The prepositions of deflection, when complex, originate chiefly in nouns, accompanied by an absolute preposition; as _instead of_ of substantival, _between_ of adjectival origin. The absolute prepositions, in the English language, are _in_, _on_, _of_, _at_, _up_, _by_, _to_, _for_, _from_, _till_, _with_, _through_. s. 443. _Conjunctions._--Conjunctions, like prepositions, are wholly unsusceptible of inflection. Like prepositions they {379} are never made by means of a derivational element. Like prepositions they are either simple (as _and_, _if_), or complex (as _also_, _nevertheless_). The conjunctions of deflection originate chiefly in imperative moods (as _all_ save _one_, _all_ except _one_); participles used like the ablative absolute in Latin (as _all_ saving _one_, _all_ excepting _one_); adverbs (as _so_); prepositions (as _for_); and relative neuters (as _that_). The absolute conjunctions in the English language are _and_, _or_, _but_, _if_. s. 444. _Yes, no._--Although _not_ may be reduced to an adverb, _nor_ to a conjunction, and _none_ to a noun, these two words (the direct affirmative, and the direct negative) are referable to none of the current parts of speech. Accurate grammar places them in a class by themselves. s. 445. _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 affirmatives; 3, direct negatives; 4, absolute conjunctions; 5, absolute prepositions; 6, adverbs unsusceptible of degrees of comparison; 7, inseparable prefixes. * * * * * {380} CHAPTER XXXVII. ON THE GRAMMATICAL POSITION OF THE WORDS MINE AND THINE. s. 446. 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 vers[^a]_. 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._--Laying aside the habit of the Germans and other nations, of using the third person plural for the second singular (as in expressions like _wie befinden sie sich_ = _how do they find themselves?_ instead of _how do you find yourself?_) the Greek language gives us examples of interchange in the way of persons in the promiscuous use of [Greek: nin, min, sphe], and [Greek: heautou]; whilst _sich_ and _sik_ are used with a similar latitude in the Middle High German and Scandinavian.