most instances it signifies not: thus, unable is not able; unactive, not active; but uncurl, does not mean not to curl; it means the contrary of curl, and in like manner undo means the contrary of do.

Under has the same meaning in composition as when used by itself; to undervalue a thing is to value it below its worth: sometimes, however, its meaning is figurative, for when we say of any person, he understands a thing, we do not mean to say, that he stands under it; but as one thing may be said to stand under another which rests upon it, so, metaphorically, the mind is represented as supporting or standing under that which it comprehends.

Up generally signifies aloft, or on high; but it often means an advanced rather than an elevated situation: thus, when we speak of sailing up the river, we mean merely sailing in a certain direction: in the following instances it is used in its ordinary acceptation; upbear, upraise, &c.

With, is also used in composition; when used by itself it is commonly synonymous with join or be; but in composition, it has generally the same meaning as against, as in the words withhold and withstand.

Terminations.

Able, ible, or ble, is the same termination variously modified according to circumstances: by most grammarians it is thought to be derived from the Latin habilis, able, fit, or having power; but Horne Tooke seems to think differently, and assigns its origin to the Gothic. Whatever it may have been originally, it is obviously one of those contractions by which the expression of thought is greatly accelerated. In all instances it conveys the idea of ability or power, to do or to suffer what the word, to which it is added, signifies. This at first view appears a contradiction; but probably the active or passive signification is to be found, not in the termination, but in the primitive to which it is joined. In the following words, the signification is active; agreeable, comfortable, durable, favourable, profitable; for agreeable means that which can agree; comfortable, that which can comfort, &c. In the following, the signification is passive: admissible, amiable, incredible, immutable : admissible means that can be admitted; amiable, that can be loved, &c.

Ably is the same termination as the preceding, with ly added and contracted. Ly is itself a contraction

I

of lig, lik, or lick, a termination of Gothic origin, signifying like. This termination, when added to adjectives, forms adverbs; and when to substantives it forms adjectives. In both cases its signification is like: thus, justly, is just-like; greatly, great-like; fatherly, father-like; brotherly, brother-like.

Ate, was already noticed in treating of the terminations of verbs; it is a variation of the Latin participle actus, acted. It originates ated, ating, ation, ator, and atory; and the Latin atio, synonymous with our ation, is sometimes changed into ace. Ate means to do, or doing something, thus, calumniate, means to cause calumny; ated means done; ating and ation both refer to the action, as continuing or in a progressive state; ator refers to the person who performs an act, and atory to the place of performing an act. Or, perhaps, it would be more correct to consider ator, atory, &c. as compound terminations, for or is a termination synonymous with er: ory, ary, and ery, mean the same thing with each other. When words with these terminations are used as adjectives, they import that the things spoken of, are of that sort or kind denoted by the words to which the termination is added. Director is one who directs; directory, of that kind which directs.

Ad, or ade, is a Saxon termination, and signifies a

mass or quantity: thus, colonnade, is a collection of columns when added to verbs this terminatiom more

:

properly signifies a succession or repetition of what is denoted by the verb. Promenade, from the French promener, to walk, is a continuation of walking; and blockade, from our verb, to block, means a continued blocking or shutting up. Corresponding to this ter mination, the Spaniards use ado, which, in a few instances, we have adopted, as in tornado, bastinado, &c.

Age is derived from the Latin verb agere, to do or act, and from the changes of pronunciation, and consequent changes of spelling, it seems probable that ish, and ch, when added to verbs, are variations of the same word. This termination generally denotes doing or acting, and sometimes that which is produced by action. Appendage is something made to append or hang to another; carriage is the act of carrying; publish means making public, or known, to the people; breach is the act of breaking.

Al, ar, an, ian, ana, and ic, appear to be pretty nearly synonymous. The idea of belonging or being peculiar to, is expressed by each. National means belonging to nation. Regular, from the Latin regula, a rule, means belonging, or according to a rule. Italian, belonging to Italy. Egyptian, belonging to Egypt.

This termination is sometimes added to the names of persons to denote something belonging or peculiar to them; thus we say, Spenserian, Miltonian, belonging to or of the same kind, as that of Spenser, &c.: ana or iana added to a name, is used as a substantive, and signifies things relating to the person; of this we have an example in Walpoliana.

Ant, ent, and ing, are participial terminations, and have all the same meaning. They denote being, or a continued state of existence, of that to which they are added, as in the words couchant, fluent, walking. To express, in a substantive or abstracted form, what is meant by these participial terminations, ant and ent, they are changed into ance, or ancy, and ence, or ency; thus, consonant, becomes consonance, or consonancy; and consistent, becomes consistence, or consistency.

And, or end, is the termination of a few words, and has a kind of passive signification, implying a duty or obligation, to do what is expressed by the primitive, to which it is added; hence, reverend, signifies to be revered; multiplicand, that which ought to be multiplied; subtrahend, that which ought to be subtracted.

Cide, from the Latin cædere, to kill, terminates a few words all Latin; homicide, from homo, man, signifies a man-killer, or man-killing; fratricide, from frater, brother, signifies a brother-killer, &c.