Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/812

 [¯] The, or , [469] [&mdash;&mdash;] or [* * * *] or [....] The, or , denotes the omission of some letters or words: as, K&mdash;g, for King; c****d, for coward; d....d, for damned. [^] The, used only in writing, shows where to insert words or letters that have been accidentally omitted. [{}] The serves to unite a triplet; or, more frequently, to connect several terms with something to which they are all related. [§] The marks the smaller divisions of a book or chapter; and, with the help of numbers, serves to abridge references. [¶] The (chiefly used in the Bible) denotes the commencement of a new subject. The parts of discourse which are called paragraphs, are, in general, sufficiently distinguished by beginning a new line, and carrying the first word a little forwards or backwards. The paragraphs of books being in some instances numbered, this character may occasionally be used, in lieu of the word paragraph, to shorten references. [“”] The, or , distinguish words that are exhibited as those of an other author or speaker. A quotation within a quotation, is usually marked with single points; which, when both are employed, are placed within the others: as, “And again he saith, ‘Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.’”&mdash;Rom., xv, 10. The, or , generally inclose some correction or explanation, but sometimes the sign or subject to be explained; as, "He [Mr. Maurice] was of a different opinion."&mdash;Allen's Gram., p. 213. ☞ The, or , points out something remarkable, or what the reader should particularly observe. [*] The, or , [&dagger;] the , or , [&Dagger;] the , or , and [||] the , refer to marginal notes. The also [§], and the  [¶], are often used for marks of reference, the former being usually applied to the fourth, and the latter to the sixth note on a page; for, by the usage of printers, these signs are commonly introduced in the following order: 1, *; 2, [&dagger;]; 3, [&Dagger;]; 4, §; 5, ||; 6, ¶; 7, **; 8, [&dagger;][&dagger;]; &c. Where many references are to be made, the small letters of the alphabet, or the numerical figures, in their order, may be conveniently used for the same purpose. Asterism The, or , a sign not very often used, is placed before a long or general note, to mark it as a note, without giving it a particular reference. [,] The is a mark borrowed from the French, by whom it is placed under the letter c, to give it the sound of s, before a or o; as in the words,
 * 1) The signs of long and short sounds, and especially of the former, have been singularly slow in acquiring appropriate names&mdash;or any appellatives suited to their nature, or such as could obtain the sanction of general use. The name breve, from the French brève, (which latter word came, doubtless, originally from the neuter of the Latin adjective brevis, short,) is now pretty generally applied to the one; and the Greek term macron, long, (also originally a neuter adjective,) is perhaps as common as any name for the other. But these are not quite so well adapted to each other, and to the things named, as are the substitutes added above.
 * 2) These signs are explained in our grammars under various names, and often very unfit ones, to say the least; and, in many instances, their use is, in some way, awkwardly stated, without any attempt to name them, or more than one, if either. The Rev. T. Smith names them "Long (¯), and Short (˘)."&mdash;Smith's Murray, p. 72. Churchill calls them "The long ¯ and the short ˘."&mdash;New Gram., p. 170. Gould calls them "a horizontal line" and "a curved line."&mdash;Gould's Adam's Gram., p. 3. Coar says, "Quantity is distinguished by the characters of - long, and ˘ short."&mdash;Eng. Gram., p. 197. But, in speaking of the signs, he calls them, "A long syllable ¯," and "A short syllable ˘."&mdash;Gram., pp. 222 and 228. S. S. Greene calls them "the long sound," and "the breve or short sound."&mdash;Gram., p. 257. W. Allen says, "The long-syllable mark, (¯) and the breve, or short-syllable mark, (˘) denote the quantity of words poetically employed."&mdash;Gram., p. 215. Some call them "the Long Accent," and "the Short Accent;" as does Guy's Gram., p. 95. This naming seems to confound accent with quantity. By some, the Macron is improperly called "a Dash;" as by Lennie, p. 137; by Bullions, p. 157; by Hiley, p. 123; by Butler, p. 215. Some call it "a small dash;" as does Well's, p. 183; so Hiley, p. 117. By some it is absurdly named "Hyphen;" as by Buchanan, p. 162; by Alden, p. 165; by Chandler, 183; by Parker and Fox, iii, 36; by Jaudon, 193. Sanborn calls it "the hyphen, or macron."&mdash;Analyt. Gr., p. 279. Many, who name it not, introduce it to their readers by a "this ¯," or "thus ˘;" as do Alger, Blair, Dr. Adam, Comly, Cooper, Ingersoll, L. Murray, Sanders, Wright, and others! is used to denote either the open, long, primal sound of a vowel, or a syllable of long quantity; as, līve, having life,&mdash;rā'ven, a bird,&mdash;ē'quīne, of a horse.