the French flatt-er is from this origin, and the English flatter and Scotch fleech radically the

same.

This is another instance, where Dr. Johnson supposes we have taken the French infinitive ter mination as part of the word, contrary, at least, to our common practice. The Anglosaxon infinitive termination itself has been retained in only a very few instances, where it seems to have grown into the words, and become a part of them: to listen, reckon, threaten, hasten. To cheapen (Anglosaxon ceap-an) "to attempt to purchase, "to bid for any thing, to lessen value," may be another instance, if not formed from the adjective cheap, like other verbs in EN.

XIV. To flush and to FLUSTER (flusht-fluster), are both spoken of reddening the countenance, but the latter seems a stronger expression.

Dr. Johnson, "TO FLUSH, V. a. to colour, to "redden, properly, to redden suddenly."

“TO FLUSTER, V. a. (from to flush) to make "hot and rosy with drinking, &c."

XV. TO STACKER, STAKKER, or STACHER,"Serenius derives Scano-Gothic stagr-a, vacillare, "from Suio-Gothic stig-a, incedere. But Islandic "stak-a signifies to stumble."-Jamieson.

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Stig-a is the same word as the Anglosaxon

stig-an, ire, discedere, ascendere," Lye: one preterite of which, according to H. Tooke, was stage, whence STAGE, a part of a journey steiged or gone and, hence we may have formed TO

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STAGGER. And as "stig-an was variously pro"nounced and variously written, steig, stye, stie, some sounding and writing the G; some changing it to Y; and some sinking it altogether." Div. of Purley, vol. ii. p. 284.-from stie't we might derive the Scotch form of the word-To

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STEITER or STOITER.

As to flutter, signifies to fly this way and that, "voler ça et la;" agitare, to drive this way and that; verare, qui fertur et rapitur atque huc

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atque illuc distrahitur, is vexari propriè dicitur," Gellius:-so to STAGGER or STAKER, to steige or stalk this way and that.

The last is stiff with age, his motion slow;

He heaves for breath, he STAGGERS to and fro.

Dryden.

She riste her up, and STAKERETH here and there.

Chaucer, fol. 210. p. 2. col. 1.

At length his lonely cot appears in view,
Beneath the shelter of an aged tree;

The expectant wee-things, todlin STACHER thro'

To meet their Dad, wi' flichterin noise and glee.

Burns.

They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to STAGGER like a drunken man. ·Book of Job, xii. 25.

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To SWAGGER, is sometimes used in Scotland nearly as synonymous with to stagger. It seems a frequentative from "TO SWAY or SWEY, to in"cline to one side; Islandic sweig-ia, Suio-Gothic "swig-a, inclinare, flectere."-Jamieson. Qu. To sway or swag, now to this side, now to that, to sway or swag often.

Now Clinkumbell, wi' rattlin' tow

Begins to jow and croon ;

Some SWAGGER hame, the best they dow,

Some wait the afternoon.

When at his heart he felt the dagger,

He reel'd his wonted bottle swAGGER.

Burns.

Burns.

In the sense," to bluster, to bully," Dr. Johnson is, probably, right in deriving swagger from the Anglosaxon sweg-ian, to make a noise, which also might have swag in the preterite and past participle.

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XVI. H. Tooke says, SPOT, SPOUT is the past participle of the verb to spit, Anglosaxon spitt-an."-Div. of Purley, vol. ii. p. 129. From spout is formed the frequentative to SPUTTER; answering to the Latin sputo, from

spuo.

From spat, the common preterite of spitt-an, is formed the frequentative TO SPATTER. And from

to bespit, TO BESPATTER,

See the explanations of these words in Johnson. They could neither of them speak their rage, and so fell a SPUTTERING at one another, like two roasting apples.- Congreve.

Their nimble tongues they brandish'd as they came,
And lick'd their hissing jaws that SPUTTER'D flame.

Dryden.

The laurels crackle in the SPUTTERING fire.

Dryden.

They fondly thinking to allay

Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit

Chew'd bitter ashes, which the offended taste
With SPATTERING noise rejected.

Milton.

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The nightly virgin while her wheel she plies,
Foresees the storms impending in the skies,
When sparkling lamps their SPUTTERING light advance,
And in their sockets oily bubbles dance.

Dryden.

Sputter," says Wallis, as quoted in Johnson's Grammar, "is, because of the obscure U, some

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thing between spit and spout: and by reason of adding R, it intimates a frequent iteration and noise, &c."

"From spark," he continues, "by adding L, is "made the frequentative sparkle."

To sparkle, like crackle, seems to have a diminutive, as well as a frequentative sense, implying "an an iteration of small acts." There may be more than one kind of frequentative verbs in a language, but, I think, the termination R, though not always, does oftener "intimate a frequent " iteration" than any other in our language.

XVII. From to get, Anglosaxon get-an or geatan, preterite and past participle gat, we have the frequentative TO GATHER, Anglosaxon gader-an or gather-an.

And therefore woll I shewe you how you shall behave you in GATHERING of richesses, and in what manner ye shullen use hem. Firste, ye shall gette hem withouten great desire, sokingly and not over hastely, for a manne that is to desiring to get richesse, habandoneth him firste to theft and to all other evilles, &c. And, Sir, ye shall get richesse by your wit and by your travaile unto your profite, and that without harme doing to any other persone. In getting richesse ye must flie idleness, &c. Chaucer, the Tale of Chaucer, fol. 78. p. 1. col. 2.

GATHER is often, perhaps oftenest, used to signify putting together, without implying that the gatherer gets, or acquires right to the things gathered, but often also with that sense; and many other words have come by custom, to be used in a secondary, more than in their primary or etymological sense.

All the blessings I could GATHER for thee
By cares on earth, or by my prayers to heaven,
Were little for my fondness to bestow.

The Fair Penitent.

It is very certain, that a man of sound reason cannot forbear closing with religion, upon an impartial examination of it; but at the same time, it is certain, that faith is kept alive in us, and GATHERS strength from practice more than from speculation.— Spectator, No. 465.

XVIII. Verbs ending in D or T, were often the same in the preterite as in the present tense; see Lowth's Introduction to English Grammar. In very old authors, the indicative of many other verbs is frequently used for the past participle, as blaw for blawin, slawe for slawin, &c. See Ruddiman's Glossary to Gawin Douglas's Virgil, and Chaucer passim.

From to pat, "to strike gently or tap," is formed the frequentative To PATTER, to give many slight knocks or taps.

Dr. Johnson, TO PATTER (from patte, French, "the foot), to make a noise like the quick steps "of many feet.”

The stealing shower is scarce to PATTER heard,
By such as wander thro' the forest walks,
Beneath the umbrageous multitude of leaves.

Thomson.