# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0237
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0237?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 221, page id 778263916:0237
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=237
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000237.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 55 lines, status machine
# Lines: 55 recognised, mean confidence 0.91
# Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German.
# Licence: CC BY 4.0, Leibniz Legible. Machine output: do not ingest it as verified text; keep this provenance with the text.
# Wording rule: say "the machine reads it as …", never "Leibniz wrote".
# After the first blank line: the recognised lines in reading order, one per line.

Names of Substances.
Buc Nen, in makins their general Ideas, secking more tie convenience
Os Lantuage, ard quick dispateli, by siorr and comprehiensire signs
than the true and precise Nature ot Thinss, 25 they etist, have, in the
framins their abstraet Ideas, chieAy pursued that end, which ivas to be
furnished ith store ol general, and variousty comprehensive Names. S0
chat in chis irliole Dulinels ot Genera and Species, the Genus, Ox MOre COrri-
prehensive, is but a partial coniception of irhat is in the species, and the
Species, DuE a partial Idea oF What is eo be fourid in cach Indiridual.
Iitherelore ars one will chirik, chat a Man, and an Horse, and an Ani
mal, and a Plant, (5c. are distinguished by real F. Pences made by Nature
hemust thinke Nature to be very liberal ot these real Fissences, matrino
one for Body, anocher tor an Animel, and another for an Horse; and aii
thele Fssences liberally Destorred uxon Bucephalus. But il we vould
rishels consider ihat is done, in ail chele Genera and Species, Or SOrES
ere Mould find, that there is no new Thins made, bur only more or lels
Corprehensive (ions; Whereby re may be enabled to express, in a fe
sullables, oreat nuinbersot parricular Things, 25 thez agree in MOrC Or
lels general conceptiors, erhich ire have tramed to that purpose. In aII
ertrich, iremlar observe, that the more general rerm, is alrays the name
ot a lels complex Idea; and that cach Genus, is but a partial conception
otthe Species comprehended under it. S0 that il thele abstract general
Ideas, be thouoht to be complete, it can only be in respect ol a certain
eltablisted relation, betrreen them and certain names, which are made
usc oF to signise them; and not in respeet ot any thine exiltine, as made
Dy Nature.
5. 32. This is adjusted ro the true end of Speech, wrhrich is eo be che
ealiest and Borrest may or communicatino our Notions. Por thus he, thaF
ould matie and discourse of Things, as they agrecd in the complex idea
Os Extension and Soliditr, necded but ule the word Bodr, to denore all
sccti. FTCFHat; to chele, trould join otliers, lignitled by the mords Lile,
Sense, and spontancous Motion, necded but use the rord Animal, 10
Sionitie ai irhrich partalied ol those ideas: and he that had made
a complex Idea ol a Body, Wili Lise, Sense, and Mocion, Wich the
Facultr oF Realoning, and a certain Strape joined to it, necded but ule the
More nionosz Ilable Man; 1o erprels all particulars that corresponded to
etiat complez Idea. Ttiis is the prover bulinels ot Genus and species:
and eliis Men do, Withiour any consideration ot real Essences, or hribstan-
cial Forms, Wtlich come noc ichin the reach ot our Hnomledse, irtien
e chink oEthose Thinos; norwithin ehe significarion ofour Words, Wheri
Wre discourse WitM Others.
6. 33. Were Tro talk trichi ariy orie, of a Sort os Birds, I lately lar in SF.
FamesS Parte, about chree or Tour foot hish, With a Coverins ol somethine
Becrreen Fcathers and Hair, ol a darke brovn colour, without Winss, bue
in the place chereot, trro or chireclictle branclies, comine dovon lihosprios
of Spanisti Broom; lons great Less, With Feer only ol chree ClaWS, and
Without a Tail; I mult makre this description of it, and somay malce others
understand me: But When Pam told, thac the name ot it is Cassuaris, I
maj then ule that mord to Ctand in discourse for ail niy complex
Edea mentioned in that deseription; thoush by that word, Whieh is noW
Decome d specificle name, Lhrio no more ot the real Fssence, or Consti-
cution oF chat Port of Animals, thanl did belore; and lneur probably as
much ofthe nature of that Species oF Birds, betore llearn d the name,
asmany Finelisti-men do oF Srans, Or FTerons, Wrhich are specitick nameS,
very Well norno sores ot Biras common in Lincland.