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Penny or pence, and words joined with it, are thus contracted; Pen'uth for penny-worth; tup-pence for two-pence; thrip-pence for three-pence; fip-pence for five-pence; ha'penny for halfpenny; ha'p'uth for halfpennyworth.

Some of these words are now and then spelled partly as they are pronounced; but 'tis only or chiefly, in pleasant and familiar writing, as take e'm, han't, won't.

There are many other contractions in speech used in the English tongue, which would be too tedious to describe: I have given these few only as a pattern, that the child may learn how to spell others of the like nature, by pronouncing each word distinct and apart.

There are also some other corrupt pronunciations of Latin words, or terms of art in use among the vulgar, as iciprizys for nisi prius; sessarero for certiorari; suppiney for sub pana; hippo for hypochondriacal; and other words that are shorten'd in speech, as pozz for positively; plenipo for plenipotentiary, &c. which I cannot much approve, tho' some polite persons have used them, and thereby confirm the ignorance and ill custom of the unlearned part of mankind, without any necessity.

Here I would have it observed also, that all the three foregoing tables, namely, the eighth, ninth, and tenth, were not written so much with a design to teach how to read, as how to write: not to tell how such words ought to be pronounced, because some of those pronunciations are corrupt and too vulgar'; but the design is rather to show how those words ought to be spell'd, which have obtained by custom so different a pronunciation.

TABLE XI-A Table of Abbreviations and Contractions, wherein one, or two, or three Letters, stand for one or more Words.

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A. B. or B. A. Bachelor of arts Dr. Doctor

Abp. Archbishop

A. D. Anno Domini or in the
year of our Lord

A. M. or M. A. Master of arts
B. Book

B. A. Bachelor of arts
Bp. Bishop

B. V. M. Blessed Virgin Mary
B. Brother

C. C. C. Corpus Christi college
Cent. Centum an hundred
C. S. Custos sigilli, keeper of

the seal

VOL. VI.

D. D. Doctor in Divinity
Do. Ditto, the same
E. Earl

E. g. or ex. gr. exempli gratia,
or for example
F. R. S. Fellow of the royal
society
Hnble. Honourable
Id. idem, the same
Ibid. ibidem, in the same place
1. H. S. Jesus hominum salva-
tor, or Jesus the Saviour of

G

men.

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S. S. T. Sacrosancta Theologia, holy divinity

M. D. Medicina doctor, doctor S. T. P. Professor, or doctor in

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There are many other contractions that are used both in print and writing, which may be reduced to these general heads :

1. Titles and characters of men; as Adml. admiral; Bart. baronet; Capt. captain; Col. colonel; Esq. esquire; Gen. general; Gent. gentleman; Philomath. philomathematicus, or a lover of mathematics; Prof. professor.

2. Proper names of persons and places; as Abr. Abraham ; Geo. George; Wm. William; Lond. London; Southton, Southampton, &c.

3. Books of the bible, as Gen. Genesis, Ex. Exodus, &c. 4. Months; as Jan. January, Feb. February, Sept. September, &c.

5. Winds; N. north, S. south, E. east, W. west; N. N. E. morth north-east, W. b. S. west and by south.

6. Parts of books; as Ch. or Chap. chapter; S. or Sect. section; p. or pa. page; l. line; v. verse; Qu. question; Ans. answer; Obj. objection; Sol. solution, or answer; Ep. epistle: Doct. doctrine; Obs. observation; Expl. explication,

&c.

7. Inscriptions on coin or money, and on medals; as GEORGIVS‍D. G. M. BR. FR. EŤ. HIB. REX. F. D. that is, Georgius, Dei Gratia Magna Britannia, Francia & Hibernia Rex Fidei Defensor. George, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith.

And on the Reverse.

BRVN. ET L. DVX. S. R. I. A. TH. ET EL. 1720. that is, Brunswiga & Lunenburga Dux, sacri Romanii imperii archi-thesaurarius & elector, 1720. Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, high-treasurer and elector of the sacred Roman empire, 1720.

TABLE XII-A Table of Contractions used only in Writing, but scarce ever in print in our Age.

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m. is written often for ment, at the end of a word, as instrumt. commandmt. and t set a little above the last letter, with a full-point under it, stands for ant or ent, in many other words also; as covent. covenant; obedt. obedient, &c.

Cor, with a line or dash over it, goes for tion, at the end of a word, as condicon, condition.

A dash or line over any vowel, stands for n or m; thus, comon for common, wat for want, comet for comment.

Note, Some of these contractions are used in books that are printed on particular subjects, as Execrs. Admr. &c. in law books; Dr. Cr. Acct. in books of merchandize but seldom in other authors.

See more in the fourteenth table.

TABLE XIII. A Table of Numbers and Figures.

NUMBERS are usually expressed either by these seven Roman capital letters, I. V. X. L. C. D. M. which are called numerals, or by these ten characters, namely, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, which are called figures, and 0, which is called a cypher.

Their Signification.

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Observe concerning the numeral letters, that if a less numeral letter be placed before a greater, it takes away from the greater so much as the lesser stands for; but being placed after a greater, it adds so much to it as the lesser stands for: as the letter V. stands for five; but having I placed before it, it takes one from it, and makes both stand but for four: thus, IV. But I being set after V. it adds one to it, and make it six, VI. Take notice of these examples.

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Observe concerning the characters or figures, that cyphers at the right-hand of figures increase their value ten times, as 1 one, 10 ten, 100 hundred, 7 seven, 7000, seven thousand: but at the left-hand they signify nothing at all, as 01, 001, make but one, 0002 is but two.

A figure at every remove from from the right-hand increases its value ten times, as 9 nine, 98 ninety-eight, 987 nine hundred and eighty-seven.

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Note here, that the numbers are sometimes expressed by small Roman let. ters, as i. one, ii. two, xvi. sixteen, Ixxviii. seventy-eight, &c.

That where books, chapters, sections, and verses are cited, the numeral letters are generally used to signify the book and chapter, and the figures to signify the sections, verses, or smaller parts; as Exod. xii. 17. Exodus the twelfth chap

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