The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.Smith, Adam
Philosophy
The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.
Smith, Adam
Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Language and languages -- Early works to 1800
As all the same relations which subsist between single, may likewise
subsist between numerous objects, it is evident there would be occasion
for the same number of cases in the dual and in the plural, as in the
singular number. Hence the intricacy and complexness of the declensions
in all the ancient languages. In the Greek there are five cases in each
of the three numbers, consequently fifteen in all.
As nouns adjective, in the ancient languages, varied their terminations
according to the gender of the substantive to which they were applied,
so did they likewise, according to the case and the number. Every noun
adjective in the Greek language, therefore, having three genders, and
three numbers, and five cases in each number, may be considered as
having five and forty different variations. The first formers of
language seem to have varied the termination of the adjective, according
to the case and the number of the substantive, for the same reason which
made them vary according to the gender; the love of analogy, and of a
certain regularity of sound. In the signification of adjectives there is
neither case nor number, and the meaning of such words is always
precisely the same, notwithstanding all the variety of termination under
which they appear. _Magnus vir_, _magni viri_, _magnorum virorum_; _a
great man_, _of a great man_, _of great men_ in all these expressions
the words _magnus_, _magni_, _magnorum_, as well as the word _great_,
have precisely one and the same signification, though the substantives
to which they are applied have not. The difference of termination in the
noun adjective is accompanied with no sort of difference in the meaning.
An adjective denotes the qualification of a noun substantive. But the
different relations in which that noun substantive may occasionally
stand, can make no sort of difference upon its qualification.
If the declensions of the ancient languages are so very complex, their
conjugations are infinitely more so. And the complexness of the one is
founded upon the same principle with that of the other, the difficulty
of forming, in the beginnings of language, abstract and general terms.
Verbs must necessarily have been coeval with the very first attempts
towards the formation of language. No affirmation can be expressed
without the assistance of some verb. We never speak but in order to
express our opinion that something either is or is not. But the word
denoting this event, or this matter of fact, which is the subject of our
affirmation, must always be a verb.
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