compounded of other words, or formed by the addition of Prefixes and Affixes; 6. The mere inflections of other words, as the plural of nouns, the persons and tenses of verbs, and the degrees of adjectives. In every case, however, in which it has been considered necessary or useful, words from each of the above classes have been inserted. AS PREFIXES and AFFIXES enter largely into the composition of English words, they have been fully explained in the Introduction to this Dictionary (page 46); and as they are arranged in alphabetical order, they can be easily referred to when information is required. The INFLECTIONS or changes to which English words are subject should also be known; and as they are very few, and very simple, this can be easily done. We shall give the regular inflections here; and the exceptions, which are not numerous, will be noted in the Dictionary as they occur. 1. Nouns or substantives become plural by the addition of s to their singular form; as book, books; bookseller, booksellers. 2. The degrees of adjectives are formed by adding to the original word er for the comparative, and est for the superlative; as great, greater, greatest. 3. English verbs have but two tenses-the present and the past; and the latter is formed from the former by the addition of ed, as I learn, I learned; and the only changes in the persons are the following:-In the present tense the second person singular is formed by the addition of est, and the third person by s or eth; as I learn, thou learnest, he learns or learneth. And in the past tense all the persons, in both numbers, are alike, except the second person singular, which takes st in addition to d; as I learned, thou learnedst. 4. The participles of verbs are formed by adding ing for the present, and ed for the past or perfect; as from learn are formed learning, and learned. 5. Words obviously derived or formed from other words. Thus, for example, if the affix er be added to almost any verb, a noun is formed which denotes the agent or doer; as from read is formed reader; from write, writer; from sin, sinner; and from begin, beginner. The above constitute the regular inflections or variations of English words; and as they are the same in all words of the same class, their insertion in a dictionary is unnecessary. But in affixing them to the original or radical word to which they belong, mistakes may be made even by persons of good education unless they know-1. In what cases the final e of the original or radical word should be cut off or omitted; 2. In what cases the final y should be changed into i; 3. In what cases the final consonant should be doubled. Under the head of "Practical Rules for Spelling" (page 37), all these cases are enumerated; and if the learner spends half an hour over these rules, and the examples in illustration of them, he will have no difficulty in future in determining whether THE T OR ANY OTHER CONSONANT SHOULD BE DOUBLED; THE E OMITTED; OR THE Y CHANGED INTO I CONTENTS. THE KEY TO SOUNDS REGULAR AND IRREGULAR, ORTHOEPY, OR THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS, A COLLECTION OF ALL THE IRREGULAR PRONUNCIATIONS IN THE LANGUAGE, FOR THE USE OF THE LEARNER, ORTHOGRAPHY, PRACTICAL RULES FOR SPELLING, WORDS SPELLED IN TWO OR MORE WAYS BY DIFFERENT AND EVEN THE SAME WRITERS; WITH AN ATTEMPT TO SETTLE THEIR ORTHO- 502 503 505 FRENCH, ITALIAN, AND OTHER FOREIGN WORDS AND PHRASES IN COMMON USE, PRONOUNCED AND EXPLAINED, A CONCISE CLASSICAL DICTIONARY, OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FOR THE Use of Schools, and for General Reference ; WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF PRONUNCIATION, ORTHOGRAPHY, AND ETYMOLOGY, FULLY EXPLAINED AND PRACTICALLY ILLUSTRATED; TO WHICH IS ADDED, A CONCISE CLASSICAL DICTIONARY. BY ROBERT SULLIVAN, LL.D., T.C.D. BARRISTER-AT-LAW, ETC. Twelfth Edition, Revised and Improved, CONTAINING, IN AN APPENDIX, NEW OR OMITTED WORDS. DUBLIN: MARCUS & JOHN SULLIVAN, 27 MARLBOROUGH STREET 1862. 296.0.34. 302.9 302.g |