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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 227, page id 778263916:0243
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Wames of Substances.
to malie a necessary part of the complex Idea Signihed by the COmMON
Name siven it, it must follo, thar Nen must suppose ctic lame W ord tO
sionitie difterent Things in different Mlen: Since ther cannor doubt, bur
ditterent Men may have dilcorered several ualities in Substances of the
same Denomination, Which ottiers tindr nochine of.
5 48. F0 avoid ehis cherctore, ther have supposed a reat essence, be-
longine to every species, trom which chese Properties all Ao, atd rould
have their nare ofthe Species Sand for that: But ther not havinq anv
Idea oF that real Fssence in Substances, and cheir. Nords signilyine no-
chins but thie Fdeas ther have, that whiehis done by this ACreP is On-
lr to put the name or sound, in the placo and Acadi ol che chine havine
that real Fsserice, rithout lnowins wrharthac real PPence is; and this is
chat wrhich Men do, Wrhen cher spcats of Spocies of Phires, as luPPOsine
them made by Nature, and distinguistied by real Psences.
8. 49. For let us consider, When prealtirm, thar all Crold is lixed, cicherit
means chat Fixednels is a part of the Detinition, part oF. the nominal Fssence
thc Word Cold stands tor; and (0 this Afrmation, aII Cold is Axed, con-
tainsnochins but ehe signitication ot the Torm Crold. Or else it means,
chat Fixecness not beirss a part ol the detinition ot the Word Cold, IS a
PrOPerEY OF Fhat Substance it selF: in irtrich Case, it is plaiis HaE thC
Nord Gold stands in the place ot a Substance, having the real Fsence oF
a Species ol Thines, made by Nature; in Which Wras oE Substitution, ic
has (o confuled and uricerrain a Signitication, that choushi this Propolition,
Cold is fixed, be in thar sense an AAirmation of lomethins real: vet tis
a Fruch will alvars Fail us in ies particular Application, and (0 is coF. no
realse ror Certainer. Por let it be never (o true, that all God, 1. c. 2lI
that has thereal Fssence oF Gold, is fixed, What serves chis For, WrhilA
tre kron nor in this sense, irhiat is or is not Oold: Por il e lno not
the real Fssence oF Cold, tis impossible e ould Hnow erhtat parcel ot
Macter has thatEsence, and so irhether it be true Cold or no.
5. 50. Fo conclude; what liberes Adam had at tirst to make any com-
plex Ideas oE mixed Modes, by no other Partern, but br his omn Thoushis.
thesame have all Men ever since had. And ehie same sccestity oF con
formino his Ideas oF Substances to Things Without him, as to Archatrpes
made by Nature, that Adam as under, il he rould noc riltully impose
uxon himselt, che same arc all Men ever since under 1o0. Thelamo Li
verer al(o, that Adam had of aftixins any ner name to ans idea; the
laine has any one still, (especially the beginners oE Languases, it re can
imasine any such,) buc orls wich this difterenco, that in Places, irhere
Men in Society have already establithed a Languase amonsst them, etio
lixnitication oF Nords are very warils and sparingly to be alter d: because
Men beins turnised alreads with names Por their Ldeas, and common Vle
travins appropriated hnoun names to cerrain Ldeas, an affected milappli-
carion ofthem cannot bur be very ridiculous. Ile thar hath nem NorionS-
Will, perhaps, venture sometimes on the coining neu Terms, to express them:
Men chink it a Boldness, and ris uncertain, Whether common Dse will
ever makse ehem pals for currant. Bue in Comrunication with others, it
is necellary, that we contorm che Ideas e make the vulsar Nords ol any
Language cand Cor, ro cheir hnomn proper Signitications, (whrich Lhave
explain d at larse alreacy.) or el(e ro make knomn chat new Signitication,
We applu chem +O.