OBS. 8.—­The opposition suggested by the disjunctive particle or, is sometimes merely nominal, or verbal:  as, “That object is a triangle, or figure contained under three right lines.”—­Harris.  “So if we say, that figure is a sphere, or a globe, or a ball.”—­Id., Hermes, p. 258.  In these cases, the disjunction consists in nothing but an alternative of words; for the terms connected describe or name the same thing.  For this sense of or, the Latins had a peculiar particle, sive, which they called Subdisjunctiva, a Subdisjunctive:  as, “Alexander sive Paris; Mars sive Mavors.”—­Harris’s Hermes, p. 258.  In English, the conjunction or is very frequently equivocal:  as, “They were both more ancient than Zoroaster or Zerdusht.”—­Campbell’s Rhet., p. 250; Murray’s Gram., p. 297.  Here, if the reader does not happen to know that Zoroaster and Zerdusht mean the same person, he will be very likely to mistake the sense.  To avoid this ambiguity, we substitute, (in judicial proceedings,) the Latin adverb alias, otherwise; using it as a conjunction subdisjunctive, in lieu of or, or the Latin sive:  as, “Alexander, alias Ellick.”—­“Simson, alias Smith, alias Baker.”—­Johnson’s Dict.

EXAMPLES FOR PARSING.

PRAXIS IX.—­ETYMOLOGICAL.

In the Ninth Praxis, it is required of the pupil—­to distinguish and define the different parts of speech, and the classes and modifications of the ARTICLES, NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, PRONOUNS, VERBS, PARTICIPLES, ADVERBS, and CONJUNCTIONS.

The definitions to be given in the Ninth Praxis, are two for an article, six for a noun, three for an adjective, six for a pronoun, seven for a verb finite, five for an infinitive, two for a participle, two (and sometimes three) for an adverb, two for a conjunction,—­and one for a preposition, or an interjection.  Thus:—­

EXAMPLE PARSED.

   “If thou hast done a good deed, boast not of it.”—­Maxims.

If is a copulative conjunction. 1.  A conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences in construction, and to show the dependence of the terms so connected. 2.  A copulative conjunction is a conjunction that denotes an addition, a cause, a consequence, or a supposition.

Thou is a personal pronoun, of the second person, singular number, masculine gender, and nominative case. 1.  A pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun. 2.  A personal pronoun is a pronoun that shows, by its form, of what person it is. 3.  The second person is that which denotes the hearer, or the person addressed. 4.  The singular number is that which denotes but one. 5.  The masculine gender is that which denotes persons or animals of the male kind. 6.  The nominative case is that form or state of a noun or pronoun, which usually denotes the subject of a finite verb.