LECTURE I.

LECTURE I.

GENERAL VIEW OF LANGUAGE.

Study of Language long considered difficult.--Its importance.--Errors in teaching.--Not understood by Teachers.--Attachment to old systems.--Improvement preferable.--The subject important.--Its advantages.--Principles laid down.--Orthography.--Etymology.--Syntax.-- Prosody.

LECTURE II.

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE.

General principles of Language.--Business of Grammar.--Children are Philosophers.--Things, ideas, and words.--Actions.--Qualities of things.--Words without ideas.--Grammatical terms inappropriate.-- Principles of Language permanent.--Errors in mental science.--Facts admit of no change.--Complex ideas.--Ideas of qualities.--An example.--New ideas.--Unknown words.--Signs without things signified.--Fixed laws regulate matter and mind.

LECTURE III.

WRITTEN AND SPOKEN LANGUAGE.

Principles never alter.--They should be known.--Grammar a most important branch of science.--Spoken and written Language.--Idea of a thing.--How expressed.--An example.--Picture writing.--An anecdote.--Ideas expressed by actions.--Principles of spoken and written Language.--Apply universally.--Two examples.--English language.--Foreign words.--Words in science.--New words.--How formed.