or light which is painted round the head of a saint: issuing from it in rays as if from a star. In old English, To GLORIFY, which is now used in the sense of to worship, was synonymous with To CLARIFY, or to render fluids clear or pure.

"Fadir the our cometh clarifie thi sone that thi sone clarifie thee."-" I have clarified thee on the ethe, I have endid the werk that thou hast ghouun to me to do. and now fadir clarifie thou me at thi silf with the clerenesse that I hadde at thee bifore the world was maad."

Wiclif's Translation of John, Chap. xvii.

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SC. SCR.-SH. Shr.-SL.-SM.-SN.-SP. SPL. SPR.-Sq.-St. Str.--Sw. When speaking of the prefix Es, we noticed its contraction into S; and the same contraction appears to have been made of the preposition Ex; for, we have Greek and Latin derivatives in which s precedes a consonant, obviously in consequence of such a contraction. This combination of s with other consonants seems common to all languages. With us, many are derived from the Latin dialects; but many, also, are from the Gothic stem. The contraction of the French es has been made, not only by the English, but by the French themselves; and it is curious that the change has been usually formed by the elision of different letters: so that the prefix has been altogether cut off, between the two nations. The word estroit, for example, has become Strait in English and Etroit in its native tongue.

S unites with so many different letters, that we shall content ourselves with specifying only two or three examples of each. Its combinations with c, ch, h, and k, are interchangeable throughout the several Gothic dialects; but of this we have already said something under the head of "INTERCHANGE OF Letters.'

TO SCALD, from the Latin calidus, hot, is to burn by means of a hot liquid. SHORT (Saxon Sceort, a past participle of sciran to shear, or cut,) is the German kurz, the Danish and Swedish kort, and the Latin curtus; which latter has been referred, by the Latin etymologists, to a supposed Greek participle, (xogτos, clipped,) from XELOW, to clip. Shaft and Haft, when meaning a handle, are synonymous. To Shrink is a varied orthography of to Cringe. To SCRUB IS TO RUB; so as to cleanse or SCOUR (excoriate) the surface, or skin, Latin corium. To SCRAPE is the Saxon screopan, radere; to rub, or shave off, what adheres to any substance.

TO SLAY is to lay, as we say, to knock down, and, in a consequent sense to Kill. To FELL, to make fall, or beat down, is used in a general sense, as, 'to fell a tree,' or 'to fell a bullock;' but the Scotch To FELL means to Kill or Slay. SLIME is Lime in its viscous acceptation; and SLIMY is equivalent to the Latin limosus. The SLIMINESS, or glutinous skin, of the snail is proverbial. TO BLAME is a metaphor from this source: it is to throw dirt, or Slime, upon a character,

BLAMEABLE, BLAME

BLAMEFUL, BlameBLAMEUNBLAMED, UNBLAME

so as To SULLY it,-to spot, or cover, it with SOIL. BLAMELESS, BLAMELESSLY, and BLAMELESSNESS, refer to such as are spotless, or pure. ABLY, and BLAMEABLENESS, mean deserving of Blame. WORTHY, and BLAMEWORTHINESS, are not much in use. ABLE, UNBLAMEABLY, and UNBLAMEABLENESS, are direct negatives. To SMEAR is from a similar source with to blame. It is to cover an object. with mire, slime, or other tenacious substance; but the word is seldom used except in a literal sense. To SMEAR and To BESMEAR follow the same rule of distinction which we formerly mentioned, when comparing Sprinkle and Besprinkle. TO SMELT and TO MELT are of synonymous origin; but the former is the language of the workshop, and spoken only of metals; while the latter is applicable to every thing, whether real or metaphorical, which may be softened by heat, or by the warmth of the heart.

SNOW is the German Schnee and the French neige; and To Sneeze is the German niesen and the Scotch to neeze: evidently connected with nose.

TO SPEND and TO EXPEND (in their primary signification of paying, or paying away, money,) are synonymous, from the Latin pendere, to weigh: weighing out being the manner in which money was paid by the ancient Romans. Expedition, from pes, the foot, is equivalent to Speed. To SPREAD is to be-spread or make broad: to extend the surface of natural objects, and to make public or spread abroad such as are metaphorical. Splash, Plash, and Lash, have an evident relationship.

A SQUADRON, (French esquadron or escadron,) formerly noticed, means a body of men disposed in the form of a square, or cadre, from the French quatre, or quadre, four. SQUARE is from esquarrir to make square or quarré; that is, to form a figure with four sides. Hence we sometimes speak of a perfect square,' denoting that the sides are equal; though the equality is oftener presumed, in the same manner that 'to quarter a circle' supposes an equal division. SQUAD is the diminutive of Squadron.

'

STILL and TILL have already been shown to be synonymes, which is rendered still more obvious, by attending to the effect of the prefix s. To Stain is to Tinge, generally; but in metaphorical usage it is usually understood in a bad sense it is to blot or discolour; to taint with disgrace. Strain and Train; Strode and Trode; Swag and Wag; have an evident fraternity. To SWEAT is to be Wet; but only by means of perspiration.

Although, in the whole of the preceding unions of consonants, we have generally found that the elision of a vowel has been made from one or other of the verbal prefixes, we by no means wish to state that such is universally the case. On the contrary, we are aware of many instances in which the elision has taken place

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in other prepositions or adverbs. Prurient, Latin pruriens, for instance, is probably from perurere; Knife from the French canif; Slaver from saliva; and Star from the Greek aster. These and many others must be left for future investigation.

Our account of the prefixes now draws to a close. In addition to what we have mentioned, many words are employed, for that purpose, which will fall to be explained in the body of the work for they do not differ, in composition, from their primitive power. Of these are Life, Hand, Foot, High, Low, Land, House, and a multitude of others, as exemplified in Liferent, Handwriting, Football, Highway, Lowbred, Landholder, Housewife, &c. They present a conjunction of roots, and the definitions may be referred to either class. We have, also, a number of words, adopted from foreign languages, which are formed in a similar manner; but the meaning of each part is so well ascertained, and they are, besides, applied in so few cases, that a simple translation will be sufficient for our purpose; and this will be found under one or other of the parts of the compound, in the order of the Dictionary.

At the conclusion of our introductory labours, we may be allowed to anticipate and to apologize for some of the faults of which they will be accused. Didactic works are, in general, either too laconic for the ignorant, or too garrulous for the learned; and it is, probably, impossible to satisfy both classes in the same production. The sin that most easily besets a writer is prolixity; but here it was, in many places, unavoidable. In treating of subjects hitherto but little attended to, it was necessary to dwell on the proofs of what might otherwise be rejected. as fanciful; and yet, after all, much illustration has been suppressed, lest the more instructed reader should yawn over a twice-told tale. It were, perhaps, better for an author who hopes for the approbation of the public, that he should limit his excursions into unfrequented ground; but Etymology is one of the trackless wilds of nature. While we stray we are allured by the charms of novelty we wander from shrub to shrub, and from tree to tree, till we can no longer recover the beaten path which surrounds without entering the forest.

INDEX TO THE PREFIXES.