"
Various nouns placed before other nouns, assume the character of
adjectives, according to their _manner_ of meaning; as, "_Sea_ fish,
_iron_ mortar, _wine_ vessel, _gold_ watch, _corn_ field, _meadow_
ground, _mountain_ height."
The principle which recognises _custom_ as the standard of grammatical
accuracy, might rest for its support on the usage of only _six_ words,
and defy all the subtleties of innovating skeptics to gainsay it. If the
genius and analogy of our language were the standard, it would be
correct to observe this analogy, and say, "Good, good_er_, good_est_;
bad, bad_der_, bad_dest_; little, littl_er_, littl_est_; much,
much_er_; much_est_." "By _this mean_;" "What _are_ the _news_." But such
a criterion betrays only the weakness of those who attempt to establish
it. Regardless of the dogmas and edicts of the philosophical umpire, the
good sense of the people will cause them, in this instance, as well as
in a thousand others, to yield to _custom_, and say, "Good, _better,
best_; bad, _worse, worst_; little, _less, least_; much, _more, most_;"
"By _this means_;" "What _is_ the _news_?"
With regard to the using of adjectives and other qualifying words, care
must be taken, or your language will frequently amount to absurdity or
nonsense.
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