26. Syntax is the systematic account of the construction of single and connected sentences; or rather, it is the imperfect result of an attempt to classify linguistic usages, which usages, having commenced with a wild luxuriance, that knew no limit save that of intelligibility, gradually settled down into more or less precise forms. Every language has its own peculiar constructions, which do not admit of being literally translated. Hence the syntax, which is common to the Aryan family of speech, is narrow in comparison with the syntax of any one member of that family. Of this common Syntax little can be said except that all the Aryan languages have possessed what is called the Agreement of the Noun with its verb, apposite, and attribute, the use of cases,—and at least some modal indication of the distinction between the categorical and hypothetical proposition. Many years ago an eminent professor of Geology told his pupils that they would learn more of the crust of the earth by the thorough examination of a single district than by casual observations in a dozen counties. And on just the same principle we may say that more can be learned of Syntax by a systematic effort at mastering the constructions of our own magnificent language than by any other means within the reach of most of us. The foundation for all sound syntactical knowledge is found in the scientific analysis of a sentence. Such an analysis is as unlike parsing, as the separation of an animal according to the functional divisions of its body by an anatomist, is unlike the chopping of it into pieces by the butcher or the cook. And it is by means of such an Analysis that we arrive at those Functional elements of a spoken Thought which it is our purpose to examine in the following pages. EXAMINATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF AN ENGLISH SENTENCE. GENERAL REMARKS. 27. A Sentence is the categorical or hypothetical1 expression of a complete Thought in words. It may appear in the form of an Assertion, Petition, or Question, and any one of these three may be affirmative or negative: but inasmuch as both petitions and questions may for analytic purposes be cast into the form of an assertion, we shall generally refer to sentences as assertions or statements. 28. Every sentence contains elements which discharge distinctly different grammatical functions in respect of the Thought. The separation or classification of these grammatical elements constitutes the Analysis of a Sentence. 29. "A complete Thought implies a notion of doing or being, in connection with a notion of something which does or is [Dalgleish]. These two separate notions form the two great grammatical divisions of every sentence. That which asserts 1 For the meaning of these terms, see § 20. 6 the doing or being,' is the grammatical Predicate; and that which names the thing which 'does or is,' is the Subject, as "The heart which trusts [Subject] for ever sings [Predicate]." Obs. Although the division of a sentence into subject and predicate is an analysis, it is generally necessary to have analysis carried to a much greater length, as may be seen in the ensuing pages. 30. The Classification of the functional elements is based on the two great divisions of a sentence, viz. the subject and the predicate, thus Whatever can stand alone as the subject of a sentence is a Substantival; and Whatever can stand alone as the predicate of a sentence is a Verb. But verbs and substantivals are not the only possible elements, for they may require limitation or definition, thus Whatever can limit a substantival,―otherwise than in respect of place, time, cause, or manner,-is an Adjectival. Whatever can limit a verb is an Adverbial. And whatever can attach or link together words, phrases, or clauses, is a Connective. Hence we have Verbs, Connectives, Substantivals, Adjectivals, and Adverbials. But although the most characteristic functions of all of these have just been given, yet the three last discharge such a variety of functions, that it is necessary to adopt a more or less satisfactory system of terminology by which to distinguish them. This system appears in the subjoined table, and will be explained hereafter in the course of this work. |