The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-05-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
roR rnE MAssAcHusErrs SPY.


MIR. EDIToR,--I observed in late Spy, I'M
der the head Philological," a notice Of some
grammatical errors in common use. Your crit
icisms are just, in general, and | will not say
that they are not altogether just. On one point,
however, there is more room for doubt, in my
mind, than there seems to be in yours 1t will
hardly be denied that Miss or Mistress, and Mr.
or Master, belong to the same class of words. If
one admits the distinction of number, the other
may Isnot Messrs. properly used as the plural of
Mr.? Is not Miss often properly used as a
noun, with its regular plural Misses Are not
the terms Miss and Mr.. titles, and as much en-
titled to plural as Capt, Esq, Lord, Sir, or
any other title? "Take the simple expression,
Mss Broaon and all will agree that Miss is an
adjective" Take the simple expression, Capt.
BTOlon, and will all agree that Captain is an
adjective? Then, by parity of reasoning, the
use of the plural, Captains, in any case, is i'm
proper, for adlectiyes do not admit the distinc-
ton of number. When we would distinguish
several Misses of one name, from Misses of 9TH
er names, what improperly is there in calling
those who have the common name, Brown, the
Misses Brown If either of the words is an
adjective, it will certainly admit of question
whether it is not the latter. The latter word
is added to the former to distinguish some par
ticular Misses Suppose there are two families
of the same name, and it is necessary for the
young ladies of one family to distinguish them
selves from those of the other-which would
you think the moro correct mode of wording a
visiting card, The Misses Sarah, Caroline, and
Lucy Bro1on, or, The Miss Sarah, Caroline, and
Lucy Browns? w.
P. S. Is it not common to use adiectves i'm.
properly for adverbs, as, {" In such common
use," for, In so common use and one tense for
another, as, 1t should hare Leen, for, It should
be?
In answer to the foregoing, we may remark
that Messieurs is not the plural of Mr.. or Mas
ter, but French word signifying Gentlemen
and, therefore, when used, it is noun in apo
sition to the names which follow it, and SHOULD
be separated from them by comma. Yet
were it an adjective, being adopted from th'
French, in which language the adjectives varl
in number, it might be considered idiomatic
and, therefore, not strictly subjectto the rule
Of English grammar, The words Miss an,
Captain are used both rs nouns and adicctivcs
and correct ear never will be at a loss to de
termne, from the context of the sentence, il
which sense they should be used. We grant
if we say "the Misses Brown" that " if eithe
nf the words is an adjective" it mast be the LAT
ter, because we have such an adjective a
{" Brown but we have none such as Misses
But the expression is incorrect Having use
the word Misses, she noun following in apo
sition must be plural. II would then read " tn
Misses Browns" which, in its proper place, is
correct phrase. To determine, in all cases
which would be the most correct mode of ex
preston, we should consider which is to be tn
prominent word, the name or the other term
if the name, then we should say, the Mis-
Browns )" ifnot, then we may say, " tho Mise
Browns in which case the former word is
noun, and the latter is added, as words in apo
sition generally are, to limit or define it, anC
being in opposition, must also be plural.