(iii) Many Adverbs are compound words and phrases; as, peradventure, of course, nevertheless. § 4. Comparison of Adverbs, &c. 1. In Anglo-Saxon there were two forms for the comparative and superlative degrees, one in re and este; the other in or and ost respectively. Now the first of these was the form taken by adjectives; as, se scearpe sweord, se scearpeste sweord; the sharper sword, the sharpest sword. The second, on the other hand, was taken by adverbs; as, se sweord scyro scearpor or scearpost, i. e. the sword cuts sharper or sharpest.-Latham, vol. ii. p. 184. 2. These adverbial comparative and superlative endings in or and ost have disappeared, except in such words as hind-m-ost up-m-ost, &c. 3. When the adverb ends in ly, the comparison is formed by more and most. 4. To explain certain phrases as, clean gone, to stick fast, loud and long, he rode hard, you did right, sore let and hindered, &c. In the Classic languages and in Anglo-Saxon the neuter adjective is used in the accusative adverbially. In Anglo-Saxon and Old English the adverb was often formed from the adjective by adding e; as, seft or soft (adjective), sefte or softe (adverb). The adjective was really the nominative or accusative case; the adverb in e, the ablative. The two forms were easily confounded, especially when case endings were dropped. The words above, clean, fast, hard, right, loud, long, sore, &c., are instances of this confusion. 5. 'In many cases the adjective form is intended to express the quality of the agent as seen in the act, rather than the quality of the act itself. After verbs of being or seeming, for instance, or their equivalents, the adjective is constantly used ;* as, it looks beautiful, it sounds grand, it feels hard, he arrived late, how sweet it sleeps, &c.'-Angus, Handbook E. Tongue, p. 231. It will be seen hereafter that a rule has been laid down: Transitive verbs take the adverb; Intransitive verbs, the adjective.' For explanation of the meaning and derivation of adverbs, vide Etym. Deriv. chap. IV. CHAPTER VIII. THE PREPOSITION. § 1. 1. Definition. A PREPOSITION is a word connecting other words, and expressing a relation between them. 'Prepositions relate notions to one another; conjunctions sentences.'-Morell. § 2. Preposition according to Meaning and Structure. 1. PREPOSITIONS are divided according to their meaning and according to their structure. 2. PREPOSITIONS according to their meaning. The relations which prepositions express are not easily classified. If we use the terms in a metaphorical as well as a natural sense, they may be possibly embraced by the division we have given; viz. position, time, cause, degree, and direction. 3. PREPOSITIONS according to their structure are divided into— (i) Simple; monosyllabic; such as, in, with, from, by, &c. (ii) Compound; such as, between, among, beside, &c. (iii) Verbal; such as, notwithstanding, pending, during, &c. 4. The first two classes are Anglo-Saxon, the third class is Classical: the prepositions in this class are really participles, and with the words they govern ought to be interpreted as absolute constructions to which in other languages they are equivalent. 5. The following is a list of the PREPOSITIONS : (i) SIMPLE. At, by, down, ere, for, from, in, midst, of, off, on, out, round, through, to, up, with, since, till. (ii) COMPOUND. About, above, across, aboard, after, against, along, amidst, among, around, athwart, before, behind, below, beneath, beside or besides, between, betwixt, beyond, over, throughout, toward(s), under(neath), until, unto, into, upon, within, without. (iii) VERBAL. Concerning, during, except(ing), notwithstanding, pending, regarding, respecting, save, touching. For explanation of the above, vide Etym. Deriv. chap. III. |