How to parse. ...

128

IRREGULARITIES. [Par. 193, 194.

Language does not bend away from its straight
fixed rules for nothing; there is some cause that
makes it bend.
I93 In the last example there are perhaps two causes:
(1) when we say, " I have a dozen," we confuse this
with "I have twelve," that is to say, we confuse
the use of a Noun with the use of an Adjective.
So we treat " dozen " partly as though it were an
Adjective, leaving out the "' of " after it, and partly
as though it were a Noun, keeping the ' a " before
it.
We do the same thing in "I have a hundred
sheep;" we ought to say, by rule, "I have a
hundred (Noun) of sheep," or, " I have hundred
(Adjective) sheep;" but we keep the "a," as though
"hundred " were a Noun, and yet leave out "of"
as though "hundred" were an Adjective. Thus
we mix or confuse two constructions. (2) Another
reason why the "of" is omitted after "dozen" and
"hundred " is probably the desire to be brief.
\.-..94 Here then there are two causes, and they are
very common causes, of irregularity: (1) Confusion of two constructions, (2) the desire
to be brief. (3) The desire to avoid harshness of sound or of construction, and (in
Poetry more especially) the desire to give special
emphasis to certain words, are also causes of
irregularity.