Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.—Morell.

Usually called a Conjunction; better an Adverb.Mason.

Relative Adverb or Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain. before. The same word as the preposition before. See § 481. In older English, the usual form of the Connective was before that: as, 'Before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles.'-Galatians ii. 2. Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.-Morell.

Usually called a Conjunction; better an Adverb.Mason.

Relative Adverb or Subordinating Conjunction.—Bain. 460. for. The same word as the preposition for. See § 474. In older English, a common form of the connective is for

that: as,

I doubt not but great troops would be ready to run; yet
for that the worst men are most ready to remove, I
would wish them chosen by discretion of wise men.—
Spenser, State of Ireland.

We also find the forms for as much as and for why:
For as much as the thirst is intolerable, the patient may
be indulged the free use of spaw water.-Arbuthnot,
On Diet.

Solyman had three hundred field-pieces, that a camel
might well carry one of them, being taken from the
carriage; for why Solyman purposing to draw the
emperor unto battle, had brought no greater pieces of
battery with him.-Knolles, History of the Turks.
Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.—Morell.
Subordinative Conjunction.-Mason.
Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain.

how. A.-S. hu, originally an Interrogative Adverb, 'how?" 'in what manner?

It is frequently used to introduce indirect questions: as, 'they asked, how he was.'

Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.-Morell.
Relative Adverb.-Mason.

461. if. This word plays a very important part in Horne Tooke's argument about the origin of conjunctions. He contends that many of them were originally the imperative mood of verbs, and that if was gif, 'give,' 'grant:' as,

Forgiff me, Virgil, gif I thee offend.
Douglas, Preface, p. 11.

He shows that be, set, and many other verbs, are similarly used. See the whole argument, Diversions of Purley, i. 103, 134, 149.

Petruchio.

To the passages there quoted, we may add the following:-
I will attend her here,
And woo her with some spirit when she comes.
Say that she rail; why then I'll tell her plain
She sings as sweetly as a nightingale :

Say that she frown; I'll say she looks as clear
As morning roses newly washed with dew:
Say she be mute, and will not speak a word;
Then I'll commend her volubility,
And say she uttereth piercing eloquence:
If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks
As though she bid me stay by her a week;
If she deny to wed, I'll craye the day

When I shall ask the banns, and when be married.
Taming of the Shrew, ii. 1.

Sir John Stoddart says that the etymology deriving if from gif, the imperative of gifan 'to give,' was proposed by Skinner and has never been disputed. 'Mr. Tooke therefore is right so far as he follows Skinner, who first showed the connection between if and give; but he is wrong when, trusting to his own theory, he says, "Our corrupted if has always the signification of the English imperative give and no other." In short he is right where he is not original, and original only where he is not right.'

Some modern grammarians reject Horne Tooke's etymology altogether, because they cannot find traces of the initial g in the cognate languages. Mr. Garnett says, that a comparison of the cognate languages proves that if is neither an imperative of give nor of any other verb; and quotes with approval the remark of Dr. Jamieson, in his Scottish Dictionary, that neither the Gothic jabai, the Alemannic ibu, ob, oba, nor the Icelandic if or ef can be formed from the verbs denoting to give in those languages. See Garnett, Philological Essays,

p. 24. Mr. Wedgwood compares the Gothic iba, whether;' Old High German ibu, ob, if,' 'whether;' Dutch of, oft, 'if,' 'whether,' 'or;' German ob, 'whether;' Old Norse ef, 'if,' efa, ifa, 'to doubt.' He appears to think that the notion of 'doubt' lies at the root of the word. But the argument from analogy is not absolutely decisive. It is possible, that of all the cognate languages, English alone exhibits this derivative. There is a fair amount of probability in favour of this etymology.

Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.-Morell.
Subordinative Conjunction.-Mason.
Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain.

462. lest. The A.-S. adverb læs, 'less,' is used with the particles the and thy in the sense of lest: as,

In English lest is generally used in the sense of that not.
Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.-Morell.
Subordinative Conjunction.-Mason.
Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain.

463. since. In Anglo-Saxon we find the adjective sið, 'late,' and an adverb of the same form, 'lately.' We also find siöðan, afterwards,' after that,' then,' 'since,' 'further.' In Old English we meet with the forms sith, sithen, sithence, from which since appears to be derived.

And he axide his fadir how long is it sithe this hath falle to him?-Wiclif, Mark ix.

For sithen the fadris dieden.-2 Peter iii.

From signifying consequence in time, since is transferred to consequence in reasoning and causation : as,

O mighty God, if that it be thy will,

Sin thou art righteous judge, how may it be, &c.

Chaucer, Man of Lawe's Tale.

See Wedgwood, Dictionary of English Etymology.
Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.-Morell.

Since: expressing a reason, Subordinative Conjunction.-Mason.

80.

Adverbial clauses relating to Time begin either with the relative adverbs which denote time, or with the so-called conjunctions, before, after, since, &c. These words have no adverbial relation to any word in the clause which they introduce.-Mason, § 424.

The words before, since, after, until, are usually set down as conjunctions; but they are in reality prepositions. The construction really consists of a preposition followed by a substantive clause. After [that] I arrived is tantamount to after my arrival.-Id. § 289. [This remark is applicable to before and after; but there is no evidence to show that since was originally a preposition.]

Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain.

A.-S. swa, 'so,' 'thus.'

Termed:

Adverb.-Mason, §§ 433, 435.

so, by that,' 'to that measure.' Adverb of Comparison.-Bain, p. 43.

so, therefore. Co-ordinating Conjunction (Illative). Id. p. 67.

464. than. Etymologically than and then are equally derived from A.-S. thonne or thænne. In older English we constantly find then for than. In the following passages the particles are employed in significations precisely the reverse of our present usage:—

Than hadde the douke ich understond,

A chief steward of alle his lond.

Amis and Amiloun.

Hire swyre is whittore then the swon.

Ballad on Alisoun.

i.e. 'Then had the duke, &c.' 'Her neck is whiter than the swan.' Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.-Morell.

'Than is commonly set down as a conjunction. This is a mistake. It is a conjunctive adverb.'-Mason, § 267, note; compare the examples discussed, Mason, §§

545-571.

Relative or Conjunctive Adverb.-Bain. that. The same word as the pronoun that.

Horne Tooke

discourses largely on this word. He endeavours to show that the word that, call it as you please, either Article or Pronoun or Conjunction, retains always one and the same signification.'-See Diversions of Purley, i. 81, 135, 256; ii. 61, 514, 555.

Termed:

Continuative Conjunction.—Morell.

Conjunctive or Connective Adverb, in some cases; Subordinative Conjunction, in other cases.-Mason. Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain.

465. therefore. 'for that,' 'for that cause,' 'for that reason.'

Termed:

Conjunctive Adverb, or Illative Adverb.-Morell. 'Such words as therefore, consequently, &c., are not conjunctions, but demonstrative adverbs.'-Mason, § 408; compare § 292 and §§ 266, 285.

Adverb, denoting Cause and Effect.-Bain, p. 45. Co-ordinating Conjunction of the Illative Class, expressing effect or consequence.-Id. p. 67.

though. A.-S. theah; Old English thah:

Richard, thah thou be ever trichard,
Tricchen shalt thou never mo.

Termed:

Song on Richard of Cornwall.

Continuative Conjunction.—Morell.
Subordinative Conjunction.-Mason.
Subordinating Conjunction.-Bain.

thus. A.-S. thus, 'thus,' 'so.' Compare A.-S. thas, ' of this,
'for this,' 'thus,' probably from thas, the genitive of
the pronoun that.

Termed:

Adverb.-Morell.

Co-ordinating Conjunction of the Illative Class.--
Bain.

·

466. unless. Skinner suggests two derivations of this word: (1) one-less, that is, one being taken away;' or rather, from onlesan, 'to dismiss,' 'set free,' as though it were Hoc dimisso. Horne Tooke accepts the latter derivation, and sees another proof in favour of his theory that conjunctions are often formed from the imperative mood of verbs; here from onles,' dismiss.' He quotes several passages to prove that the word was written onlesse and onles: as,

It was not possible for them to make whole