CHAPTER XI.

OF DERIVATION.

Section 1.

Of the various ways in which words are derived from one another.

Having treated of the different sorts of words, and their various modifications, which is the first part of Etymology, it is now proper to explain the methods by which one word is derived from another.

Words are derived from one another in various ways, viz.

1. Substantives are derived from verbs.

2. Verbs are derived from substantives, adjectives, and sometimes from adverbs.

3. Adjectives are derived from substantives.

4. Substantives are derived from adjectives.

5. Adverbs are derived from adjectives.

1. Substantives are derived from verbs: as, from "to love," comes "lover;" from "to visit, visitor," from "to survive, surviver;" &c.

In the following instances, and in many others, it is difficult to determine, whether the verb was deduced from the noun, or the noun from the verb, viz. "Love, to love; hate, to hate; fear, to fear; sleep, to sleep; walk, to walk; ride, to ride; act, to act;" &c.

2. Verbs are derived from substantives, adjectives, and sometimes from adverbs: as, from the substantive salt, comes "to salt;" from the adjective warm, "to warm;"

and from the adverb forward, "to forward." Sometimes they are formed by lengthening the vowel, or softening the consonant: as, from "grass, to graze:" sometimes by adding en; especially to adjectives; as, from " length, to lengthen; short, to shorten."

3. Adjectives are derived from substantives, in the fol lowing manner: Adjectives denoting plenty are derived from substantives by adding y; as, from "Health, healthy wealth, wealthy; might, mighty," &c.

Adjectives denoting the matter out of which any thing is made, are derived from substantives by adding en: as, from "Qak, oaken; wood, wooden; wool, woollen," &c.

Adjectives denoting abundance are derived from substantives, by adding ful: as, from " Joy, joyful; sin, sinful; fruit, fruitful," &c,

Adjectives denoting plenty, but with some kind of dlminution, are derived from substantives, by adding some as, from "Light, lightsome; trouble, troublesome; toil, toilsome," &c.

Adjectives denoting want are derived from substantives, by adding less: as, from "Worth, worthless:" from "care, careless; joy, joyless," &c.

Adjectives denoting likeness are derived from substan, tives, by adding ly: as, from "Man, manly; earth, earthly; court, courtly," &c.

Some adjectives are derived from other adjectives, or from substantives, by adding ish to them; which termination, when added to adjectives, imports diminution, or lessening the quality; as, "White, whitish;" i. e. somewhat white. When added to substantives, it signifies similitude or tendency tp a character; as, "Child, childish; thief, thievish."

Some adjectives are formed from substantives or verbs, by adding the termination able; and those adjectives signify capacity: as, "Answer, answerable; to change, changeable."

N

4. Substantives are derived from adjectives, sometimes by adding the termination ness: as, "White, whiteness; swift, swiftness:" sometimes by adding th or t, and making a small change in some of the letters: as, "Long, length; high, height."

5. Adverbs of quality are derived from adjectives, by adding ly, or changing le into (y; and denote the same quality as the adjectives from which they are derived: as, from "base," comes "basely;" from "slow, slowly;" fromable, ably."

There are so many other ways of deriving words from one another, that it would be extremely difficult, and nearly impossible, to enumerate them. The primitive words of any language are very few; the derivatives form much the greater number. A few more instances only can be given here.

Some substantives are derived from other substantives, by adding the terminations hood or head, ship, ery, wick, rick, dom, ian, ment, and age.

Substantives ending in hood or head, are such as signify character or qualities: as, "Manhood, knighthood, falsehood," &c.

Substantives ending in ship, are those that signify office, employment, state, or condition: as, "Lordship, stewardship, partnership," &c. Some substantives in ship, are derived from adjectives: as, "Hard, hardship," kc.

Substantives which end in ery, signify action or habit: as, “Slavery, foolery, prudery," &c. Some substantives of this sort come from adjectives: as, "Brave, bravery," &c. Substantives ending in wick, rick, and dom, denote dominion, jurisdiction, or condition: a*, "Bailiwick, bishoprick, kingdom, dukedom, freedom," &c.

Substantives which end in ian, are those that signify profession: as, " Physician, musician," &c. Those that end in ment and age, come generally from the French,

and commonly signify the act or habit: as, "Commandment, usage."

Some substantives ending in ard, are derived from verbs or adjectives, and denote character or habit: as, "Drunk, drunkard; dote, dotard."

Some substantives have the form of diminutives; but these are not many. They are formed by adding the terminations, kin, ling, ing, ock, el, and the like: as, "Lamb, lambkin; goose, gosling; duck, ducklings hill, hillock; cock, cockerel," &c.

That part of derivation which consists in tracing English words to the Greek, Latin, French, and other languages, must be omitted, as the English scholar is not supposed to be acquainted with these languages. The best English dictionaries will, however, furnish some information on this head, to those who are desirous of obtaining it. The learned Horne Tooke, in his "Diversions of Purley," has given an ingenious account of the derivation and meaning of many of the adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions and as the student will doubtless be amused, by tracing to their Saxon origin some of these words, we shall present him with a list or specimen of them; which we presume will be sufficient to excite his curiosity, and induce him to examine the subject more extensively,

About—is derived from a, on, and bout, signifying boundary: On the boundary or confines.

Among or Amongst comes from the passive participle gemanced, which is from gemengan, to mix.

And—is from the imperative an-ad, which is from the verb, anan-ad, signifying to accumulate, to add to: Two and two are four;" that is, "Two add two are four."

as,

ASUNDER-comes from the participle asundred of the verb asundrian to separate: and this verb is from Sand,

sand.

ATHWART is derived from the passive participle athweoried of the verb athweorian, to wrest.

Beyond comes from be-geond: geond, or goned, is the passive participle of the verb gangan, to go, to pass: Be passed, be gone.

But from the imperative bot, of the verb bolan, to boot,

to superadd, to supply: as, "The number three is not an even number, but an odd," that is, "not an even number, superadd, (it is) an odd number." BUT from the imperative, be-utan, of the verb beon-utan, to be out. It is used by way of exception: as, "She regards nobody, but him;" that is, "nobody be out him."

IF—comes from gif, the imperative of the verb gifan, to give: as, "If you live honestly, you will live happily;" that is, " give you live honestly."

Lest—from the participle lesed, of the verb lesan, to dismiss.

Though from thqfig, the imperative of the verb thafigan,

:

to allow as, "Though she is handsome, she is not vain:" that is, u Allow, grant, she is handsome." Unless—comes from aides, the imperative of the verb onlesan, to dismiss or remove: as, Troy will be taken unless the palladium be preserved;" that is, "Remove the palladium be preserved, Troy will be taken."

With—the imperative of withan, to join: as, "A house with a party-wall;" that is, "A house join a partywall."

Without—comes from wyrth-utan, the imperative of the verb wyrthan-utan, to be out: as, "A house without a roof;" that is, "A house be out a roof."

YET is derived from get, the imperative of the verb getan, to get: as, "Yet a little while;" that is, "Get a little time."