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

CHAP. V. I. Of Articles. II. Of Modes. III. Of Tenses. IV. The most distinct way of expressing the differences of Time.

BEsides these fore-mentioned Particles which may be called more Absolute; there are others more servile and auxiliary,* 1.1 serving for the fuller expression of some Accident belonging to a word. These were before distinguished into such as do belong either, 1. To an Integral alone, as Articles. 2. To the Copula alone, as the Modes. or 3. Both to Integral and Copula as the Tenses. Each of which are in some Langua∣ges taken in, or involved in the inflexion of words: But in others, they are provided for by distinct words to express them.

Articles are usually prefixed before Substantives for the more full and distinct expression of them, they may be distinguished into

Enuntiative, which may be used indifferently before any Substan∣tive, not already pos••est with the Demonstrative. A. An.

Demonstrative, which gives a peculiar Emphasis to its Substantive, and is applyed only to such a Person or Thing, as the hearer knows, or hath reason to know, because of its eminence or some precedent mention of it. The

Though these be not absolutely necessary to a Language, because the Latin is without them; yet are they so convenient for the greater di∣stinctness of speech, that upon this account, both the Hebrew, Greek, Slavonick, and most other Languages have them.

To shew in what manner the subject is to be joyned with his Predi∣cate, the Copula between them is affected with a Particle,* 1.2 which from the use of it, is called Modus, the Manner or Mode.

Now the Subject and Predicate may be joyned together either Sim∣ply, or with some kind of Limitation, and accordingly these Modes are either Primary or Secondary.

The Primary Modes are called by Grammarians Indicative, and Im∣perative.

When the Matter is declared to be so, or at least when it seems in the speakers power to have it be so, as the bare union of Subject and Predicate would import; then the Copula is nakedly expressed without any variation: And this manner of expressing it, is called the Indica∣tive Mode.

When it is neither declared to be so, nor seems to be immediatly in the speakers power to have it so; then he can do no more in words but make out the expression of his will to him that hath the thing in

his power, namely to his

• Superiour by Petition
• Equal by Perswasion
• Inferiour by Command

And the man∣ner of these affecting the Copula (Be it so, or sine esse, let it be so) is called the Imperative Mode; of which there are these three varieties, very fit to be distinctly provided for. As for th•••• other use of the Imperative Mode, when it signifies Permission; this may be sufficiently expressed by the Secondary Mode of Liberty. You may do it.

The Secondary Modes are such, as when the Copula is affected with any of them, make the sentence to be (as Logicians call it) a Modal Proposition.

This happens when the Matter in discourse, namely, the being or doing or suffering of a thing, is considered not simply by it self, but gradually in its causes from which it proceeds either Contingently or Ne∣cessarily.

Then a thing seems to be left as Contingent, when the speaker ex∣presses only the Possibility of it, or his own Liberty to it.

1. The Possibility of a thing depends upon the power of its cause, and may be expressed when

• Absolute by the Particle CAN
• Conditional by the Particle COVLD.

2. The Liberty of a thing, depends upon a freedom from all Obsta∣cles either within or without, and is usually expressed in our Lan∣guage, when

• Absolute by the Particle MAY
• Conditional by the Particle MIGHT.

Then a thing seems to be of Necessity, when the speaker expresseth the resolution of his own will, or some other obligation upon him from without.

3. The Inclination of the will is expressed, if

• Absolute by the Particles WILL
• Conditional by the Particles WOVLD.

4. The Necessity of a thing, from some external obligation, whether Natural or Moral which we call duty, is expressed, if

• Absolute by the Particle MVST, ought, shall,
• Conditional by the Particle MVST, ought, should.

* 1.3That kind of servile Particle which doth belong both to the Inte∣gral and the Copula, is stiled Tense.

Tho Tenses in instituted Languages are appropriated only to Verbs, yet 'tis very plain that according to the true Philosophy of speech, they should likewise be ascribed to Substantives; And that this would in many respects be a great advantage to Language. As there is Ama∣tio, so there should be Amavitio and Amaturitio, &c.

These kind of Auxiliary Particles, stiled Modes and Tenses, are in the Modern Languages expressed by such servile words, as do not signifie any compleat Act, but rather some respects and circumstances belonging to other Acts; and by that means have in them a natural fitness to be subservient to the inflexion of other Integral words. So the Conditional Modes are supplyed by the words Possum or Possible,

Licet, Libet, Volo; Necesse, Oportet, Debeo. And so are the Tenses, by those servile words of Facio, Habeo, besides the Copula, sum.

The Tenses are usually distinguished into

• ...Present
  • ...Active. Do, dost, doth,
  • ...Passive. Am, art, is, are.
• ...Past
  • ...Imperfect
    • ...Active. Did, didst,
    • ...Passive. Was, wert, were.
  • ...Perfect
    • ...Active. Have, hast, hath,
    • ...Passive. Have been, hast been, hath been.
  • ...Pluperfect
    • ...Active. Had, hadst,
    • ...Passive. Had been, hadst been.
• ...Future
  • ...Active. Shall, will, shalt, wilt,
  • ...Passive. Shall be, will be, shalt be, wilt be.

But the most distinct and explicit way of expressing any Propositi∣on, is by affixing these Tenses, both to the Copula, and the Predicate;* 1.4 the latter of which will shew the time of the Action, &c. whether past, present, or future: and the former, the state of the Person or Subject, who doth this Acti∣on, whether he

• Has been, either Past that Action,
• Is now, either Acting in it,
• Shall be hereafter. either Yet to do it.

And a Proposition thus expressed, is in the very expressing of it, re∣solved into its parts of Subject, Copula, and Predicate, according to these following examples.

• I Have been Hot Calui
• I Am Hot Caleo
• I Shall be Hot Calebo
• I Have been having been Hot Calebam
• I Am having been Hot Calueram
• I Shall be having been Hot Caluero
• I Have been to be hot hereafter Fui caliturus
• I Am to be hot hereafter Sum caliturus
• I Shall be to be hot hereafter Ero caliturus
• I Have been Heating Calefeci
• I Am Heating Calefacio, or sum calefaciens
• I Shall be Heating Calefaciam
• I Have been Having heated Calefeceram
• I Am Having heated Calefaciebam, sum qui calefecit
• I Shall be Having heated Calefecero
• I Have been to Heat hereafter Fui calefacturus
• I Am to Heat hereafter Sum Calefacturus
• I Shall be to Heat hereafter Ero calefacturus
• I Have been Heated Fui Calefactus
• I Am Heated Calefio, velsum calefactus
• I Shall be Heated Calefiam, velero calefactus
• ...

• I Have been having been Heated Fueram calefactus
• I Am having been Heated Calefiebam
• I Shall be having been Heated Fuero calefactus
• I Have been to be Heated hereafter Fui Calefaciendus.
• I Am to be Heated hereafter Sum Calefaciendus.
• I Shall be to be Heated hereafter Ero Calefaciendus.

But if any should conceive this way needless or too laborious, as being too much distant from the manner of Instit••ted Languages; he may by putting the Copula in the place of the Tense, as well express his mind in thi••, as in any other Instituted Language.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § I.
• * 1.2

  § II.
• * 1.3

  § III.
• * 1.4

  § IV.