Any impression upon the mind tends to manifest itself in some form of expression. Impression which arouses thought tends to expression in the form of symbols. Thought and symbol go hand in hand. Expression, taking the form of word-symbols, constitutes a word-language.
It is commonly supposed that language is serviceable mainly in communicating one’s thoughts to others, but language does service in another way which is quite as important. It tends to clarify and make definite all thought. Without a word-language thinking would lack continuity; would be vague, loose, illogical. The right use of a word-language, therefore, is a necessary adjunct to logical thought. The basic element of a word-language is the logical term.
2. MEANING OF LOGICAL TERM.
A notion has been referred to as any product of the knowing mind. When we express these notions in words such expressions may be called logical terms.
Definition. A logical term is a word or a group of words denoting a definite notion. Illustrations: Honesty, Chicago, tree, walking, the man who was ill, beautiful roses. This is a list of logical terms, because each word or group of words denotes a notion of some kind. It isnow evident that any subject or predicate with its modifiers constitutes a logical term. In the proposition, “The beautiful red house on the hill, owned by Mr. Jones, has burned,” the term used as the subject consists of eleven words. The reader must not confuse logical terms with grammatical parts of speech. “Of” is a preposition but not a logical term, as no definite notion is indicated.
3. CATEGOREMATIC AND SYNCATEGOREMATIC WORDS.
There are some words which, when used alone, denote definite notions, such as man, tree, dog, justice. On the other hand there are other words which, when used alone, do not stand for a definite notion, such as up, beautifully, a, and.
Words like those in the first list are called categorematic words, while those in the second list illustrate syncategorematic words.
DEFINITION.
A categorematic word is one which forms a logical term unaided by other words. A syncategorematic word is one which must be used with other words to form a logical term.