Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/769

* NOUN. 655 NOVARA. nama, Eng. name; and probably ultimately with Lat. yn-osvere, nosvcre, Gk. '^i.-^vwaKttv, yiytujs- Iceiii, Skt. jnii, AS. ciitiwan, Eng. know). In grammar, a word denoting a thing. Of the eight so-called parts of speech (see Urammab) the noun is one of the four primitive ones, the other three being the interjection (([.v.), i)ronoun (q.v.). and verb (q.v.). The noun is sharply dis- tinguished both from the verb and from the pro- noun, not only by its function, hut by its inllec- lion (q.v.), although the pronoun and noun show frequent similarities, and in certain lan- guages, as in Hottentot and in the Polynesian dialects, the noun and tile verb coincide in form. Traces of these points of contact survive in Semitic and Indo-Germanic, especially in the verbal nouns, i.e. the infinitives, which are nouns in form and verbs in force. Moreover, in the Indo-Germanic languages there arc many instances in which, on account of the similarity of function of nouns and pronouns, pronominal inflection has ( been extended by analogy (q.v.) to the nouns and nominal inflection to the pronouns. Nouns are inflected for gender (q.v.), number, and case. Conventionally they are divided into common, liroper, abstract, and collective. Common nouns denote material, concrete things, as iuhle, cat ; proper nouns denote particular individuals and personifications, as John. Liberli/; abstract noims denote qualities, as qoodness, pleasure; and col- lective nouns denote masses of units, as miny, hundle. This classification is valuable in certain grammatical and logical analyses, but from a philological point of view it is worthless. It should also be noted that in many instances the adverb (q.v.), and by implication the preposi- tion (q.v.) and conjunction (q.v.), were origi- nally a sfereotyped case-form of a noun, as in the French adverbial suffi.x -mrnt, which is de- rived from the Latin menle. ablative of mens. mind, as aimiablemenl, 'amiably,' from Latin ainubili menle, 'with lovable spirit.' Consult: Fr. Miiller, (Irundriss der Spracliii--i.i.<^yntax der indoyrrma- nischen fiprachen. vol. i. (ib., 1893) ; Zimmern, Teryjeichende Grammatik der .vmiti.ichen . Spraehcn (Berlin, 1898) ; Audouin. Derlinnimn duns Ics la)igiws indo-curop<^ennes (Paris, 1898). NOUVELLE FHANCE, noo'vel' fr-iNs (Fr., New France). The early name of Canada. I NOtrVELLE HELOiSE, a'lA'Cz', La. See i Jui.tE. NOVAC'ULITE (from Lat. noracnia. razor, from tiorare. to renew, from novus, new: connect- ed with Gk. v4ot, neos, Skt. nava, OChurch Slav. novii. Ir., Gael, nuadh, Goth, niujis, OHG. niici, ninici, Ger. ncu, AS. niive, nenive. Eng. wcic). The name given to a fine-grained rock eomjiosed of minute quartz particles — probably a consoli- dated siliceous ooze. A variety of novaculite called 'Arkansas stone,' from its occurrence in Arkansas, is much used for whetstones. NOVAIA PRAGA, ni-i'va-ya prii'ga. A town in the Government of Kherson. South Russia, situated about 200 miles north of Kherson (Map: Russia, D .t). It carries on some trade in tim- ber, and had a population of 12,400 in 1897. NOVAKOVIC, nu-va'k6-vich, Stoja.n (1842 — ). A .'Servian statesman and philologist, born at Shabalz, and educated at the University of Belgrade. In 1871 he was chosen professor of Servian philology in the University of Belgrade. Between 1873 and 1883 he was three times Min- ister of Education, in which post he reorganized Servian education; and in ISSli resigned from the Ministry of Interior, which he had occupied for two years, and received the appointment of .Min- ister to Turkey, which he held until 1892. From July, 1895, to December, 189C, he was Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then became once more Minister to Turkey. In 1900 he was transferred to Saint Petersburg. He wrote Istorija sprske knjilevnosti (1807) and a Servian grammar (1879). NOVAIilS, uo-vii'lis (Lat,, fallow land). A name assumed by Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772-lSOl), a German romantic author, once of cosmopolitan renown. He was born in Prussian Saxony. His parents were Moravians, and he was much influenced by that mystic re- ligion. He studied at Jena, Leipzig, and Witten- berg, and in 1794 went to Tennstiidt to further his legal training. There he fell in love with a delicate tliirteen-year-old girl, who died as his betrothed in 1797. Xovalis was then auditor at the W'eissenfels salt works. He thought he was a blighted being, but presently he went to Frei- burg to continue technical studies and became again betrothed. He returned to W'eissenfels in 1799, but was obliged by disease of the lungs to postpone his marriage and died in 1801. His writings were soon collected by the Sehlegels and issued in two volumes, often reiidited, with a third volume in 184U. They are mainly frag- mentary. Notewortliy among them is an unfin- ished romance, Heiniich von Oftcrdinyen. the mawkish Knight of the Blue Flower Poesy, whose 'apotheosis' Novalis tells us he intended the novel to be. Carlyle recommended its '[lersual and reperusal.' Individual pas.sages in it are charming, and good Ijrics are interspersed in the narrative. Earlier in time than Ofterdinycn is a romance. Die Lehrlinye zu iSuis, wherein the 'Disciples" discover that "the secret of Nature is nothing else than the fulfilled longing of a lov- ing heart." Famous al.so in their way are the Hyninen an die Xacht, .sentimentally morbid musings on his quickly consoled bereavement, mingled with imiircssions of Young's Xiyht Thouyhts and Fichte's lectures at .Jena. Some of the fi-agmcnts are political and reveal an exaltation of patriotic idealism. Other frag- ments deal with natural science in the same dreamy spirit. His religious lyrics have an emotional tenderness and a nebulous charm. The rest of his work is ;ill but forgotten. Con.sult: Haym, Friedrich von Hardenbery (2d ed., fjotlia, 1883); id., Die romantischc Schule (Berlin, 1870). NOVARA, nt'-va'ni. The capital of the Prov- ince of Novara, Italy, and a railway centre, 30 miles west of Milan ( Map: Italy, C 2). It com- mands fine Alpine views frcnn the boulevards on the site of its dismantled fortifications, and lias several notable cliurchcs. chief of which arc the Romanesque cathedral, dating from the four- teenth century, and rehuill between 18(10 and 1870, with its fine frescws ;ind sculptures and grand high altar, and the Church of San Gauden-