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absolute ideas, which may be communicated by the use of the noun.

(20.) There are other classes of words which require but little comment; thus we employ pronouns to prevent the repetition of nouns. These words have no meaning in themselves, unless some noun, either expressed or implied, has preceded their use, and both grammatically and biologically they must be referred to the class of nouns.

(21.) Various questions have been raised as to the use and signification of the articles a and the. It appears to me that, biologically considered, a is employed to signify any one or some unknown one. The word the seems to have the power of limitation to some particular one or some particular class. In accurate symbolic language wherever the is employed, it is necessary that the additional description should be applied to the noun, to mark the individual or class to which the word the limits the application of the word.

(22.) By the combined use of the noun-adjective and article, we are thus enabled to give a more or less correct picture of any real or imaginary object to a second party; but it appears most especially necessary that these words should be used in the same sense by both parties, otherwise no true information is communicated.

(23.) The mere use of the noun, however, gives us by itself no real information, because a second person would require to be informed whether any word represented a mere thought or image of the imagination, or a reality; in fact whether it referred to an object which existed in all its integrity in the external world, and which produced the action upon the organs of sensation. of sensation. A noun might also signify a mere abstraction of various actions.

(24). The words used to express this important part of the idea, are termed verbs. But a verb does more than this, it signifies the relation of the thought or reality to other thoughts or realities. In fact, it marks the time of the occurrence of the thought or of the reality. Electro-biologically, we may define a verb to be a word used to signify the changes, on the sensorium of the respective portions of one image, and their relation to those of other images.

(25.) To explain this definition, it is important to remember that the brain is one large organ, on which a series of impressions are being continually made, both from the action of external agents upon the organs of sensation, as well as from the changes going on within our own frame. If a thought or reality occurs at the moment at which we are actually receiving the second impression, then we speak of the time present, and we say It is. Suppose

A B C D to represent primitive nervous fibrils, and w x y z to represent other nervous fibrils, if the actions on B C and x y coincided at the moment when x y was being excited, we should state that the idea derived from B C, existed at the present time, or in the language of the verb is or exists. Now if we examine the changes which are continually occurring in the mental images, we may express them in two series in the following manner:

1st. A B A B A B BC
2nd. 1m m n

по ор

CD AB
qrst

In the above diagram we perceive that the two series of changes take place unequally. It is from this double series of ideas that we derive our notions of time, for those combinations which change least frequently, are said to occupy the longest time. For practical purposes, we select one series of changes as those of a clock, or the changes produced by the revolution of the earth as a standard, and refer all other changes to those.

(26.) Practically, when we use verbs, we do not set out accurately the changes which actually take place, but we employ words to signify time present, time past, or time to come. All verbs may be conveniently arranged into two geometric series, the one signifying time past, the second, time to come, the two being divided by a line, denoting

time present; or we may unite the three together into one series signifying all time.

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(27.) But most verbs shew more than the time of the occurrence of any idea; or rather the relation of any one idea to any second idea; for if examined, they will be found to communicate some knowledge similar to that imparted by the noun; and hence these verbs might be called substantiveverbs. If I say that John sits, it not only indicates John, and his existence at the present moment, but it goes further, it shews his posture. In like manner if I say, I think it not only indicates time present, but it shews that the idea is an action of the brain, which has not necessary external existence.

(28.) Substantive-verbs communicate even a far greater range of ideas; thus if I say that John came from Brighton, the words came from, would not only represent that John was at Brighton and is now here, but they infer all those changes which occurred during the act of coming here. Whether we regard the motion of the carriages, the change of the view, the number of ticks of a watch, the

pulsations of the heart, the occurrence of thoughts during the journey, the changes would be almost infinite in number. All these changes it would be too long and tedious to recount, and yet they are are all included in the word came.

(29.) A verb has essentially a reference to some change, for without it the verbs cannot be used; and even when we mark the present time, that present has relation to the past and future.

30.) The adverb is another part of speech, which still further gives exactness to our descriptions, by limiting the scope of any observations. It is frequently used merely to assign the value or extent to an adjective or verb, as in the case of nearly, chiefly, exceedingly, very. Other adverbs perform the same functions to the verb as the adjective does to the noun; as in the words prudently, softly, when in these cases they limit the extent of the meaning of the verb, by adding to it a certain amount of the properties of prudence, softness, etc.

(31.) Prepositions are used to shew the mutual relation or position of separate ideas; as in the words above, below, behind. In these cases they shew the manner in which the image is received by the senses. Electro-biologically, they help in many cases to signify the particular combination which is represented to the mind; thus a man placed

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