ARTICLE VII.

PROPER AND COMMON NOUNS DISTINGUISHED.

Section 1.

Alternate sentences in which the same object is first designated by a common noun, and then by a proper noun.

EXAMPLES.

1. The emperor rode on horseback. viewed the troops.

Alexander re

2. The queen rode a white palfrey. Victoria visited Scotland.

3. The prince traveled in foreign countries. Albert visited America.

4. The president visited Fortress Monroe in March. Lincoln was assassinated in April.

5. The steamer was bound for New Orleans. The Ben Sherrod was burned on the Mississippi.

Section 2.

A proper noun as the subject, and a common noun as the predicate nominative, both denoting the same object.

EXAMPLES.

1. Washington was the father of his country. 2. Cicero was a celebrated Roman orator. 3. Hannibal was a famous Carthagenian general. 4. Moses was the Jewish lawgiver. 5. Saul was the first Israelitish king.

6. Morse was the inventor of the telegraph.

7. Newton

was the prince of philosophers. 8. Columbus was the discoverer of America. 9. Stephen was the first Christian martyr.

Section 3.

A common noun in apposition with a proper noun.

EXAMPLES.

1. I left the parcel with Johnson, the merchant. 2. I sold my horse to Henderson, the coachmaker. 3. I bought this watch of Smith, the jeweler. 4. Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, wrote a letter to the Hebrews. 5. I bought this rosebush of Grovett, the nurseryman. 6. I get my flour of Doty, the miller.

Section 4.

A proper noun in apposition with a common noun.

EXAMPLES.

1. Prince Albert was the husband of Queen Victoria. 2. Lady Jane Grey was beheaded with her husband, Lord Guilford. 3. I have employed Lawyer White to manage my case. 4. The case was tried by Justice Shane. 5. This poem was written by Mrs. Hemans. 6. Lord Chesterfield was noted for his politeness.

Section 5.

Alternate sentences in which the same word is used first as a proper noun, and then as a common noun.

EXAMPLES.

1. The sun is the great dispenser of light and heat. Every fixed star is a sun.

2. The moon rules the night. The earth has one moon, and Saturn has eight.

3. The earth is one of the planets. Earth, air, fire, and water are the four elements of the old philosophers.

4. Christmas is celebrated in commemoration of the birth of our Savior. I spent last Christmas at the house of a friend.

5. Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows.-Pope. A zephyr is a gentle west wind.

ARTICLE VIII.

COMPOUND NOUNS.

Section 1.

Compound proper nouns.

(a) Proper names composed of two proper nouns.

EXAMPLES.

1. George Washington was appointed commander-inchief (a). 2. Andrew Jackson was elected president. 3. John Quincy Adams (b) succeeded James Monroe as president.

MODELS FOR PARSING.

(a) George Washington is a compound proper noun, having the noun George as its basis, which is limited by Washington, a proper noun in apposition with George. It is masc., 3d, sing., nom., and is the subj. of was appointed.-Rule VIII.

P. M.-4.

OTHERWISE.

George Washington is a compound proper noun, having Washington as its basis, which is limited by George, a proper noun used as an adjective. It is masc., etc.; nom., and subj. of the verb was appointed.—Rule VIII.

OTHERWISE.

George Washington is a proper noun; masc., 3d, sing., nom., and subj. of the verb was appointed.-Rule VIII.

REMARK.--Compound names are commonly parsed according to the last of the foregoing methods, which is to be preferred on account of its simplicity.

(b) John Quincy Adams is a compound proper noun, having the proper noun Adams as its basis, which is limited by the compound proper noun John Quincy, used as an adjective. John Quincy Adams is masc., 3d, sing., nom., and is the subj. of the verb succeeded.-Rule VIII.

OTHERWISE.

John Quincy Adams is a noun, prop., masc., 3d, sing., nom., and subj. of the verb succeeded.-Rule VIII.

REMARKS.-1. About the time that surnames first began to be used, one of the numerous Johns then living, who was a smith by trade, was called by his neighbors John the Smith, or John Smith, to distinguish him from the other Johns. The surname Smith must, therefore, have been originally a noun in apposition with John. But this John Smith had a family of sons, who were all Smiths by virtue of their descent. To distinguish these young Smiths from each other, one was called George, another Charles, and a third Joseph. The names George, Charles, and Joseph, thus used for the purpose of distinguishing one Smith from another, are obviously used as adjectives.

2. Suppose that a teacher has in his school but one boy named John. That boy will answer whenever the teacher calls the name John. But suppose that there are in the school two boys named John, the one having the surname Smith, and the other the surname Brown. Then the teacher, in calling the one or the other of these boys, must add the name Smith or Brown, for the purpose of identifying the boy meant. Smith or Brown would, in this case, evidently be a noun in apposition with John.

3. Suppose that a teacher has in his school but one boy named Smith. This boy will respond to the call, "Smith!" But if there are two Smiths in the school, the teacher must indicate which boy he means by prefixing to the name Smith the distinctive appellation George or Charles. The name George or Charles, thus used, would be an adjective limiting the noun Smith.

4. It may be stated as a rule, that when one noun is added to another, by way of explanation, the added noun is in apposition with the first; and that when one noun is prefixed to another, for the purpose of distinguishing one person or thing from another, the noun prefixed is used as an adjective.

5. If in calling the name John Smith, I emphasize Smith, I make it a noun in apposition with the noun John; but if I emphasize John, I make it an adjective limiting the noun Smith.

(b) Proper names composed of a proper noun and an adjective.

EXAMPLES.

1. New Siberia is an island lying north of Asia (a). 2. Great Britain is a large island lying west of Europe. 3. Little Bokhara is a country of Asia.

MODELS FOR PARSING.

(a) New Siberia is a compound proper noun, consisting of the proper noun Siberia, which is the basis, and of the adjective New, which qualifies Siberia. It is neut., 3d, sing., nom., and subj. of is.-Rule VIII.

OTHERWISE.

New Siberia is a noun, prop., etc.

(c) A compound proper noun may consist of a common noun and an adjective.

EXAMPLES.

1. The Pacific Ocean is not subject to violent storms (a). 2. The Rocky Mountains extend north and south