XIII. Disquisitions on the Origin and Radical Sense of the Greek Prepositions

Abstract

Etymological researches have often been branded as trifling, occupying the mind in useless labour, and contributing little to the progress of science, taste, or beneficial knowledge. The justice of this treatment may well be questioned. That this species of study, like many others, has frequently been directed to unimportant objects, cannot be denied; but it by no means follows, that this is the fault of the subject, or that from such researches, however pursued, nothing valuable can be the result. If by etymological investigations, even in their most limited form, essential aids are obtained for facilitating our acquaintance with the writings of antiquity,—if such inquiries have often proved one of the most certain means for attaining accuracy of language and precision of ideas,—if by following them out on an extensive scale, assistance might probably be gained for elucidating some of the obscurities of early history, —and is from this source valuable materials may at all times be drawn for tracing the progress of the intellectual powers, and unfolding the laws of thought through the phenomena of its expressions,—if these, and perhaps other merits, must be allowed to etymological and grammatical disquisitions, they are surely sufficient to rescue from contempt this class of inquiries. If to all this we can add, what I believe will pretty generally be found to hold true, that those who affect most to despite this branch of study, have seldom any thing better to substitute in its place, a sufficient vindication will, I hope, be afforded, for employing a little literary leisure in the culture even of this apparently unpromising field.