An essay towards a real character, and a philosophical language by John Wilkins ...

CORPOREAL ACTION.

BY CORPOREAL ACTIONS are meant such Actions whose Agent is a Body or Material substance.* 1.1 They are distinguishable into such as are

• More peculiar to Living creatures; either more
  • Absolute; belonging to
    • VEGETATIVES. I.
    • SENSITIVES. II.
    • RATIONALS. III.
  • Relative to the
    • Outward SIGNS OF PASSION. IV.
    • GENERAL Notions belonging to DEMEANOUR. V.
• Common with them to other things, to which by Analogy they are ascribed, the different kinds of GESTURE. VI.

I. Corporeal ACTIONS belonging chiefly to VEGETATIVE Bodies,* 1.2 may be distinguished into such as are either.

• Primary and more general; denoting the making: or unmaking of a thing; the motion towards a new form: or from the precedent form; styled
  1.
  • GENERATION, get, beget, procreate, propagate, breeding, engender, Gene∣sis.
  • ...CORRVPTION, Dissolution, consume••tion.
• Secondary and more particular; relating unto the
  • Conveying, or receiving in that first matter which is to be formed into an a∣nimate Body.
    2.
    • IMPREGNATION, beget, pregnant, breeding, teeming, conceived, get with child, big, great with child, or egg.
    • ...CONCEPTION, with child, Superfetation.
  • Bringing forth what hath been thus conceived; either in due time: or too soon.
    3.
    • PARTURITION, Bearing, Birth, Nativity, bringing forth, travail, groning, in labour, lying in, Child-birth, ea••ing, farrowing, kindling, foling, whelping, deliver, Midwife, brought to bed, cry out, lay egg.
    • ...ABORTION, miscarry, Mischance, cast young, Castling, untimely birth, Slink, still-born.
  • Improvement of what is thus brought forth; either
    • Peculiar to the Young; implying that more then ordinary tenderness to be used towards things in that state, ‖ whether more general: or that which is proper to viviparous Animals.
      4.
      • FOTION, cherishing, foster, foment, brood, Incubation, hatching.
      • LACTATION, giving suck, suckle,
    • ...Common to Young and Old;
      • Antecedent; ‖ the taking in of sutable and sufficient aliment: or the fit∣ting of this aliment by fermentation.
        5.
        • FEEDING, living upon, Aliment, Food.
        • DIGESTING, Concoction, put over.
      • Consequent from the
        • Vnion of the Aliment to the body: and its improving thereby.
          6.
          • NOURISHING, Nutrition, maintain, Nutriment.
          • GROWING, come up, increase, improve, thrive, Spring, Proficient
        • Vnion: or disunion, of the Body and Soul.
          7.
          • LIVING, Life, quick, alive, enliven, vivifie, revive, survive. vital, Resurrection.
          • ...DYING, Death, dead-ly, mortal, fatal, dy, decease, depart, expire, give up the ghost, defunct, kill, slay, mortifie, dispatch, Slaughter, Mortality, capital.

* 1.3II. Corporeal ACTIONS belonging to SENSITIVE Bodies, may be di∣stinguished into such as are either

• More principal and natural; denoting the kinds of natural Appetite, toge∣ther with such Actions as tend to the satisfying of them; relating to the
  • Preservation of the Individuum, as to the desire of
    • Nourishment, for the supply of Decays; and that either by
      • Food: or Meat.
        1.
        • HUNGER, Appetite, Stomach, eager, greedy, ravenous, Famine, sharp-set.
        • EATING, devour, gorging, fall to, Meal, Repast, Refection, Food, Meat, Aliment, edible, Viands, Victuals, fall to ones Meat.
      • ...Liquor.
        2.
        • THIRST, dry.
        • DRINKING, Potion, potulent, potable, quaff, soop, soaking, lap, swill, carouse, sip, tipple, bibble, guzzle, Draught, Drench, Water, Butler, Buttery, Cellar.
    • Rest and refreshment after labour and weariness; comprehending the
      • Appetite or inclination after this: or the Satisfaction of such Appetite, consisting in a cessation from all Actions of the outward Senses, by a relaxation of the Nerves.
        3.
        • DROWSINESS, Heaviness.
        • SLEEPING, asleep, dormant, a Nap, lull, Slumber, narcotic, roost.
      • State supposed, belonging to this Appetite, or the Satisfaction of it, de∣noting the general Action of the Senses: or the working of the Fancy in sleep.
        4.
        • WAKING, awake, watch, Reveiles, raise from sleep.
        • DREAMING.
  • ...Propagation of the Species.
    5.
    • LUST, Salacity, Lechery, Venery, Concupiscence, libidinous, carnal, fleshly, blissom, clicket, proud.
    • COITION, coupling, gendring, lie with, know carnally, Copulation, rutting, tread, venery
• Less principal and preternatural; referring to several affections of the Touch, and different kinds of Pain; being either
  • Proper to the Skin and outward parts; caused by an agitation of some thin Vapours stopped in their expiration, which is remedied by such a kind of affriction with an edge as doth open the Pores, that the Vapors may transpire.
    6.
    • ITCHING.
    • SCRATCHING, Scraping, clawing, Scalping-iron.
  • Common to other parts; and caused by
    • Distention or compression of the parts: or sharpness of humours.
      7.
      • AKING, Ach.
      • PRICKING, Crick, pungent, sharp, Stitch.
    • Diss••pation of the Spirits in the softer parts by a light touch: or corro∣sion of the membranous parts.
      8.
      • TICKLING, Titillation.
      • SMARTING, piercing.
    • Obstruction either in the Nerves or Muscles; causing ‖ some vellications in the Nerves: or a hot pungent pain in the Muscles.
      9.
      • TWITCHING, Vellication, Pinching.
      • TINGLING.

III. The Corporeal ACTIONS peculiar to Men,* 1.4 or the several wayes of expressing their mental Conceptions, are either by

• Articulate sounds; considered according to
  • The general name, together with the privation of it.
    1.
    • SPEAKING, talk, utter-ance, mentioning, Elocution, pronounce, express, deliver, Prolation, Spokes-man, effable, voluble, fluent, say, tell, mutter, mumble, jabber, jargon, vein, Grammar, Rhetoric, Ora∣tory, Eloquence, Prolocutor, nuncupative, by word of mouth.
    • ...MVTENESS, dumb, speechless, silent, blank, tongue-tied.
  • The defects of speaking, as to ‖ the continuity of speech: or the prolati∣on of some particular letters.
    2.
    • STUTTERING, Stammering, falter, hammer.
    • LISPING.
  • The degrees of loudness in speaking; either ‖ without any vocal sound: or with much noise.
    3.
    • WHISPERING, mutter, round in the ear.
    • ...EXCLAMATION, Acclamation, hollow, hoot, hoop, shout, baul, cla∣mor, cry, Lure, Out-cry, roar, screech, scream, squeak, squeal, loud, lift up ones voice, set out ones throat.
  • The particular kinds of speaking; referring
    • To such words as we see before us; either ‖ more perfect: or imperfect.
      4.
      • READING, Lecture, Lesson, legible, peruse.
      • SPELLING.
    • To the manner of ordering our voice according to musical Tunes; ei∣ther ‖ the more perfect: or the more imperfect attempt.
      5.
      • SINGING, Song, Ditty, Ballad, Carol, Canticle, Lay, Ode, Madrigal, Eclogue, canorous, Modulation, chant, Chorister, Quire:
      • CHIRPING, questing, quittle.
  • The several relations of speaking; when we say that to another which we expect should be ‖ repeated: or written by him.
    6.
    • DICTATING, prompting, suggest.
    • ENDITING.
• Figures representing either words or things, and made either ‖ immedi∣ately by mens hands: or by the impression of Types.
  7.
  • WRITING, penning, drawing, engrossing, Hand, Manuscript, subscribe, superscribe, inscribe, transcribe, Postscript, interline, indorse, scrawle, scrible, rude draught, Pen-man, Scribe, Writer, Scrivener, Secretary, Clerk, Note, Ticket, Docket, Short-hand, Tachygraphy, Brachygraphy, Cryptography, set ones hand, set down, take or put in writing, en∣ter into book, write out fair.
  • PRINTING, Imprint, Impression, typographical, Type, Press, put in Print.

* 1.5IV. The OUTWARD SIGNS OF our inward PASSIONS, are ei∣ther

• More peculiar to some single Passions; as to
  • Admiration: or Sating; Straining the ‖ eyes: or the brows.
    1.
    • STARING.
    • MOVING THE BROWS.
  • Love: or Hate; expansion: or contraction of the Muscles of the Face.
    2.
    • SMILING, sm••rking, snearing, simper:
    • ...LOWRING, powting, scowling, frowning, grinning, look sowre.
  • Mirth: or Sorrow.
    3.
    • LAUGHING, deride, ridiculous, giggle, chuckle, tihi, flicker.
    • ...WEEPING, mourn, cry, Tears, wailing, Plaint, bemoan, bewail, la∣ment, blubber, shed tears, whining.
  • Desire: or Aversation; scruing the body: or wagging the head.
    4.
    • WRIGLING.
    • MOVING THE HEAD, Nodd.
  • Hope: or Fear; expressed either by the
    • Body or parts of it; being ‖ moved once and quick: or oft and con∣tinuedly: or deprived of motion.
      5.
      • STARTING, flinching.
        • ...TREMBLING, quaking, shaking, shudering, Trepidation, qui∣vering, shiver, quaver, chatter.
        • ...RIGOR, Horrour, Stifness.
    • Breath; ‖ emitted short and quick: or emitted slow and long: or sucked up suddenly.
      6.
      • HUFFING, snuff, puff.
        • ...SIGHING, Sobbing.
        • ...SVCKING up the breath, sniff.
  • Confidence and Diffidence: or Boldness and Despair; setting the hands against the sides: or heaving up the shoulders.
    7.
    • KEMBOING.
    • SPANISH SHRUG.
• Anger: or Revenge; by emission of the breath; either ‖ vocal, but not articulate: or articulate, but not distinctly intelligible.
  8.
  • GRONING.
  • GRUMBLING.
• More common to several Passions; by discolouring the countenance ‖ with a greater degree of Redness then doth belong to the natural hue; appertaining either to Joy, Love, Desire, but chiefly to Shame: or else with Whiteness; belonging to those more violent perturbations of Grief, Anger, &c. but chiefly to Fear.
  9.
  • BLUSHING, flush.
  • ...PALENESS, wan, ghastly, pallid, appale.

V. The general notions belonging to DEMEANOUR, Carriage,* 1.6 Comportment, Deportment, Garb, behave, or the manner of our conversing towards one another in respect of such Corporeal Actions as either custom or common opinion hath put a decency and fitness upon, are con∣siderable; either according to the

• More general kinds; denoting
  • The endeavour to express our respect to others, by ‖ going to them: or staying by them or for them.
    1.
    • VISITING, go to see.
    • WAITING, Attend-ance, serve, Retinue, Train, Valet, Page, Lac∣quey, stay for, tarry for, tend.
  • The congress or meeting of others, in respect of ‖ our applying our selves to them: or their receiving or using of us.
    2.
    • ADDRESSING, accost.
    • ENTERTAINING, treat, entreat, usage, reception, welcome.
  • The kinds of gesture, or words, signifying respect.
    3.
    • SALUTATION, caressing, accost, greet, hail, commendations.
• More special kinds; consisting in
  • ...Gestures.
    • At a distance; by bowing of the ‖ Body: or Knees.
      4.
      • CONGEEING, cringe, duck, make a leg, crouch.
      • CURCHEEING, Genuflexion.
    • Near; either more▪
      • ...Rustic.
        5.
        • CLAPPING.
        • SHAKING HANDS.
      • Gentile; by joyning of the ‖ Body: or Face.
        6.
        • EMBRACING, clasping, clip, coll, grasp, hug, twine.
        • KISSING, Smack.
  • Words; whereby we express
    • Our ‖ esteem of others: or our business with them.
      7.
      • COMPLEMENTING, Courtliness, Caressing.
      • CONFERRING, commune, parley, talk, treat, speak with, Dia∣logue.
    • Our good wishes to others; either at our ‖ first meeting: or parting.
      8.
      • SALVEDICTION, accost, greet, hail.
      • ...VALEDICTION, adieu, farwell, take leave.

* 1.7VI. GESTURE, Action, Behaviour, Gesticulation, Mimic, doth denote such an Animal action or motion as alters the situation of the whole or parts of the body: To which the word POSTURE, Position, may be annexed by way of affinity; signifying the situation in which such moti∣on is determined. The several kinds of these Gestures and Postures (which are applicable likewise to inanimate things) do refer either to the weights being incumbent upon something.

• Below it: And these are distinguished according to the imaginary pro∣gress of that body or the parts of it,
  • Vpward; either more
    • ...Direct.
      1.
      • RISING, arise, raise, rouse, ly up, sit up, stand up, rear, elevate, lift up, erect, exalt, Resurrection
      • STANDING, Station-ary, Footing, Perch, Rampant,
    • ...Oblique.
      • Keeping the height, and
        • ...Inlarging the terms.
          2.
          • STRETCHING, retching, extending, Distention, Expansion, produce, sprein, strein, draw out.
          • SPREAD, square.
        • ...Narrowing the terms.
          3.
          • SHRINKING, contracting, Coar••tation, couch, gather up.
          • CRUMPLE, snudge.
      • ...Altering the height, by motion of the
        • ...Trunk.
          4.
          • STOOPING, crouch, bow, bend, couring.
          • LEANING, lolling, Recumbency, stay or rest upon▪
        • ...Lower Limms.
          • ...Hipps.
            5.
            • SITTING, set, sedentary, seat
            • SATE, squat.
          • ...Knees.
            6.
            • KNEELING, Genuflexion, fall on knees.
            • ON KNEES.
  • Downward; either more
    • ...Direct.
      7.
      • FALLING, fell, cast down, sink.
      • LYING, Prostration, groveling, lay, along, all along, flat, level, couch.
    • ...Oblique.
      8.
      • TURNING.
      • REVERSE, inverted.
• Above it; whether ‖ partly: or wholly; each of which is either motion or rest.
  9.
  • CLINGING.
  • HANGING, pendent, suspended, dangling.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. II.
• * 1.2

  I. AC∣TIONS VEGE∣TA∣TIVE.
• * 1.3

  II. AC∣TIONS SENSI∣TIVE.
• * 1.4

  III. ACTI∣ONS PECU∣LIAR TO MEN.
• * 1.5

  IV. SIGNS OF PAS••I∣ONS.
• * 1.6

  V. DEMEA∣NOUR.
• * 1.7

  VI. GE∣STURE.