1831 Sept. 28 M

Language

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Ch.1 Language in general

'.4 Properties desirable

Properties desirable in the information, for the communication of which language is employed: that is to say, whatsoever be the language by means of which it is endeavoured to convey it, the persons by whom, the persons to whom, the occasions on which, and the purposes for which, it is endeavoured to be conveyed.

1. Clearness: as opposed to 1. Obscurity. 2. Ambiguity. 3. Undefinedness: i.e. want of distinctness between the limits of the idea designated by the word in question, and the several circumjacent ideas.

2. Correctness.

3. Copiousness, as opposed to scantiness.

4. Completeness, or say, all-comprehensiveness.

5. Non-Redundance - i.e. exemption from useless terms, inflections, and modifications, as opposed to abundance in useless terms, inflections, and modifications.

6. Conciseness, or say, compactness or compressedness, as opposed to diffuseness.

II. Properties desirable in a language, in comparison with other languages: meaning here by a language and the language, the aggregate composed of all the words habitually employed by a certain aggregate of persons, in whose instance this habit of employing the same aggregate of words for all purposes of social intercourse, causes them to be spoken of as having the same language.

1. Pronunciability.

2. Melodiousness.

3. Discibility, or say, capacity of being easily taught.

5. Meliorability, or say, perfectibility, capacity of being easily improved.

6. Decorability, or ornamentability, as opposed to baldness.

III. Properties desirable - this or that one of them or this or that other of them in the language or say discourse, employed according to the occasion on which, and purpose for which, it is employed.

1. Impressiveness.

2. Dignity.

3. Patheticalness, or say, aptitude for exciting tender emotions.

Desirable properties of the second order: that is to say, as being conducive to the investing the language with this or that property of the first order, as above.

1. Subservient or say conducive to the primary properties of discibility and docibility.

1. Giving expression by means of a small as effectually as by means of a larger number of inflections to the idea in question.

2. Facility of admitting the junction of two or more words into one.

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