English Grammar, Historical and Analytical

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 Excerpt: ... be singular or plural. 'All praise the likeness that thy skill hath made.'--Wordsworth. 'Who is here so vile?... If any, speak!'--Shakespeare. In M.E. any, having reference to a person, becomes anyone, or anybody. In a humorous and familiar style, a body is here and there vaguely used instead of anybody. 'If there is anything better to be done, name it!'--G. 'This werldes, welth, auht, and cate'l.'--Old Metrical Homily. 'Is ther aught elles?'--Chaucer. For aught the modern spelling is ought. 'Should ought impious or impure, Take friendship's name.' T. H. Bayly. 'They both were now well stricken in years.'--Bible. 'Each will tell his own story.' Each historically belongs to the singular, but is sometimes set in apposition with two nouns, and has then a use called 'distributive.' It is not required that two substantive words in apposition must each have the same number. 'The oak and the elm have each a distinct character.'--Gilpin. 'Each of the two men spake words of high disdain And insult to his heart's best brother.'--Coleridge. ' Each have stamped their own impress on the character of the people.'--Alison, has.... its. 'Each = Every feature gives each = every other a double charm, As pearls upon an Ethiop's arm.'--Dyer. 'Each = Everyone must give an account of his own adventures.' 'Each of these two trees has its own characteristic form.' 'Either will suit me very well.' 'Either of these distinguished officers two would have been a successor worthy of Luxemburg.'--Macaulay. The modern so-called 'rule' that either must always refer 'to one of two' is not founded on literary history. 'Enough is as good as a feast.'--G. 'We're enough.'--Lord Byron. Instead of enough the old form enow is sometimes used with a double meaning; but it is not an exclusively plur...