"A
_golden_ cup," say they, "is the same as a _gold_ cup, or a cup _of
gold_." But this principle appears to be exceptionable. "A cup _of
gold_," may mean either a cup-_full_ of gold, or a cup _made_ of
gold. "An _oaken_ cask," signifies an _oak_ cask, or a cask _of
oak_; i.e. a cask _made_ of oak; but a _beer_ cask, and a cask _of
beer_, are two different things. A _virtuous_ son; a son _of
virtue_.
The distinguishing characteristic of the adjective, appears to
consist in its both _naming_ a quality, and _attributing_ that
quality to some object.
The terminations _en, ed_, and _ig_ (our modern _y_,) signifying
_give, add, join_, denote that the names of qualities to which they
are postfixed, are to be attributed to other nouns possessing such
qualities: wood-_en_, wood-_y_. See page 37.
_Left_ is the past participle of the verb _leave_. Horne Tooke
defines _right_ to be that which is _ordered_ or _directed_. The
_right_ hand is that which your parents and custom direct you to use
in preference to the other. And when you employ that in preference,
the other is the _leaved, leav'd_, or _left_ hand; i.
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