* * * * * CHAPTER XXXV. ON WHEN, THEN, AND THAN. § 388. The Anglo-Saxon adverbs are _whenne_ and _þenne_ = _when_, _then_. The masculine accusative cases of the relative and demonstrative pronoun are _hwæne_ (_hwone_) and _þæne_ (_þone_). Notwithstanding the difference, the first form is a variety of the second; so that the adverbs _when_ and _then_ are really pronominal in origin. § 389. As to the word _than_, the conjunction of comparison, it is another form of _then_; the notions of _order_, _sequence_, and _comparison_ being allied. _This is good_; _then_ (or _next in order_) _that is good_, is an expression sufficiently similar to _this is better than that_ to have given rise to it; and in Scotch and certain provincial dialects we actually find _than_ instead of _then_. * * * * * CHAPTER XXXVI. PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS. § 390. _Prepositions._--Prepositions are wholly unsusceptible of inflection. § 391. _Conjunctions._--Conjunctions, like prepositions, are wholly unsusceptible of inflection. § 392. _Yes_, _no_.--Although _not_ may be considered to be an adverb, _nor_ a conjunction, and _none_ a noun, these two words, the direct categorical affirmative, and the direct categorical negative, are referable to none of the current parts of speech. Accurate grammar places them in a class by themselves. § 393. _Particles._--The word particle is a collective term for all those parts of speech that are _naturally_ unsusceptible of inflection; comprising, 1, interjections; 2, direct categorical affirmatives; 3, direct categorical negatives; 4, absolute conjunctions; 5, absolute prepositions; 6, adverbs unsusceptible of degrees of comparison; 7, inseparable prefixes. * * * * * CHAPTER XXXVII. ON THE GRAMMATICAL POSITION OF THE WORDS MINE AND THINE. § 394. The inflection of pronouns has its natural peculiarities in language. It has also its natural difficulties in philology. These occur not in one language in particular, but in all generally. The most common peculiarity in the grammar of pronouns is the fact of what may be called their _convertibility_. Of this _convertibility_ the following statements serve as illustration:-- 1. _Of case._--In our own language the words _my_ and _thy_ although at present possessives, were previously datives, and, earlier still, accusatives. Again, the accusative _you_ replaces the nominative _ye_, and _vice versâ_. 2. _Of number._--The words _thou_ and _thee_ are, except in the mouths of Quakers, obsolete. The plural forms, _ye_ and _you_, have replaced them. 3. _Of person._--The Greek language gives us examples of this in the promiscuous use of νιν, μιν, σφε, and ἑαυτοῦ; whilst _sich_ and _sik_ are used with a similar latitude in the Middle High German and Scandinavian. 4. _Of class._--The demonstrative pronouns become-- a. Personal pronouns. b. Relative pronouns. c. Articles.