and fall obediently and aptly into their places. The unequalled copiousness of our language, makes a perfect command over its resources the business of many years, and demands, accordingly, an attention somewhat proportioned to that which, in the established routine of education, is assigned to the noble languages of antiquity. Fortunately, the educational world, both in England and America, is awakening to a juster sense than formerly prevailed, of the value of our own language, as the most effectual means of mental culture and discipline, whether we regard the acquirements of the individual, or the business of social life.

To the teacher, in the daily toils of the schoolroom, no exercise can be suggested, on which the young mind seizes with such avidity, as that of tracing the meaning of words by their derivation. A few oral explanations, given as an experiment, will be sufficient to convince any who have not already adopted this part of grammatical instruction, of its immense value and its living interest. After an earnest and arduous day's work on other subjects, classes quite young will turn with eagerness to this. The dawning consciousness of both its own wants and its own powers, stimulates the young mind to inquire into and investigate everything connected with language, which it instinctively feels to be its peculiar scope for action and progress. The consciousness of expanding and deepening knowledge, which, in this direction, rewards every advancing step, is ample remuneration for every effort.

EXERCISE V.

SIGNIFICATION AND MEANING OF WORDS.

Introductory Explanations.-Derivation, or etymological analysis, enables us to trace a word to the original signification and consequent value of all its constituent parts. We are thus put in command of the true meaning and full power of the words which we wish to use, and are prepared to deal with them not as mere counters, but the sterling current coin of language, whose value we ourselves appreciate, and others feel and acknowledge.

The word instruction, already analysed, we may take as a convenient example of the nature and use of the particular form of word-exercise on which we are now ready to enter. The etymological analysis, by which the word was reduced to its component parts, showed that of these there were no fewer than three; of which the first represented the idea expressed by the word in; the second suggested the conception of building; and the third the notion of condition, or process. With this key to the signification of all its parts, we arrive at that of the whole word, so richly suggestive, so full of thought, and so monitory to the mind both of pupil and teacher,

- that instruction is a process of building in. The literal and original application of the word, in its primary sense, with all its beautiful, figurative significance, thus standing revealed and open to us, we have it in our power to determine its secondary sense, its exact and appropriate meaning, in the

current usage of our own day,

according to which it is applied to designate the didactic, or doctrinal part of education.

But both these words, instruction and education, belong to the part of our language which consists of words originally Latin. They are no part of the primitive vernacular tongue of our childhood, — the vocabulary to which we must always refer, as a standard and a guide, in interpreting or endeavoring to understand the meaning of the other words of our language, those which belong to the written usage of authors and of books. We have yet another step to take, before we could answer the child's question, "What does 'instruction' mean?". - The answer to this question will bring out a word yet more familiar, one which belongs to the plain language of early life and of every-day use, and therefore gives the meaning more fully, more definitely, and more clearly. The word in question is "teaching." Beyond this word we feel that we do not need to go, and, indeed, cannot go, in endeavoring to simplify and explain; because, in the use of this term, we have come home to our original native dialect, in which the thing signified is, from early association, immediately suggested by the word.

The primitive signification of a word, is, in general, a sure guide to its true import and proper application. But, as in the progress of the history of a language, national development is ever modifying the sense of old terms, as well as introducing new ones, the mere original signification of a word, is not always a security for its precise meaning and proper use, or its actual acceptation at a given period.*

*Students and teachers who are accustomed to refer to that noble monument of erudition and indefatigable labor, Richardson's New Dictionary of the English Language, will have remarked that the author of the present volume ventures to differ

SIGNIFICATION AND MEANING OF WORDS. 77

Hence, to interpret or to employ language appropriately, it is not enough that we know the idea primarily suggested by any word: we must know the precise shade of thought to which it is applied, in good usage, in our own day, a stage of attainment which we can reach by no other means than extensive reading, attentive study, and good instruction, followed by careful practice in writing and conversation.

EXERCISE. The practical part of the exercise on the signification and meaning of words, is performed by (1.) mentioning, if the word is compound, the parts of which it consists; (2.) if it is complex, naming and explaining the prefix and suffix, and the root, with its derivation; (3.) stating the primary sense, or the literal and original signification of the whole word; (4.) its secondary sense, or its precise meaning, in the actual contemporaneous use of language; (5.) giving an example, in a phrase, or a sentence, of its appropriate application, as follows:

from that eminent authority, on the distinction made between the terms signification and meaning. A practical manual, such as this, affords no room for discussions, were it proper to offer here a defence of the distinction observed, in the above and preceding instances, in these pages. But to the teacher, at least, it may be permitted to say, that his office, as a matter of experience, in the explanation of words, often is, to deduce and evolve, through the successive stages of philological and psychological associations, the meaning, or actual sense of a word from its primary and literal sense, — and from its signification, (sign-power,) or mere etymological reference, to educe its secondary sense, in the form, perhaps, of a metaphorical, or even highly figurative, interpretation. The signification is the letter; the meaning is the spirit; and, as in higher and sacred relations, the one may "kill", while the other "gives life."

"INSTRUCTION". ANALYSIS: Prefix, in-, signifying in or into; Suffix, -ion, signifying condition or process; Root, -struct-, derived from the Latin language, and signifying building. — ORIGINAL SIGNIFICATION, process of building in.- AcTUAL MEANING, teaching, or didactic information.

EXAMPLES: "Take fast hold of Instruction, let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life." "Some things we learn from instruction; some, from experience." "Instruction is but a limited part of education." *

Suggestions to Students. The adult student who wishes to trace satisfactorily the successive changes which the sense of many of the words of our language has undergone, in the progress of years, will find great benefit from the use of Richardson's "Dictionary of the English Language," † in which these modifications are distinctly shown, and exemplified by quotations from eminent writers, in all the prominent successive stages of English literature. Reference, however, to any dictionary of sufficient size to contain copious quotations, as, for example, Johnson's, in quarto form, will be adequate authority for deciding or sanctioning the actual use of words. Worcester's Critical Dictionary, and the quarto edition of Webster, may also be mentioned as very exact and reliable guides in such investigations.

The exercise on the signification and meaning of words, when performed by classes, should extend to all the words assigned as the daily lesson in etymological analysis.

† Republished by Butler & Co., Philadelphia.