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SEPTEMBER, 1899.)
A THEORY OF UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR.
233
But, since speech is a mode of communication between man and man, mankind speaks with a purpose. The function of sentences is to indicate the purpose of speech. The purpose of speech is either (1) affirmation, (2) denial, (3) interrogation, (4) exhortation, or (5) information. Purpose may be indicated in a sentence by the POBITION of its components, by VARIATION of the forms of its components, or by the addition of introductory words to express it or INTRODUCERS.
Also, since the functions of sentences is to indicate the purpose of speech, connected purposes may be indicated by CONNECTED SENTENCES. The relation of connected sentences to each other is that of principal and subordinate. This relation may be expressed by the position of the connected sentences, by Variation of the forms of their components, or by the ad lition of referent worde expressing it or REFERENTS. A re'erent word may express the inter-relation of connected sentences by conjoining them, or by substituting itself in the subordinate sentence for the word in the principal sentence to which it refers. Referents are therefore CONJUCTORS or BUBSTITUTES,
Also, the words composing the parts of a sentence are placed in a position of relation to each other, this relation may be expressed in the sentence by the addition of connecting words expressing it or CONNECTORA, or by variation of the forms of the words themselves.
Also, since predicators are especially connected with indicators; explicators with indicators; illustrators and complements with predicators; and referent substitutes with their principals; there is an intimate relation between predicator and indicator, indicator and explicator, illustrator and predicator, predicator and complement, referent substitute and principal. This intimato relation may be expressed by the addition of connecting words to express it, or by correlated variation in the forms of the especially connected words.
Since speech is a mode of communication between man and man by expression, that communication may be made complete without complete expression. Speech may, therefore, be partly expressed, or be partly left unexpressed. And since speech may be partly left unexpressed, referent words may refer to the unexpressed portions, and words may be related to unexpressed words or correlated to them. Referent substitutes may, therefore, indicate the subject of a sentence.
- Again, many words may be nsed collectively to express the meaning of one word. The collective expression of a single neaning by two or more words is a PHRASE. The relation of a phrase to the word it represente is that of original and substitute. A phrase, therefore, fulfils the function of its original.
Since a phrase is composed of words used collectively to represent a simple expression of a meaning, that meaning may be complete in itself. Therefore a phrase may be a sentence. A sentence substituted for a worl is a CLAUSE. A clause, therefore, fulfils the function of its original.
Since clauses represent words, a sentence may be composed of clauses, or partly of claures and partly of words. A sentence composed of clauses, or partly of clauses and partly of words, is a PERIOD. Therefore a word is functionally either
(1) A sentence in itself or an INTEGER, (2) An essential component of a sentence, or
(3) An optional component of a sentence. The essential components of a sentence are (1) indicators, (2) explicators, (8) predicators, (4) illustrators, (5) complements. And complements are either indicators or explicators.
The optional components of a sentence are (1) introducers, (2) referents, (3) connectors. And referents are either referent conjunctors or referent substitutes. To recapitulate : Functionally a word is either -
(1) An INTROER, or a sentence in itself. (2) An INDICATOR, or indicative of the subject or complement of a sentence.
