Feathers are things perceived by touch and sight. They imply the quality of lightness, but say nothing about that quality. Light has several meanings. Here taken in connection with feathers, it means nearly destitute of weight, or the quality of lightness. It is an abstract term that describes an attribute, but feathers are things and therefore concrete. Hence the pair of words illustrate Inclusion by Abstract and Concrete, and is indicated by In. by A. and C., or merely by In. Other examples: “Sour, Vinegar;” “Sweet, Sugar;” “Coward, Fear;” “Swiftness, Express train,” &c.
LIGHT. LIGHTerman. } In. by S. & s.
As before remarked, “Light” has several meanings. Here it means that which enables us to see. “Lighterman” is the man who works upon a boat called a “Lighter.” There is nothing in common in the meaning of this pair of words, but the word or syllable “Light” belongs to both alike. It is In. by Sight and sound. Other cases: “Dark, Darkness;” “Starch, March;” “Rage, Forage;” “Barber, Barbarism,” &c.
LighterMAN. Lord MANsfield. } In. by S.
Here the word or syllable “man” appears in both cases. In the former it signifies the man that manages a Lighter, and in the latter it was primitively connected with Field, as “A Man’s Field.” After a time it became Mansfield. It is a perfect case of In. by S. and s. Other cases: “Tempest, Temperature;” “Antepenult, Antediluvians.”
Lord MansFIELD. FIELDhand. } In. by S. & s.
As “Field” belongs to both words, it is a case of perfect In. by S. and s. Other cases: “Regiment, Compliment;” “Sell, Selfish;” “Miniature, Mint,” &c.
Now let the pupil read over very thoughtfully the ten words just examined, and recall the relation which we found to exist between every pair of them.
Having finished the reading, let the pupil close the lesson, or put it out of sight and endeavour to recall the ten words from Building to Fieldhand from memory. He will find no difficulty in doing so. He learned the series by heart without any suspicion that he was committing it to memory.