COM yed upon the same business as another. Colleague more noble than partner; men in the highest offices, as ministers, judges, and plenipotentiaries, are colleagues; merchants, card-players, and the like, have partners. Col-lect, colligo, (see LEGO, No. II. p. 19,) I gather together, denotes a prayer made for any particular day; and is so called either because the priest speaks in the name of the whole assembly whose sentiments and desires he sums up by the words "Let us pray," or because those prayers are offered when the people are assembled together. A Collective Noun is a word which expresses a multitude, though itself is singular; as a company, an army. College, a number of persons gathered together. The principal use of the word College at present is to denote a public place, endowed with certain revenues, where the several parts of learning are taught. Col-lision, collido, (lædo, I strike,) I strike together. "The flint and steel you may move apart as long as you please; but it is the collision of them that must make them strike fire." Col-location, colloco, (see Locus, p. 22,) I place together. Col-loquial, colloquor, (see Loquor, p. 22,) I speak with (another.) "The close of this divine colloquy, (between the Father and the Son,) with the hymn of angels, which follows, is wonderfully beautiful and poetical." Addison on Milton's Paradise Lost. Col-lusion, colludo, (see LUDO, p. 22,) I play with another. Com-fort, is compounded of com (for cum), and fortis, strong, and signifies to strengthen or invigorate. To cheer and to comfort have both regard to the spirits, but the latter differs in degree and manner; the former signifying to produce a lively sentiment, the lat ter to lessen or remove a painful one: we are cheered in the moments of despondency; we are comforted in the hour of distress. 66 Sleep seldom visits sorrow, when it does, it is a comforter." Shakspeare. Com-mand. (See Do, p. 10.) A command is the strongest exercise of authority; order is an expression of the wishes; injunction marks a greater degree of authority than order, and a less degree than command. Com-memorate, memoro, I remember. "The original use of sacrifice was commemorative of the original revelation; a sort of daily memorial of what God declared and man believed." Com-mensurate, (mensura, a measure,) agreeing in measure with something else. An inch and a yard are commensurate, a yard containing a certain number of inches; the diameter and circumference of a circle are incommensurable, as they cannot be reduced to any common measure. " Those that are persuaded that they shall continue for ever, cannot choose but aspire after happiness commensurate to their duration." Tillotson. Comment, from commentor, I write notes upon an author; I explain; I make notes or observations. "Enter his chamber, view his lifeless corpse, And comment then upon his sudden death." Shakspeare. Com-merce, commereor, (merr or merces, wares or merchandise,) I make an exchange of merchandise. The word commerce, however, is sometimes used in a more extended sense, as in the following example: "I should venture to call POLITENESS, benevolence in action,' or the preference of others to ourselves, in little, daily, and hourly occurrences in the commerce of life." Lord Chatham, Commination, from comminor, I threaten greatly. In the Liturgy of the Church of England we find a service entitled, "A commination, or denouncing of God's anger and judgments against sinners, with certain prayers to be used on the first day of Lent." Com-miserate, (misereor, I pity,) I look on with compassion. "We should commiserate our mutual ignonorance, and endeavour to remove it." Locke. Com-mission, commit, from committo, (see MITTO, p. 23,) I send together," means with us, to give in trust. The act of entrusting any thing; a warrant by which any trust is held, or authority exercised. A number of people joined in a trust.-Committee, those for whom the consideration or ordering of any matter is referred. Com-modious, commodus, (modus, a measure, or due proportion,) according to the measure and degree required. "That is commodious which suits one's bodily ease; that is convenient which suits one's purpose. A house, a chair, is commodious; a time, an opportunity, a season, or the arrival of a person, is convenient. Common, sub. an open ground equally used by many persons: common, adj. belonging equally to more than one; common, verb, to have a joint right with others, hence the term "commoner," as applied to students at universities, and members of the House of Commons. Our word common has its origin from communis, (muniu, walls,) enclosed within the same walls.-Community, (from communitas,) having all things in common.-Commune and communicate, (from communico, I make common property with another,) to impart sentiments mutually, to converse. "The chief end of language in communication being to be understood, words serve not for that end, when any word does not excite in the hearers the same idea which it stands for in the mind of the speaker." All the Christian churches were originally in communion with each other, having one common faith and discipline; in process of time diversity of opinions prevailed, and occasioned some churches to separate from the rest, and to form the distinct communions into which the Christian church is now divided. The three grand communions are-that of the church of Rome,-the Greek church, -and that of the Protestant churches. Com-motion, from commoveo, (see MovEo, p. 24,) I move with others. Tumult, public disorder. The Iliad consists of battles, and a continued commotion. The Odyssey in patience and wisdom." Com-mute, commuto, (see Muro, p. 25,) I change one thing with another. "The use of money, in the commerce and traffic of mankind, is that of saving the commutation of more bulky commodities." Com-pact, from compactus, (participle of compingo, I bind close,) signifies the thing to which people bind themselves close. An agreement; a mutual and settled appointment between two or more, to do or not to do something. "In the first establishment of speech there was an implicit compact, founded upon common consent, that such and such words should be signs whereby persons might express their thoughts one to another." "Nothing dissolves the social compact so completely as religious disputation. In political feuds, each party may innocently be looked upon by the other, as at least endeavouring good; but Theology tolerates not this spirit,-those who are not with us are considered against us, now and for ever." Com-pare, comparo, (par, equal,) I put together things which are equal. "They who are apt to remind us of their ancestors, only put us upon making comparisons to their own disadvantage.' Spectator." Solon compared the people to the sea, and wicked counsellors to the winds; for that the sea would be quiet if the winds did not trouble it." Bacon.-"In this world whatever is called good, is comparatively with other things of its kind, or with the evil mingled in the composition; so he is a good man that is better than men commonly are, or in whom the good qualities are more than the bad." Temple. Com-passion, compatior, (see PATIOR, p. 27,) I suffer with (or for) another. Compatible. Suitable to. Compatible is corrupted by an unskilful compliance with pronunciation from competible, from competo, I agree with, I suit." John son. Com-patriot, (patria, country,) one of the same country with another. Com-pel, compello, (see PELLO, p. 27,) I drive together; I force to act. Com-pendium, (see PENDEO, p. 27,) is used with us in a figurative sense only, to denote that in which several things are weighed or considered together; hence it signifies, a concise view of any science. "Indexes and dictionaries are the compendiums of all knowledge." Pope." After we are grown well acquainted with a short system, or compendium of a science, it is then proper to read a larger regular treatise on the subject." Watts. Com-pensate, compenso, I make amends. "A compensation is something real, it is made for some positive injury sustained; a satisfaction may be imaginary, both as to the injury and the return." Compensation often denotes a return for services done, and is also applied to that which serves to supply the loss or absence of any thing. Com-petition, competence, competent, competo, (see PETo, p. 28,) I with another seek for the same; hence competition, which implies some actual effort for the attainment of a specific object set in view. Competo, also signifies, "I suit, or am proper;" hence competent, competency: thus we say, “A person is competent to undertake an office." Familiarity with any subject gives competency." Competence and competency now denote principally such a quantity of any thing as is sufficient without superfluity: a fortune equal to the conveniences of life. 66 "Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, Live in three words, health, peace, and competence." Pope. |