Locke On Words: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ...and even in Men, that have a Mind to understand one another, do not always stand for the same Idea in Speaker and Hearer. Tho' the Names Glory and Gratitude be the same in every Man's Mouth thro' a whole Country, yet the complex collective Idea, which every one thinks on, or intends by that Name, is apparently very different in Men using the same Language. § 9. The way also wherein the Names of mixed Modes are ordinarily learned, does not a The way of learning these little contribute to the Donbtfidness of ZfbuL 'aha their Signification. For if we will obtoiheirDoubt-serve how Children learn Languages, we shall find, that to make them understand what the Names of simple Ideas, or Substances, stand for, People ordinarily shew them the thing whereof they would have them have the Idea, and then repeat to them the Name that stands for it, as White, Sivect, Milk, Sugar, Cat, Dog. But as for mixed Modes, especially the most material of them, moral Words, the Sounds are usually learned first, and then to know what complex Ideas they stand for, they are either beholden to the Explication of others, or (which happens for the most part) are left to their own Observation and Industry; which being little laid out in the search of the true and precise meaning of Names, these moral Words are, in most Mens Mouths, little more than bare Sounds; or when they have any, 'tis for the most part but a very loose and undetermined, and consequently obscure and confused Signification. And even those themselves, who have with more Attention settled their Notions, do yet hardly avoid the Inconvenience, to have them stand for complex Ideas, different from those which other, even intelligent and studious Men, make them the Signs of. Where shall one find any, either controversial D...