Proper names transferred to common use - Noun-Parts Of Speech-ESL/Learn English Grammar

Next Lessons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |


14. Proper nouns are used as common in either of two ways:--

(1) _The origin of a thing is used for the thing itself_: that is, the

name of the inventor may be applied to the thing invented, as a

_davy_, meaning the miner's lamp invented by Sir Humphry Davy; the

_guillotine_, from the name of Dr. Guillotin, who was its inventor. Or

the name of the country or city from which an article is derived is

used for the article: as _china_, from China; _arras_, from a town in

France; _port_ (wine), from Oporto, in Portugal; _levant_ and

_morocco_ (leather).


Some of this class have become worn by use so that at present we can

scarcely discover the derivation from the form of the word; for

example, the word _port_, above. Others of similar character are

_calico_, from Calicut; _damask_, from Damascus; _currants_, from

Corinth; etc.


(2) _The name of a person or place noted for certain qualities is

transferred to any person or place possessing those qualities_;

thus,--


Hercules and Samson were noted for their strength, and we call a

very strong man _a Hercules_ or _a Samson_. Sodom was famous for

wickedness, and a similar place is called _a Sodom_ of sin.



_A Daniel_ come to judgment!--SHAKESPEARE.


If it prove a mind of uncommon activity and power, _a Locke_, _a

Lavoisier_, _a Hutton_, _a Bentham_, _a Fourier_, it imposes its

classification on other men, and lo! a new system.--EMERSON.




Next Lessons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |