sy
cheek, manly voice, beastly action; and seem at first to have been
formed simply by a change of termination of their correspondent
substantives. The comparative degrees of greater and less were found
so frequently necessary to be suggested, that a change of termination
even in our language for this purpose was produced; and is as
frequently used as an additional word, as wiser or more wise.

The expression of general similitude, as well as partial similitude,
becomes so frequently used in conversation, that another kind of
adjective, called an adverb, was expressed by a change of termination,
or addition of the syllable ly or like; and as adjectives of the
former kind are applied to substantives, and express a partial
similitude, these are applied to verbs and express a general
similitude, as to act heroically, to speak boldly, to think freely.

The perpetual chain of causes and effects, which constitute the
motions, or changing configurations, of the universe, are so
conveniently divided into active and passive, for expressing the
exertions or purposes of common life, that it became particularly
convenient in all languages to substitute changes of termination,
instead of additional nouns, to express, whether the thing spoken of
was in a state of acting or of being acted upon. This change of
termination betokening action or suffering constitutes the participle,
as loving, loved; which, as it expresses a property of bodies, is
classed amongst adjectives in the preceding pages.

Besides the perpetual allusions to the active or passive state of
things, the comparative times of these motions, or changes, were also
perpetually required to be expressed; it was therefore found
convenient in all languages to suggest them by changes of terminations
in preference to doing it by additional nouns. At the same time the
actual or real existence of the thing spoken of was perpetually
required, as well as the times of their existence, and the active or
passive state of that existence. And as no conversation could be
carried on without unceasingly alluding to these circumstances, they
became in all languages suggested by changes of termination; which are
termed moods and tenses in grammars, and convert the participle above
mentioned into a verb; as that participle had originally been formed
by adding a termination to a noun, as chaining, and chained, from
chain.

The great variety of changes of termination in all languages consi