Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 2.djvu/45

Rh Far, farther, farthest? Beside besides

These two words being of similar sound, are very improperly used promiscuously, the one for the other. When employed as a preposition, the word beside should always be used: when as an adverb, besides The first signifies  over and above  The last, moreover. As in the following sentences. Beside (over and above) what has been advanced upon this subject, it may lead us to inquire, &c.

"Besides, (moreover) what has been advanced upon this subject, may lead us to inquire, &c.

"It is always an imperfection in a language to have the same individual word belong to different parts of speech; but when there are two words differently pronounced, and differently spelt, used promiscuously for each other, both in point of meaning, and in discharging the different offices of preposition and adverb, it savours much of barbarism, as it is so easy to allot their peculiar province to each. When I said that the word beside should be always used as the preposition, and  besides  as the adverb, the choice was not made at random. In its prepositional state, it must be closely united to the following word; in its adverbial, it should always have a pause after it. Now the word beside  not loaded with the final s, is rendered more apt to run glibly into the following word: and the word besides, always preceding a pause, has, by the addition of the s, a stronger sound to rest upon.

"These two words also, from a similitude of sound, though of such different meanings, are used Rh