It is called Verb or Word, by way of eminence, because it is the most effential word in a sentence, without which the other parts of fpeech can form no complete fenfe. Thus, the diligent boy reads bis lefon with care, is a perfect sentence; but if we take away the affirmation, or the word reads, it is rendered imperfect, or rather becomes no fentence at all; thus, the diligent boy his leffon with care.

A verb therefore may be thus diftinguished from any other part of speech: Whatever word expreffes an affirmation or affertion is a verb; or thus, Whatever word, with a substantive noun or pronoun before or after it, makes full sense, is a verb; as, flones fall, I walk, walk thou. Here fall and walk are verbs, because they contain an affirmation; but when we fay, a long walk, a dangerous fall, there is no affirmation expreffed; and the fame words walk and fall become fubftantives or nouns. We often find likewife in Latin the fame word ufed as a verb, and also as fome other part of fpeech; thus, amor, -ōris, love, a fubftantive, and amor, I am loved, a verb.

Verbs, with refpect to their fignification, are divided into three different claffes, Adive, Paffive, and Neuter; because we confider things either as acting, or being acted upon; or as neither acting, nor being acted upon; but fimply exifting, or exifting in a certain ftate or condition; as in a ftate of motion or reft, &c.

1. An Adive verb expreffes an action, and neceffarily fuppofes an agent, and an object acted upon, as, amāre, to love; amo te, I love thee.

2. A verb Paffive expreffes a paffion or fuffering, or the receiving of an action; and neceffarily implies an objec acted upon, and an agent, by which it is acted upon; as, amari, to be loved; tu amaris a me, thou art loved by me.

3. A Neuter verb properly expreffes neither action nor paffion, but fimply the being, ftate, or condition of things; as, dormio, I fleep; fedeo, I fit.

The verb Active is alfo called Tranfitive, when the action paffeth over to the object, or hath an effect on some other thing; as, fcribo literas, I write letters; but when the action is confined within the agent, and passeth not over to any object, it is called Intranfitive; as, ambulo, I walk; curro, I run, which are likewife called Neuter Verbs. Many verbs in Latin and English are used both in a transitive and in an intranfitive or neuter fenfe; as, fiftere,

to ftop; incipere, to begin; durare, to endure, or to harden, &c.

Verbs which fimply fignify being, are likewife called Subftantive verbs; as, ee or exiftere, to be, or to exist. The notion of existence is implied in the fignification of every verb; thus, I love, may be refolved into, I am loving.

When the meaning of a verb is expreffed without any affirmation, or in such a form as to be joined to a substantive noun, partaking thereby of the nature of an adjective, it is called a Participle; as, amans, loving; amatus, loved. But when it has the form of a fubftantive, it is called a Gerund, or a Supine; as, amandum, loving; amatum, to love; amatu, to love, or to be loved.

A verb is varied or declined by Voices, Modes, Tenfes, Numbers, and Perfons.

There are two voices; the Active and Paf five.

The modes are four; Indicative, Subjunctive, Imperative, and Infinitive.

The tenfes are five; the Prefent, the Preterimperfect, the Preter-perfect, the Preter-pluperfect, and the Future.

The numbers are two; Singular and Plural.
The perfons are three; First, Second, Third.

1. Vaice expreffes the different circumstances in which we confider an object, whether as acting, or being acted upon. The A&ive voice fignifies action; as, ămo, I love: the Paffive, suffering, or being the object of an action; as, amor, I am loved.

2. Modes or Moods are the various manners of expressing the signifiration of the verb.

The Indicative declares or affirms pofitively; as, amo, I love; amabo, I fhall love: or asks a question; as, an tu amas? doft thou Jove?

The Subjunctive is ufually joined to fome other verb, and cannot make a full meaning by itself; as, fi me obsecret, redibo, if be intreat me, I will return.

Ter.

The Imperative commands, exhorts, or intreats; as, ama, love thou.

The Infinitive fimply expreffes the fignification of the verb, without limiting it to any perfon or number; as, amare, to love.

3. Tenfes or Times exprefs the time when any thing is supposed to be, to act, or to fuffer.

Time in general is divided into three parts, the prefent, past, and

future.

Paft time is expreffed three different ways. When we speak of a thing, which was doing, but not finished at fome former time, we ufe the Preter-imperfect, or past time not completed; as, fcribēbam, I was writing.

When we fpeak of a thing now finished, we use the Preter-perfect, or past time completed; as, fcripfi, I wrote, or have written.

When we speak of a thing finished at or before fome past time, we use the Preter-pluperfect, or past time more than completed; as, fcripseram, I had written.

Future time is expreffed two different ways. A thing may be confidered, either as fimply about to be done, or as actually finish. ed, at fome future time; as, fcribam, I shall write, or I shall (then] be writing; fcripsero, I fhall have written.

4. Number marks how many we fuppofe to be, to act, or to fuffer. 5. Perfon fhews to what the meaning of the verb is applied, whether to the person speaking, to the perfon addreffed, or to some other person or thing.

Verbs have two numbers and three perfons, to agree with fubftantive nouns and pronouns in these refpects: for a verb properly hath neither numbers nor persons, but certain terminations anfwering to the perfon and number of its nominative.

A verb is properly faid to be conjugated, when all its parts are properly claffed, or, as it were, yoked together, according to Voice, Mode, Tenfe, Number, and Perfon.

The Latins have four different ways of varying verbs, called the First, the Second, the Third, and the Fourth Conjugation.

The Conjugations are thus diftinguished :

The First has a long before re of the Infinitive; the Second has e long, the Third has e fhort, and the Fourth has i long, before re of the Infinitive..

Except dare, to give, which has a fhort; and alfo its compounds; thus, Circundăre, to surround; circundămus, -dătis, «dăbam, -dăbo, &c. The different conjugations are likewife diftinguished from one another by the different terminations of the following tenfes :

F2

1.-abar, -ābāris or -ābāre, -ābātur; -ābāmur, -àbāmĭni, -ābantur, 2. -ēbar, -ēbāris or -ēbāre, -ēbātur; -ēbāmur, -ēbāmîni, -ēbantur. 3. -ēbar, -ēbāris or -ēbāre, -ēbātur; -ēbāmur, -ēbāmīni, -ēbantur, 4.-iebar, -iēbāris, -iēbāre,-iēbātur; -iēbāmur, -iēbāmīni, -iêhantur.

I. -arer, -areris or -arere, -aretur; -aremur, -aremini, -arentur, 2.-erer, -ereris or -erere, -eretur ; -eremur, -eremĭni, ́-erentur. 3. -ĕrer, -ĕreris or -ĕrere, -ĕretur; -ěremur, -ĕremini, -ĕrentur. 4. -irer, -ireris or -īrere, īretur; -iremur, -iremini, irentur.

Obferve, Verbs in io of the third conjugation have iunt in the third perfon plur. of the present indic. active, and iuntur in the paffive; and fo in the imperative, iunto and iuntor. In the imperfect and future of the indicative they have always the terminations of the fourth conjugation, iēbam and jam; iēbar and iar, &c,