The spelling book superseded, or Exercises on orthography, etymology, and verbal distinctions |
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Common terms and phrases
abridgment accent affix or termination Aphaeresis applied bear beat beetle bough called carry cast Chough colour Compare compound concealed confounded consonant corn crooked denotes desert Dictionary of Derivations diphthong divine English English language ETYMOLOGY EXAMPLES EXERCISES fish foliate following words fontal foot foreign Fraternal Fraudulence French frontis fuge fulness fumid Gerund gesture give Gout Grace Grain granivorous Greek gression head Hence Honorable horse implies kind KINDRED LETTERS language Latin Laudanum long sound Lord ment metathesis ness noun observed one's Orthoepy orthography oviparous participle person plural preceding PREFIXES primogeniture pronounced pronunciation properly means proverb pupils Queen Regnant ragout root rule Saltpetre sentence ship signify speaking spelling spelling-book Stealth Game syllable synonymous Tablature teacher temper tendency tense tentus thing tion torpid tree verbs vowel wind wise wood words ending write young
Popular passages
Page 85 - Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable, ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double that consonant, when they take another syllable beginning with a vowel : as, wit, witty ; thin, thinnish ; to abet, an abettor ; to begin, a beginner.
Page 105 - I remember an instance ; when I published the Plan for my Dictionary, Lord Chesterfield told me that the word great should be pronounced so as to rhyme to state ; and Sir William Yonge sent me word that it should be pronounced so as to rhyme to seat, and that none but an Irishman would pronounce it grait. Now here were two men of the highest rank, the one, the best speaker in the House of Lords, the other, the best speaker in the House of Commons, differing entirely.
Page 223 - To remark, to observe, ^e remark, in the way of attention, in order to remember; we observe, in the way of examination, in order to judge. A traveller remarks the most striking objects he sees ; a general observes all the motions of his enemy.
Page 220 - The great source of a loose style, in opposition to precision, is the injudicious use of the words termed synonymous. They are called synonymous, because they agree in expressing one principal idea ; but, for the most part, if not always, they express it with some diversity in the circumstances.
Page 223 - Tranquillity, peace, calm. — Tranquillity respects a situation free from trouble, considered in itself; peace, the same situation with respect to any causes that might interrupt it ; calm, with regard to a disturbed situation going before or following it. A good man enjoys tranquillity, in himself; peace, with others; and calm, after the storm.
Page 223 - Generally, the first, expresses somewhat arising from the nature and circumstances of the affair ; the second, somewhat arising from a foreign cause. Philip found difficulty in managing the Athenians from the nature of their dispositions ; but the eloquence of Demosthenes was" the greatest obstacle to his designs.
Page 256 - The force of custom, copulate, and conjoined, and collegiate, is far greater." For this reason it is, that what is said or done by very inferior persons, is the best sign of what is commonly said or done in the place and time in which they live. A man of resolute character, and of an original turn of thought, being more likely to resist this force of "copulate and collegiate custom," does not furnish so good a sign of what are the prevailing opinions and customs.
Page 224 - our lands ;" signifies the more remote means of acquisition by force and martial deeds ; and, " with- these we will defend .'. " them ;" signifies the immediate, direct instrument, the sword which they would employ in their defence.
Page 104 - Sheridan, I believe, has finished such a work." JOHNSON. " Why, sir, consider how much easier it is to learn a language by the ear, than by any marks. Sheridan's Dictionary may do very well ; but you cannot always carry it about with you : and, when you want the word, you have not the Dictionary.* It is like a man who has a sword that will not draw : it is an admirable sword, to be sure ; but while your enemy is cutting your throat, you are unable to use it. Besides, sir, what entitles Sheridan to...
Page 267 - And according to the well-known proverb, ' If each would sweep before his own door, we should have a clean street.