Text-Book of English Grammar: A Treatise on the Etymology and Syntax of the English Language (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Text-Book of English Grammar: A Treatise on the Etymology and Syntax of the English LanguageThe earliest attempts to reduce our language to grammatical system referred to the learned languages for a model, and shaped the English on the complicated frame of Latin grammar. Of this nature was the trea tise of the renowned Ben Jonson, who was regarded by Home Tooke as having given the first? As well as the best English Grammar. We have, as I apprehend, says Hallam, no earlier Grammar upon so ela borate a plan; every rule is illustrated by examples, almost to redun dance; but he is too copious on what is common to other languages, and perhaps not full enough as to our peculiar idiom.i Gifford tell that the Grammar which Jonson had prepared for the press was de stroyed in the conflagration of his study; and that the treatise first published in 1640, three years after the poet's death, presented rather the materials for a Grammar than a perfect work. We perceive, how ever, from these materials, that although they were professedly made by Ben Jonson out of his observation of the English language, he was directed, in his grammatical developments, more by the genius of the Latin, than by that of the English tongue.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.