The first part of the elementarie vvhich entreateth chefelie of the right writing of our English tung, set furth by Richard Mulcaster.

Cap. XX. Of Deriuation.

Deriuation naturally succedeth composition. For as com∣positiō handleth the coplements of seuerall hole words which by their vniting make a new one: so deriuation handleth the coplements of one hole word, and som addition put to it, which addition of it selfe signifieth nothing alone, but bing put to the hole word qualifyeth it to som other vse, then the primitiue was put to, as frind, being a primitiue receiueth manie additions, which yet signify nothing in the sense of their addition, tho theie change the force of frind, as frindship, frindlie frindlinesse, frinds, frindeth, frinded, frinding, frindedst, &c. For I do not entend to deall with anie point of deriuation in this place, but where the right writing maie com in question, which is in addition onelie, either direct, or contract, which contrac∣tion shortenerh the word vpon cause, that is to be resolued to * 1.1 the originall, as monthlie, for monethlie, cifring, for cifering, learnd, for learned, children, for childeren, past, for passed. A fi∣gur

of great and common vse in our tung, euen where it is not perceiued but to the verie curious obseruer.

The diminutiues with vs enlarg not, but as in sense theie lessen * 1.2 the thing, so in speche theie shorten the word, and cut of the primitiue length, & therefor I hold them among primitiues for their first term, tho for som accidentarie points, which shalbe noted hereafter, theie fall within compasse of this title, as by diminution we call Iohn, Iak, Richard, Dic, Ione, Iug, Barptho∣lomew, Bat, Christofer, Kit, Elisabeth, Besse, Catherin, Cate. Which deriuations in respect of som plurall numbers & posses∣siues, ar subiect to the rule of such words, as be of like cadence. Pak, pik, dug, rat, fit, chesse, pate, but of themselues theie be pro∣portion ate originalls.

Wherefor I define that word to be a deriuatiue in this place which altereth from the primitiue or first head, by som additiō, * 1.3 which addition of it self signifieth nothing alone, tho in additiō it qualify the primitiue, to som other vse, then it is of it self, as God, godlie, godhead, good, goodlie, goodnesse, wasp, waspish, fel∣low, fellowship, fine, finenesse, win, winning, pine, pineth, &c. All * 1.4 deriuatiues be either English, as heauinesse, woddish, wisest, wit∣tie: or theie be strangers enfranchised, as temperance, continencie, argument, admonition. As for the stranger enfranchised deriua∣tiues, the title of enfranchisment will examin them, besides that the generall table will set them furth plane, bycause theie be transported vnto vs holelie, tho with som English habit, as the conusance of their enfranchising.

The English deriuatiues be either perfit, when the vowell of the primitiue is not clipt awaie by the addition, as in holelie, wor∣thienesse, * 1.5 cosinage, singlelie, simplelie: or vnperfit, when it is, as in fine, fining, dare, daring, carie, carying. Again, all our English * 1.6 deriuatiues be either substantiarie, or accidentarie. I call those deriuatiues sustantiarie, which tho theie do com of som other, yet theie themselues serue again for heads to other, such as the grāmarians in our learned tungs cal possessiues, localls, materialls, aduerbialls, &c. As tré, treén, vpland, vplandish, war, warrious, warlike, martiall, martialist, vertew, vertewous, vertewouslie, England, English, &c. I call those accidentarie deriuatiues, which concern numbers tenses, persons, and such properties as

we call accidents in the learned handling of such words, as wo, woes, cry cryes, word, words, fish, fishes, tre, trees, agré, agrees, write, writen, wrate, wrote, writeth, wrotest, writest, scrible, scriblest, contract for scribledest, hadst, contract for haueddest.

I shall not nede to stand much vpon prouf, that deriuation is a verie nedefull instrument, for the furtherance of our right writing, considering the thing it self, being set down doth in∣fer * 1.7 the profit therewithall, euen to euerie mans sense, which is willing to se it. Wherefor leauing the profitablenesse there∣of to their iudgement, which shall proue it, I will first handle the Sustantiarie, and then the accidentarie deriuations, which both ar much bound to the rule of proportion, bycause their deriuatiue addition claspeth with the cadence and end of the pure originall. For the better performance whereof this is to be noted that euerie deriuable word endeth either in a vowell or in a consonant. As for the consonant ending, the addition to it is allwaie one. In the vowellish ending, there is more va∣rietie, bycause the end thereof is somtime in a single vowell, somtime in a diphthong, and the single vowell is somtime silent, somtime sounding, all which giue cause of obseruation in the putting to of the additions, as shall appear when the addi tions be known, which somtime bring furth adiectiues, som∣time substantiues, somtime different numbers, somtime dif∣ferent persons. The deriuate substantiue terminations be com∣monlie * 1.8 these, nesse, as madnesse, ship, as workmanship, age, as cosinage, dom, as fredom, kingdom, th, as length, strength, welth, helth, truth, let, as chaplet, hood, as womanhood, rie as knauerie, all, as refusall, denyall, ance, as defiance, in g, as cham∣bring, tie, as frailtie, onelesse that com of the enfranchised sub∣stantiues, ment, as punishment, yer, as lawyer, er, as writer, our, as demeanour. The deriuate adiectiue terminations be commōlie * 1.9 these, lie, as fatherlie, monthlie, wiselie, an, as Italian, Grecian, Roman, ish, as Scotish, campish, kentish, where the single conso∣nant serueth both the syllabs, without dubling, ie, as witie, bau∣die, sandie, without dubling the consonant, also the simple pos∣sessiue, s, as Kings, Quenes, mothers. Neither do I se anie cause where tovse his, sauing after words which end in s, as Socrates his councell was this, Platoes that, Aristotels this, er, as wi∣ser,

est, as wisest, ing, as louing, ed, as loued, ght, as taught, thought, en, as writen, threaten, slain, contract for slaien, ashen, oken, bir∣chen, the first participialls, the second materialls, ous, as vertew∣ous. The deriuatiue number terminations, es, s, n, as muses, wiues, words, tops, oxen, howsen. The deriuatiue person termi∣nations, * 1.10 est, as louest, eth, as loueth, ith, as seith. Which is when the simple endeth in the sharp, e, which maie not be exstinguis∣hed, as the silent is in thriue, wiue, thriueth wiueth, edst, as louedst. Now all these additions ar to be measured according to the ending of those words whereunto theie clasp, & be allwaie one, but where contraction shortneth them, and allwaie hole but for the silent, e, which is somtime drouned, when the addition beginneth with a vowell. The sustantiue and adiectiue termi∣nations serue for those deriuations, which I call substantiarie, the number and person, terminations for the accidentarie. In both which these notes take place, first if it maie be that the primi∣tiue * 1.11 be writen hole, & then the addition put to it, nothing being like to let it, saue contraction which shortneth, and the begin∣ning vowell in the addition defacing the ending, e, silent in the simple. Second, that where the addition is but a simple, s, af∣ter * 1.12 consonants, we maie vse either of the finall esses, s, or, e, as the pen shall require, wrings, or wringe, trips, or tripe. Thirdlie * 1.13 that vowels, diphthongs, and the ending, h, or, s, haue es in their deriuatiues, as daies, sees, pyes, varies, does, foes, trewes, newes, bowes, dawes, dishes, fetches, matches, howses, horses. Fourth, * 1.14 that such plurall numbers as bear no additions, be no naturall deriuatiues, as lice, mice, fete, men, of lowse, mouse, foot man. That * 1.15 foren deriuations haue respect allwaie to their own originalls, as cōstruction, persecution, argument, abundance, com not of constrew, persew, argew, abound, but of their own latin primitiues. That * 1.16 the plurall, e, encrcaseth no syllabs, but in the qualifyed, s, c, g, & sh, as vses, cases, causes, graces, spaces, spices, scurges, surges, wishes, rishes, aches. Where the passant, e, still resembleth the quik, i. That for the right taking of our termination in shon, we ar to mark the naturall foren deriuation verie carfullie, as action, * 1.17 passion, reflexion, pronuntiation, all which sound like to our shon. The deriuatiues of words ending in the qualifying, e, kepe their forevowells sound, as bake, baking, take, taking. A number

of such notes ar there in our tung, which I cannot intend to dwell on, bycause, I shew but the waie herein to others, if theie list to beat the path, my self minding a further labor. In these and such like considerations doth deriuation shew it self verie seruiceable for the right writing of our English tūg, which will appear more particularlie in the generall table.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Contracts.
• * 1.2

  2. Diminutiues.
• * 1.3

  VVhat a deri∣uatiue is.
• * 1.4

  Deri.

  • English.
  • Foren.
• * 1.5

  Deri.

  • Perfit.
  • Vnperfit.
• * 1.6

  Deri.

  • Sustanti.
  • Accidēt.
• * 1.7

  Of the vse of deriuation in ortogrofie.
• * 1.8

  Substantiue terminations.
• * 1.9

  Adiectiue ter minations.
• * 1.10

  Number ter∣minations. Person termi∣nations.
• * 1.11

  1
• * 1.12

  2.
• * 1.13

  3.
• * 1.14

  4.
• * 1.15

  5.
• * 1.16

  6.
• * 1.17

  7.