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AUTHOR OF GRAMMATICAL INSTITUTES, OR, AN EASY IRTROCUCTION TO
DR. LOW TH'S ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

THE SECOND EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

30253.e. l.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR VERNOR AND HOOD, BIRCHIN LANE, CORNHILL.

1795.

↑ Price Towelve Shillings bound in Two Volumes.]

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N. B. The accent is fo placed, for the most part, as to terminate the fyllable and aid the pronunciation:

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ADVERTISEMENT.

HE plan of this Work is extenfive beyond any thing that has yet been attempted of the kind in the English Language. It was intended to introduce not only all the appellatives or common words, whether radical, derivative or compound, obfolete, cant or provincial; but all proper 1imes of men and women, heathen gods and goddeffes, heroes, princes, poets, hiftorians, wife men and philofophers of fpecial note, whether ancient or modern: Of all the principal kingdoms, cities, towns, feas and rivers in the known world, more especially in Great Britain and Ireland: Of beafts, birds, fishes and infects: Of trees, plants, herbs, minerals and foffils. The terms of art in chymitry, pharmacy, heraldry, divinity, mathematics, mechanics, manufactures and husbandry. The derivations from the ancient, modern and learned languages, in which special attention has been given to the mere English scholar, by a proper analysis and full explanation of the originals. The various fenfes, with the ufe and conftru&tion illuftrated by examples, and fupported by authorities where any thing appeared to be uncommon or doubtful. The pronunciation pointed out, and affifted by a new method of placing the accent, and by notes on the founds of the letters where it was judged neceffary. The different fpellings preferved and distinguished as ancient or modern, common or uncommon, correct or incorrect: and, in a word, every thing which might be thought requifite to render the work worthy of the title it bears, and under which it is now recommended to the public. And all this to be comprised in as narrow a compafs as poffible, left the fize fhould fuperfede the intention of general ufefulness, and acceptance to the English reader.

The execution of a plan fo very extenfive, and yet in fome refpects limited, muft doubtlefs have failed in fome particulars. Errata of the prefs and other trifling defects, in a work of this nature, could not be avoided. The compounds and tranfmutations of the English Language are exceedingly numerous; almost any adjective, by an ellipfis, is converted into a fubflantive, and almost any fubftantive, by a kind of compofition, is transformed into an adjective. All which compounds and tranfmutations could not well be collected : they have been and are fill fabricated by the caprice or different caft of the writers who use them; and are, perhaps, capable of an endless variety. The obfolete fpellings from Chaucer, and other cotemporary authors, might have been greatly increased, but thofe which are here introduced, may be thought, perhaps, more than fufficient to illuftrate the orthography of that period. Nor was it thought neceffary or expedient to rake into the mere cant of any profeffion, much lefs of gamefters, highwaymen, pickpockets and gipfies.

The final k, after c, in words derived from the learned languages, though carefully retained by Johnfon and other writers, has been omitted, in conformity to modern cuftom and the originals. For it feems to me to be rather incongruous to write mufick from mufica, especially as the k has been exploded by general confent from the derivatives musician and mufical. The ufe of the hyphen in compound words has, of late, been much discontinued. It has an awkward appearance in many instances, and is therefore generally omitted in this compilation.

The derivations, for the most part, have been illuftrated from the roots of the originals, though the words to be explained might in fome few inftances be more nearly allied to the offspring. For example, when a word comes imme

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