The hares were hirplin' down the furs,
The lav'rocks they were chantin'.—Burns' Holy Fair.
[§ 345]. It has often been remarked that the participle is used in many languages as a substantive. This is true in Greek,
Ὁ πράσσων = the actor, when a male.
Ἡ πρασσοῦσα = the actor, when a female.
Τὸ πράττου = the active principle of a thing.
But it is also stated, that, in the English language, the participle is used as a substantive in a greater degree than elsewhere, and that it is used in several cases and in both numbers, e.g.,
Rising early is healthy,
There is health in rising early.