. The comic English grammar : a new and facetious introduction to the English tongue . s is named a Dissyllable; as, cat-gut, mu-sie. A word of three syllables is termed a Trisyllable ; as,Mag-uet-ism, Mum-mer-y. A word of four or more syllables is entitled a Polysyl-lable ; as, in-ter-mi-na-ble, cir-eum-lo-cu-tion, ex-as-pe-rat-ed, func-ti-o-na-ry, met-ro-po-li-tan, ro-tun-di-ty. Words of more syllables than one are sometimes comic-ally contracted into one syllable, as, in spose for suppose,blieve for believe, and scuse for excuse : here, perhaps,buss, abbreviated from omnibus, deserves to be
. The comic English grammar : a new and facetious introduction to the English tongue . s is named a Dissyllable; as, cat-gut, mu-sie. A word of three syllables is termed a Trisyllable ; as,Mag-uet-ism, Mum-mer-y. A word of four or more syllables is entitled a Polysyl-lable ; as, in-ter-mi-na-ble, cir-eum-lo-cu-tion, ex-as-pe-rat-ed, func-ti-o-na-ry, met-ro-po-li-tan, ro-tun-di-ty. Words of more syllables than one are sometimes comic-ally contracted into one syllable, as, in spose for suppose,blieve for believe, and scuse for excuse : here, perhaps,buss, abbreviated from omnibus, deserves to be men-tioned. In like manner, many long words are elegantly trimmedand shortened; as, ornary for ordinary, strornary forextraordinary, and curosity for curiosity; to which mys-terus for mysterious may also be add^cL Polysyllables are an essential element in the sublime,both in poetry and in prose; but especially in that speciesof sublime which borders very closely on the ridiculous;as, Aldiborontiphosoophormio, Where leftst tiiou Chrononhotouthologos ? 24 THE COJIIC ENGLISH All words are either primitive or derivative. A primi-tive word is that which cannot be reduced to any simplerword in the language ; as, brass, York, knave. A deriva-tive word, under the head of which compound words arealso included, is that which may be reduced to anotherand a more simple word in the English language ; as,brazen, Yorkshire, knavery, mud-lark, lighterman. Broadbrim is a derivated word ; but it is one oftenapplied to a very primitive kind of person. 25 PAKT 11. CHAPTER I. A COMICAL VIEW OF THE PARTS OF STEECH, Etymology teaches the varieties, modifications, andderivation of words. The derivation of words means that which they comefrom as words; for what they come from as sounds, isanother matter. Some words come from the heart, andthen they are pathetic; others from the nose, in whichcase they are ludicrous. The funniest place, however,from which words can come, is the stomach. By th
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