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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 255, page id 778263916:0271
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and Abuse of Ir o
tice oFit. Nens intentions in speakins are, or at least Bould BC, to
understood, which cannot be without ehe frequent Explanations, Demands.
and other the like incommodious Interraptions, ivtere Nen do noc Fol-
lon common VIc. Propriets oF Sxcech, isthat Wrhich sires our Thouxhes
entrance into ocher Mens Minds, with the greatest ease and advantase5
and theresore deserves some part oF our Care and Study, especially in che
names of moral Nords, Wrhose proper ulc is to be learn’d Fromi thole, who
in their Wricings and Discourses, appear to have had the clerrest Notions,
and apply d ro them their Perms, With the best Choice and Clearnels.
This was of ulins a Mans Words, accordins to the Proprietr ot the
Languase, thoushit have not alvars the sood Fortune to be understood.
Vet molt commonly lcares the blame ot it on him, irtro is so unstriltul in
the Lansuase he speales, as not to understand ic, when made ule ol, asit
ouslt tODC.
6. X2. Fourthly. But becaule common ule has not 10 visibly annexed
any signification t0 Words, as to makee Men Uno alivars certainly ertrar
ther precisely Cand For: And because Men in the Improvement of their
Hnomledse, come tohave ldeas ditterent trom the vulsar, and ordinarr
receired ones, For which they mult cither makie nem Words, (WhichMen
seldom venture ro do, For sear of beins choughr suiler oF Afectation, or
Noveler,) Or elle must ulc old ones, in a ner Signitication. Pheretore
alter the Obserration of the loresoins Rules, it is lometimes neceltars,
for che aCcertainins the signitication ot Words, to declare their Meanins;
Where cither common Dse, has lett it uncertain and loose; (a5 ic has in
mostnames of vers complex Ldeas;) Or where a Man ules them, in a
Sense any ras reculiar to himselt; or nhere che Term beins very
material in che Discourle, and chat upon which ic chieAy curns, is liable
to any Doubitulness, or Mistale.
5. 23. ASthC Ideas, MenS Nords Stand For, are of different sOrrs; 10
the waz oEmalins lnomn the Ldeas, ther Ctand For, Wvhen there is Occa-
Cion, is also ditterent. For thoush detinins be thouxhe the prover vay
to make tnoon the proper Signification os Words; yet there be fome
Woras, that will noc be detined, asthere be others, irhose precile Mcanine
cannoc De made lnown, but by Detinition: and, perhaps, a third, Which
partale somenhat ot bochthe other, a5 We all see in the names of sim-
ple Ldeas, Modes, and Substances.
6. F4. First, When a Ban malces uIe oF che name oE any simple Idéa,
Which he perceiresis not understood, or is in danser to be mistatsen, he
1s obliscd by the Lars of Ingenuitr, and the end of Specctu, to declare
its Meanins, and malee Hnon n hat Idea he makes ic Rand Por. This
as has Deen Peved, cannot be done by Detinition; and theretore, wrhen
a synonymous Word fails ro do it, there is but one ot these mazs lest.
First, Sometimes chenamine the Subject, wherein ihat simple Idea, is t0
De Found, ill makre its name be understood by thole, wrtro are acquainted
wich chac subieet, and lnom ic by chat name. 50 to male a Counery-
man underctand irhat Feuillemorie Colour sisnities, it mas suftice to tell
tim, eis the Colour of ither d Leaves falline in Autumn. Secondly,
But che only sure way ofmalcins lnoon the sionilication ol the name ot
ans simple Idea, is hy presentins to his senses that Subject, Which may pro-
duce it inhis Mind, and malie tum actually have che idea char Word
ctands For.
6. 15. Seconaly. Mixed Modes, especially chole beloneine co Morality.
beins most ol ehem such Combinations of Ideas, as the Mind puts 10gc.
cher otis omn choice; and Whercot chey are nOt alvays candins Pat
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