A PRONOUN is a word used instead of a noun, and generally to avoid the
too frequent repetition of the same word. A pronoun is, likewise,
sometimes a substitute for a sentence, or member of a sentence.
The word _pronoun_ comes from the two Latin words, _pro_, which means
_for_, or _instead of_, and _nomen_, a _name_, or _noun._ Hence you
perceive, that _pronoun_ means _for a noun_, or _instead of a noun_.
In the sentence, "The man is happy; _he_ is benevolent; _he_ is useful;"
you perceive, that the word _he_ is used instead of the noun _man;_
consequently _he_ must be a _pronoun_. You observe, too, that, by making
use of the pronoun _he_ in this sentence, we avoid the _repetition_ of
the _noun_ man, for without the pronoun, the sentence would be rendered
thus, "The man is happy; _the man_ is benevolent; _the man_ is useful."
By looking again at the definition, you will notice, that pronouns
always _stand for_ nouns, but they do not always _avoid the repetition_
of nouns. _Repetition_ means _repeating_ or mentioning the same thing
again. In the sentence, "I come to die for my country," the pronouns,
_I_ and _my, stand_ for the name of the person who speaks; but they do
not _avoid the repetition_ of that name, because the name or noun for
which the pronouns are used, is not mentioned at all.
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