To make one.—Bailey and Richardson.

LECTURE III. 69

the affix fy may be found commencing with each letter of the alphabet, with the exception of five; and of these, four (k, w, y and z) do not occur in Latin; while x is never to be found commencing a word in Latin or in English.

From the verb fallo, to err or deceive, parti-

ciple falsus, deceived, we have " fallible," that

may err; and "fallacious," implying deception.

he noun " fallacy" is applied in logic to sophisms

in argument, intended to mislead. " False" is the

English form of falsus, meaning deceptious; and

" falsehood" is the noun formed from the same

participle, with the usual English or Anglo-Saxon

affix hood, to express a state or condition. It is

doubtful if fallo be the root of the English verb to

" fail," as a man is said to fail of his promise; or

whether it may not be more properly derived

from the Anglo-Saxon feallan, to fall or fail, as

describing loss or decay.

Fendo, to keep off, to strike, and fensus, kept off, supply us with " fender," a piece of furniture to keep off the ashes and cinders; " fence," that which keeps off cattle, &c, and the verb meaning to keep off the blows of an adversary. We have also "defend" to keep off from oneself; and "defence" that which so protects from danger. A " defender" is one who defends; and the " defendant" in a lawsuit is the person put upon his " defence." When any conduct or proceeding is said to be " indefensible," it means that it cannot

LECTURE III.

be defended, and the person adopting such a course is " defenceless," this word being formed by the addition of the English affix less meaning without. To "offend," or give "offence," is to repel or attack another, to strike against an opponent, ob being changed to of, for euphony. Hence, " offensive" war means that which is undertaken to assail another, while " defensive" is war which one is compelled to engage in to keep off the attacks of the assailant.

From fero, to carry, or suffer, and its irregu­larly formed participle latus, carried, we have several words. A " ferry" is a boat that carries passengers across a river. Land that bears or brings forth much fruit is designated " fertile;" and " fertility," as also " fertilize" to make fruitful, come from the same root. The " circum­ference" means the line including or surrounding anything, and is applied to a circle around which a line can be carried. To " confer" is to bring together, and is applied to communion of thoughts by conversation,* as when two or more persons are brought together to hold a " conference." It is also used to signify a bringing together for some common good, and hence it means to give or " confer" a benefit. To "defer" is to put from one, and is generally applied to delay, a putting

* " I conferred not with flesh and blood; neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me."— Gal i. 16. 17. " They conferred among themselves."— Acts iv. 15.

LECTURE III. 71

off from the present to a future time. The noun " deference" implies a putting away one's own judgment, and " preferring" that of another; and " preference" is putting one before another.* " Preferment" is that to which the person receiving it is " preferred" to others. To " differ" is a word of "different" meaning, namely to bear apart; and hence signifies disagreement. A " difference" with another person implies the opposite to " defer-ence;" it means not only that one does not submit his judgment to another, but that he dissents from it. To " infer" is to bring in; and hence it signifies to induce or deduce, that is, by virtue of one proposition laid down as true, to draw or carry in another as true likewise; and the deduc­tion or conclusion that we arrive at, by bringing into account the preceding arguments, is the " inference" that we draw from the whole. To " offer" is to bring before another; and an " offer-ing" is that which is so brought. The " offertory" means the act of " offering;" and of similar signi­fication are " oblations," things offered, derived from the participle latus. To " proffer" differs little from " offer," meaning to bring forward. It is to be observed, however, that whereas violence may be said to be " offered " to another, it is only to friendly acts that " proffer" is applied. When a man betakes himself for decision from one authority

* "In honour preferring one another."— Rom. xii. 10.

LECTURE III.

to another, he is said to make " reference" of the matter to another tribunal; to "refer" meaning literally to bring back, and hence to " remit," to resort to; and the party to whom the matter is thus made " referrible" is called the " referee." When a person is brought under trial and afflic-tion, or made to undergo punishment, he is said to "suffer," suf being put for sub before fer from fero to bear; and he is called a " sufferer," endur­ing " suffering." The word is also used in the sense of permitting or tolerating anything, that is, bearing under it; and to allow a man to exer­cise any power which might be prevented is described as letting matters so continue by " suf-ferance." A " transfer" is a carrying over to another person, and that which may be so trans-mitted from one to another is said to be "trans-ferrable."

From the participle of this verb, latus, we have to " collate," that is, to bring together, as for the purpose of comparison. This word is usually applied to an examination of different copies of books, which is called a " collation;" a designation also given to a slight repast, where various articles of food are collected or brought together. The word " collateral," although sounding like " col-late" is of different derivation, having the noun latus (latĕris) a side, for its root; the word mean-ing side by side, one running parallel with the other. To " dilate," or as formerly written,

LECTURE III. 73

" délate," is to speak at large of any thing, to expa-tiate upon a subject; and may either be traced to the participle of fero, or to the Latin adjective latus signifying broad or large. To be " elated" is to be carried out of; and hence " elation" was for­merly used to signify pride, and to describe the state of mind of a man that is carried out of him­self, acknowledging neither superior nor equal.* A " prelate" is one who is brought before or pre-ferred above others; and the term is applied to bishops as being set before or over other ecclesias-tics. " Prolate," to pronounce, to bring forward, may be considered obsolete; but " relate" means to recite, to bring hack, to recall to mind. The word " relation" is applied, not only to the tale recited, but also to describe the connection between persons or things. " Illation," a word not much in use, meant an " inference." That which is borne, or carries itself, above all others is desig­nated "superlative;" and a book taken from one language over to another is called a " translation," as is also the moving from one place to another, usually applied in the sense of a transference for the better. A " translator" is one who turns one language into another, the word being derived through the French. From fingo, to form or fashion, fictus, feigned,

* " Elation is when he ne may neither suffre to have maister ne felawe."— Chaucer, as quoted by Dr. Richardson.

LECTURE III.

we have through the French to " feign," that is, to invent, and a " feint" or pretence; both used in a bad sense, like the word counterfeit. " Unfeigned" is the opposite, and means sincere. From the past participle, we have " fiction," an invention, implying a similitude to what is real, the reference being to a " figure" made by a potter; we have also "fictitious," that is, allegorical or representing as by an image; but generally applied to describe that which is false, and intended to deceive.

Flecto, to bend, flexus, bent, give " flexible," and " flexibility," referring to what may be bent; as " inflexible" is in pure Saxon English unbend-able. The mark over a letter or syllable is called a " circumflex," as bending round in form. To " deflect" is to bend or turn aside from, to de-viate; in navigation it denotes the departure of a ship from its true course. To " inflect" is to bend inwards; the term " inflection" is applied to the variation of nouns and verbs in their termina­tions. To " reflect" means to bend back again; and is applied, as well as the noun " reflection," to the casting back of the image in a mirror; and the glasses which thus act in a light-house are called the " reflectors." Metaphorically, the words are applied, as is the adjective " reflective," to the act of the mind meditating repeatedly on a subject; casting back a thought, a judgment, or censure—hence called a " reflection" upon the

LECTURE III. 75

person or thing thought of; and restricted to a bad opinion so formed. A " reflex" argument is one that results from the mind looking back upon facts, and drawing conclusions from the consider­ation of them.*

From fligo, to beat, flictus, stricken, we have " afflict," " affliction," and " afflictive," implying a striking to or against; also " conflict," conveying the idea of a struggle together with another. " Conflicting" opinions or statements are such as contend with or oppose each other. " Profligate" may mean dashing forward without considera­tion. To " inflict" is to strike against as a punish­ment, and an " infliction" is that which is so im­posed upon a person.

From the verb fluo to flow, participle fluxus, flowed, we have " fluid," " fluxion" and " flux," all having reference to flowing, in a literal sense; while "fluent" and " fluency" are applied to a flowing and copious style of speaking. " Afflu­ent" is flowing to; " confluent" flowing together; and a " defluxion" is a flowing away from. " Effluvium" is a Latin word adopted into English, and, with its plural " effluvia," signifies flowing out from, and is applied to offensive odours. " Influential" implies a flowing into or upon, and

* " The order and beauty of the inanimate part of the world, the discernible ends of them, do evince, by a reflex argument, that it is the workmanship, not of blind mechanism, or blinder chance, but of an intelligent and benign Agent."— Bentley.

LECTURE III

thus acquiring "influence" or power over one. " Influx" means a flowing in, and "reflux" a flow­ing back. The plain English of " superfluous" is overflowing; and a "superfluity" denotes super­abundance, more than is needed

Frango, to break, and fractus, broken, supply us with several English words. " Frangible" and " fragile" mean easily to be broken; and a " frag­ment" is a piece broken off.* " Irrefragable" arguments are such as cannot be broken, or suc­cessfully resisted. A " fraction" is a part broken from the whole; and a " fracture" is a breach, usually applied to a broken limb. Goods are said to be "frail," when perishable; and the word is applied metaphorically to denote a person of broken character and liable to errors. " Frailty" means instability, usually applied to the mind, to designate weakness of resolution; and consequently sins of infirmity, in which sense the word is used in the plural.† To " infringe" is to break in upon, and the " infringement" of a law is the breach or violation of its commands. To " refract" is to break again; and the word is applied, as also " refraction," in astronomy, to signify the break-

* " Gather up the fragments that remain."— John vi. 12. " And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets Ml"—Matt. xv. 37.

† " No farther seek his merits to disclose,

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode."

Gray's Elegy.

LECTURE III 77

ing of the natural course of the rays of light, " Refractory" is applied in a metaphorical sense, to describe an obstinate character, one who breaks the law, and will not be obedient to it.*

Fugio, to fly, being a neuter verb, has no pas­sive, but from its supine, fugĬtum, we have " fugitive," applied to one who flies from justice; also a " refuge," a place of safety to which one may fly back; and a " refugee," used to describe one who has fled to another country for " refuge." A " subterfuge" is a flight under cover, an eva­sion, a pretence under which to escape a diffi­culty.

Fundo, to pour out or melt, and fusus, poured out, form the roots of some well-known words. A " foundery" is a place where metals are melted; a word derived through the French, as is also the verb to " found," that is, to form figures by melt­ing and pouring into moulds. "Fuse," " fusible," and " fusion," have all the same reference to melt­ing. To "confound" is to mix or pour together, and thus to cause things to be indistinct, in a state of " confusion;" and, applicable to the mind, it means to deprive of the power of distinction, or discernment, and thus to perplex and stupify. " Diffuse" and " diffusive" mean spread abroad. widely dispersed, expanded. " Effusion" is the

* " There is a law in each well-order'd nation, To curb those raging appetites that are Most disobedient and refractory" — Shakspeare.

LECTURE III.

act of pouring out; and is applied, in a contemp­tuous sense, to the pouring out of words. It is also used to signify waste; and an useless spilling or shedding of blood.* To " infuse" and " infu-sion," applied both literally and metaphorically, refer to a pouring into; and so the words are used in the sense of instilling or steeping, and also in that of inspiring and insinuating. " Profuse" and " profusion" imply a pouring forth, and that inordinately. To " refund" is to pour back or return, what had been taken away. To " suffuse" is to pour over, and " suffusion" is that which is suffused or spread over—" super-fused" or poured over as melted liquid matter. " Transfused" means spread or poured over from one vessel to another; and it is found applied to a translation from one language to another.†

Gero, to carry or b ear, and gestus, carried, are to be found in the composition of some English words. A "gest" is an act or a representation carried on; but this is an obsolete word. A " jest" has a similar signification, in reference to a play acted or carried out in order to represent any­thing in a humourous light. To " gesticulate" was to mock a man by " gesturing" or acting, by

* " Stop effusion of our Christian blood,

And 'stablish quietness."— Shdkspeare: Henry VI. † " Something must be lost in all transfusion that is, in all trans­lations, but the sense will remain."-Dryden.

LECTURE III. 79

moving the hands or the countenance in a ridicu­lous manner, to the prejudice of the other; and a " jester" meant a person who made " gestures" or grimaces, intended to excite mirth. " Gestation" is a term applied to the bearing or carrying the young in the womb. A "congeries" means a number of distinct things heaped or brought together, a collection; and a " congestion" is of similar signification, and is applied in medical language to a collection of matter, as in abscesses and tumours. To " digest," formerly " disgest," is to convey food into different parts of the body. To " digest" thoughts or ideas is to dispose of them in order. " Digests," in legal language, are volumes of the civil law, in which the precepts are well ordered or disposed. " Digestible," " disgestion," and their opposites formed by in prefixed negatively, relate to the " digestion" of food. To " suggest" is to carry under, and is applied to the placing a thought under review, or putting it before the mind; and hence means to prompt or instigate secretly. The act so brought out is a " suggestion;" and that which conveys a hint of any thing is said to be " suggestive" of it. Gradior, to go step by step, and gressus, gone, (from which is derived the Latin noun gradus a step), supply the root of several English words. Hence we have the terms " grade," to express rank or degree; " gradation," meaning a regular pro­gress from one degree to another; and " gradual,"

LECTURE III.

advancing step by step. A " gradient" means a deviation from a level to an inclined plane. A "graduate" is one who has taken his "degree," that is, his rank or place of dignity in an university, to which he has attained " gradually," or step by step. An " aggressor" is one who advances towards another with a hostile intent; the attack so made is an " aggression;" and he that first begins a quarrel is the " aggressor." A " con­gress" is a meeting with or coming together; it is usually applied to an appointed meeting for poli­tical purposes, as the "Congress of Vienna;" and the periodical assembly in America similar to our parliament is called the " Congress." To " de-grade" is to take one down from a higher degree, which is a " degradation" to the person so cast down. To " digress" is to wander from, or to go asunder* A turning aside from the subject in hand, by an author or speaker, is a " digression;" and a " digressive" or discursive style is one that wanders from the point, expatiating too much. " Egress" is a going out from; opposed to "in­gress," a coming into. The " ingredients" of any mixture are the component parts entering in, to form the composition. The " progress" a man

* Digressing is used by Shakspeare in the sense of erring from the right path—

"And thy abundant goodness shall excuse This deadly blot in thy digressing son."

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