A Grammar of the English Tongue eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 63 pages of information about A Grammar of the English Tongue.

A Grammar of the English Tongue eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 63 pages of information about A Grammar of the English Tongue.

    Some comparatives and superlatives are yet found in good writers formed
    without regard to the foregoing rules; but in a language subjected so
    little and so lately to grammar, such anomalies must frequently occur.

So shady is compared by Milton.

    She in shadiest covert hid,
  Tun’d her nocturnal note.  Par.  Lost.

And virtuous.

    What she wills to say or do,
  Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best.  Par.  Lost.

So trifling by Ray, who is indeed of no great authority.

    It is not so decorous, in respect of God, that he should immediately do
    all the meanest and triflingest things himself, without making use of
    any inferior or subordinate minister.  Ray on the Creation.

Famous, by Milton.

    I shall be nam’d among the famousest
  Of women, sung at solemn festivals.  Milton’s Agonistes.

Inventive, by Ascham.

    Those have the inventivest heads for all purposes, and roundest tongues
    in all matters.  Ascham’s Schoolmaster.

Mortal, by Bacon.

    The mortalest poisons practised by the West Indians, have some mixture
    of the blood, fat, or flesh of man.  Bacon.

Natural, by Wotton.

    I will now deliver a few of the properest and naturalest considerations
    that belong to this piece.  Wotton’s Architecture.

Wretched, by Jonson.

    The wretcheder are the contemners of all helps; such as presuming on
    their own naturals, deride diligence, and mock at terms when they
    understand not things.  Ben Jonson.

Powerful, by Milton.

  We have sustain’d one day in doubtful fight,
  What heav’n’s great king hath pow’rfullest to send
  Against us from about his throne.  Par.  Lost.

The termination in ish may be accounted in some sort a degree of comparison, by which the signification is diminished below the positive, as black, blackish, or tending to blackness; salt, saltish, or having a little taste of salt; they therefore admit no comparison.  This termination is seldom added but to words expressing sensible qualities, nor often to words of above one syllable, and is scarcely used in the solemn or sublime style.

* * * * *

Of pronouns.

Pronouns, in the English language, are, I, thou, he, with their plurals, we, ye, they; it, who, which, what, whether, whosoever, whatsoever, my, mine, our, ours, thy, thine, your, yours, his, her, hers, theirs, this, that, other, another, the same, some.

The pronouns personal are irregularly inflected.

Singular.  Plural.

Nom.  I, We.

Accus. and Me, Us. other oblique cases.

Nom.  Thou, Ye.

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A Grammar of the English Tongue from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.