conquerors from France contributed to the independence both of our kingdom and of our speech. In the beginning of the fourteenth century, the practice of translating into French was discontinued in public schools; and by a statute passed in 1362, all pleas in courts of justice were directed to be carried on in English."

Through every change the Anglo-Saxon maintained its supremacy. English grammar may be regarded as the Anglo-Saxon grammar in a simplified form. It is the tendency of all languages to cast away inflections and to substitute prepositions and auxiliary verbs for cases and tenses. This simplification is the chief distinction between the English and the Anglo-Saxon Grammars.

Although the diminution of the amount of inflections simplifies our language, it also involves two disadvantages. Firstly, it prevents us, to a great extent, from inverting, (or altering the position of,) words in a sentence; and, secondly, it restricts the power of composition, (or the formation of compound terms.) Hence our compound words are formed chiefly from such inflected languages as the Latin and the Greek.

About the year 1150 A.D., the Anglo-Saxon language began that process of transformation by which it was ultimately changed into English.

The following are the principal alterations which were introduced at this period:

1. Several of the inflections, particularly of nouns and verbs, were omitted, as also several of the arbitrary distinctions of gender.

2. The pronunciation of the vowels and consonants was materially modified, and the orthography of many words assumed a more contracted form. 3. Many Anglo-Saxon words were displaced by the introduction of corresponding terms from the French and Latin.

Dr. Latham remarks, " that the relation of the present English to the Anglo-Saxon is that of a modern language to an ancient one."

The Anglo-Saxon language began to be cultivated about the seventh century.. It gradually advanced until the time of King Alfred, at which period it attained its greatest development.

Philosophy and science, and the arts of a high civi lization," observes Archbishop Trench, "find their utterance in the Latin words of our language; or, if not in the Latin, in the Greek, which for present purposes may be grouped with them. How should they have found it in the other branch of our language (ie. the Anglo-Saxon,) among a people who had never cultivated of these."I

any

From the battle of Hastings, 1066, to the death of King John, 1216, our language was Semi-Saxon.

The English language may be divided into three principal periods. 1. The Early or Old English Period extends from 1216 A.D. to 1399-from the accession of Henry III. to the accession of Henry IV. 2. The Middle English Period extends from 1399 to 1558-from the accession of Henry IV. to the accession of Elizabeth. 3. The Modern English Period extends from the accession of Elizabeth to the present day.2

Modern English may be subdivided into four Periods, (the transitions in which were gradually produced.) 1. From 1588 to 1649,-from the accession of Elizabeth, to the death of Charles I. 2. From 1649 to the year of the great Revolution, 1688. 3. From 1688 to 1760, when George III. ascended the throne: and, 4. From the accession of George III. to the present time."

See Archbishop TRENCH'S "English Past and Present." Lect. III. The following subdivisions of the principal periods of the English language are almost in accordance with those adopted by Mr. Hiley. 3 Confining ourselves to the history of the English language since the Norman Conquest, we may call the first century after that date its infancy; the second, its childhood; the third. its boyhood: the fourth and fifth, its youth or adolesence; and the time that has since elapsed, its manhood. Its infancy and childhood will thus correspond with what is usually designated the period of Semi-Saxon; its boyhood with that of Early English; its manhood with that of Modern Eng lish.-CRAIK's Outlines of the English Language..

THE

PRACTICAL

ENGLISH

GRAMMAR.

1. GRAMMAR1 is the science of language, and the art of speaking or writing a language correctly.

Explanation.-Grammar, as a science, is a system of general facts or principles common to all languages. Grammar, as an art, is a system of rules for the practical application of these principles.

2. ENGLISH GRAMMAR' is the science of the English language, and the art of speaking or writing the English language correctly.

Explanation.-English Grammar, as a science, is a collection of facts and a system of principles peculiar to the English language, together with those which occur in other languages as well as in English. English grammar, as an art, is a system of rules for the practical application of these facts and principles, to the English language.

3. ACCIDENCE is a combination of the first principles or rudiments of grammar.

1 Grammar is a term derived from the Greek, gramma, a letter, through the medium of the French, grammaire. The subject-matter of grammar is speech or words.

2 The object of English grammar is to represent the English language as it exists, and to exhibit its leading principles and usages in a systematic form.

3 Accidence is a collection of the accidents, or changes that happen to a word.

B

4. A RULE OF GRAMMAR is a law by which estab. lished custom regulates the use of language.

5. ENGLISH GRAMMAR is divided into Four Parts; namely, Etymology, Syntax, Punctuation, and Prosody.

I. ETYMOLOGY treats of the classification, inflection, and derivation of words.

Obs.-Etymology treats of words considered individually.

II. SYNTAX treats of the concord, government, relation, and arrangement of words in a sentence.

III. PUNCTUATION treats of the division of words into sentences, clauses, and members.

IV. PROSODY treats of correct pronunciation, and the laws of verse.

6. ORTHOËPY1 signifies the correct utterance, and pronunciation of spoken words. ORTHOGRAPHY2 signifies the correct use of letters in spelling written words.

7. A LETTER is a mark or character representing an elementary sound of language.

8. A SYLLABLE is a distinct sound of one or more letters pronounced by a single effort of the voice. 9. WORDS are articulate sounds, used by common consent, as signs of ideas.

10. SPELLING is the art of expressing words by their proper letters, and of correctly dividing them into syllables.

1 Orthoëpy is a term derived from the Greek orthos, correct, and epos, a word.

2 Orthography (from the Greek, orthos, correct, and grapho, I write) is, strictly speaking, not a province of grammar; it constitutes by itself a distinct subject. It is amply illustrated in the Author's "Practical Spelling Book."

11. ETYMOLOGY' treats of the classification, inflection, and derivation of words.

Obs.-Classification arranges words in groups, or classes. Inflection shows the changes of form which words undergo. Derivation traces words from their original roots.

CHAPTER I.-CLASSIFICATION.

12. CLASSIFICATION is the arrangement of words in distinct classes.

Explanation.-Animals of different kinds are divided into different classes, according to their peculiar qualities or characteristics. Thus, sheep, oxen, horses are distinct classes of animals. Similarly, words are divided into distinct groups or classes, according to their peculiar qualities or characteristics.

13. THE PARTS OF SPEECH are the general classes into which words are divided.

Obs.-A Part of Speech is one of the general classes into which words are divided.

(b.) There are nine Parts of Speech, or general classes of words ; namely, Article, Noun, Adjective, Pronoun, Verb, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection.

I. An ARTICLE is a word usually placed before a Noun, to show whether it is taken in a general, or in a particular sense; as, "a book" (that is, any book; "the book," (that is, some particular book.)

1 The term Etymology is derived from the Greek, etŭmon, a root or primitive word, and logos, a discourse.

2 We have two sorts of etymology; one dealing with the changes of form, that words undergo in one and the same language, the other dealing with the changes that words undergo in passing from one language to another. LATHAM'S English Language.

3 The term article is derived from the Latin articulus, a joint. It never occurs without being joined to a noun.