=Have= has also been reckoned as an auxiliary by the “helping verb grammars,” which has no other duty to perform than help conjugate other verbs thro some of their moods and tenses.  It is a word in very common use, and of course must possess a very important character, which should be carefully examined and distinctly known by all who desire a knowledge of the construction of our language.

The principal difficulty in the explanation of this word, is the peculiar meaning which some have attached to it.  It has been defined to denote possession merely.  But when we say, a man has much property destroyed by fire, we do not mean that he gains or possesses much property by the fire; nor can we make has auxiliary to destroyed, for in that case it would stand thus:  a man has destroyed much property by fire, which would be false, for the destruction was produced by an incendiary, or some other means wholly unknown to him.

You at once perceive that to possess is not the only meaning which attaches to have.  It assumes a more important rank.  It can be traced, with little change in form, back thro many generations.  It is the same word as heave, originally, and retains nearly the same meaning.  Saxon habban, Gothic haban, German haben, Latin habeo, French avoir, are all the same word, varied in spelling more than in sound; for b in many languages is sounded very much like v, or bv.  It may mean to hold, possess, retain, sway, control, dispose of, either as a direct or relative action; for a man sustains relations to his actors, duties, family, friends, enemies, and all the world, as well as to his possessions.  He has a hard task to perform.  He has much pain to suffer.  He has suffered much unhappiness.

I have written a letter.  I have a written letter.  I have a letter written.  These expressions differ very little in meaning, but the verb have is the same in each case.  By the first expression, I signify that I have caused the letter to be written; by the second that I have a letter on which such action has been performed; and by the third, that such written letter stands in such relation to myself.

I have written a letter and sent it away. Written is the past participle from write; as an adjective it describes the letter in the condition I placed it; so that it will be defined, wherever it is found, as my letter; that is, some way related to me.

We can here account for the old perfect tense, which is said, “not only to refer to what is past, but also to convey an allusion to the present time.”  The verb is in the present tense, the participle is in the past, and hence the reason of this allusion.  I have no space allowed me to go into a full investigation of this word, in its application to the expression of ideas.  But it is necessary to have it well understood, as it has an important service entrusted to it; and I hope you will have clear views presented to your minds, strong enough to have former errors eradicated therefrom.