. S. ended in -er, and were (or would have been) of the masculine gender-laugh-t-er, slaugh

t-er.

Words that in A. S. ended in -er, and were (or would have been) of the neuter gender-lay-er, lai-r (A. S. læg-er), fodd-er (from the root of feed).

Substantives that in A. S. ended in -ere, and were (or would have been) of the masculine gender.-These form a numerous and important class. They are almost all the names of agents, and, if we subtract from almost any of them the ending -er, the remainder is either a verb or a word that can be used as such; e. g. a bak-er performs the act of baking, and (as such) is an agent (or one who acts or does), so that the word bak-er is the name of an agent. Subtract -er, and the remainder is bake, a word that can be used as a verb, e. g. to bake, I bake, &c.-read-er, sinn-er, harp-er, full-er, begg-er (or beggar), hunt-er, lend-er, borrow-er, reap-er, mow-er, sow-er, plougher, fish-er, deal-er, wander-er, writ-er, lead-er, steer-er, look-er, heal-er, cobbl-er, li-ar, robb-er, sail-or, teach-er, help-er, los-er, hear-er, buy-er, sell-er, shap-er, leap-er, runn-er, walk-er, jumper, murder-er, slaughter-er, fiddl-er, giv-er, work-er, rid-er, kill-er, slay-er, slumber-er, sleep-er, keep-er, dream-er, tell-er, bak-er, brew-er, thatch-er, weaver, spinn-er, wait-er, eat-er, drink-er, din-er, rov-er, lov-er, mov-er, flatter-er, mill-er, glov-er, hatt-er.

Substantives that in A. S. ended in -ra, and were (or would have been) masculine-gander (A. S. gand-ra).