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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 260, page id 778263916:0276
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=276
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# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 55 lines, status machine
# Lines: 55 recognised, mean confidence 0.89
# Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German.
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# After the first blank line: the recognised lines in reading order, one per line.

Abus
B0
signification ot common Worcs, Wichin Come rolerable laritude, that may
serre For ordinary Convertation; and (0 a Ban cannot De supposed whol-
Ir ionorant of the Ldeas which are annexed to Words, by common Ile,
in a Languase tamiliar to him. But common VIc, Deins but a very uns
certain Rule, Wtich reduces ie selF at last to the Ldeas ot parricular Men,
Prores ofien huta very variable Stancard. Bur thouchi such a Dictiona:
ry, a5l hare abore mentioned, ill require too much time, colt, and
pains, tobe hoped for in this Age; Vet, methinks, it is nor unreatonable rO
provole, that Words standing tor Thines Which are Knorrn, and distin:
Guistred bycheir outrard Capes, Mould De expressed by licele Drauols
and Prints made oE FHEM. A Vocabulary made alter this taltion; rould,
perhaps, rith more calo, and in lels time, teach the trie lisnification ol mas
ny Terms, especially in Languages ot remore Couneries or AgCS, and leste
eruer Ideas in Mens Minds, ol Several Fhings, Whereot re read the NgtCS
in anciene Aurtiors, than all the large and laborious Comments ot, lear:
ned Criricks. Naturalists, that ereat oF Plants and Anials, have fouirid
ehe benetit ot ehiis rar: And he that has had occation to consult cheri
rill haverealon to consels, that he has a clearer ldea oE Apium, Or Ibex;
trom a licele Print oF that Ierb, or Bealt, ehian he could have trom a lone
detinition ol the Names ofcither of them. And so, nodoubr, he vould
have ot Strigit and sistrum, it instead ot a Curry-comb, and Crmbal, Which
are the Fnglith names Dictionaries render them by, hecouldsce Pampd
inthe Margin, sinall Pictures oF chese Instruments, as thes ivere in ule a-
MOnOR the AnCients. Loca Tunica, Pallium, are WVords cality cransta
ted By Gown, Coar, and Cloak; but re have thereby no more trVC LacaS
oFthe fastrion of chose ETabits amonost the Romans, than e have oF the
Faces ofthe Faylors who made them. Such Thingsasthese, Whien cho
Fye distinouistres by cheir Chapes, erould De best lec into the Mtind br
Draughes made of ehem, and more derermine the signifieation ot suck
Wordo, thanary other Words set Por them, or made use ol to detine them.
Duc this only by thebrc.
8. 26. Fisthly, TEMen ill not De at the pains to declare the meanine
OF their WVords, and Dohnitions ot their Terms, are not to De had; vee
thisis theleast thac can be expected, that in ail Discourses, Wherein one Mai
pretends to instrust or convince another, he Mould use the same Word
constantiu in the same sense, IFchis iere done, (Which no bod can re
fuse wichour oreat dilingenity,) many of the Booles extant, migtre be
spared; mans ot the Controverlies in Dispure vould De at an erid; seve.
ral ofthose great Volumes, lvollen ith ambignous Words, no used in
orre Tense, and by and by in another, evould Crink inEO a verV narrOWW
compals, and manz ofthe Philosophers, (to mention no others,) as Wvell
8. 27. Bat alter aII, Wus aScaney in respect ot that infinite va-
riet) IS in MenS LHIOUGHCS, Clacten, trantino Terms eo suit cheir pre-
Cise NOriOnS, WIII, HOCKCIIICaMMIHO cheir uemost caution, be Forced otien
tousc the samo Word, in Lomerhrat different senses: And though in the
Iy room todiorels into a palcleular Detinition, as osten a5 a Man varies
FhC AONIACAEIOH Ot AHY LCIII, fet the impore oF the Discourse rill, FOr
intelligent LcaeS, HIIIo eC cue meaninq oF it: but wrhere chat is nOE
TUFHICIENE CO GCIGC CHE ACaCI, CCC E concerns ehe Writer to explain his
aS POCtS NOTLES, MIOHE DE COMLaIHed in a NuF-BeII.
continuarion of a Discourse, or the pursuit of an Argument, there be hard.
ehe most part, it there De no aclned Fallaer, sufficiently lead candid and
meaB, aues ileur in ridl leile he chere ules that Term.