Chapter IX: Of Conjunctions

A Conjunction means literally, a union or meeting together. An ill-assorted marriage is

But our conjunctions are used to connect words and sentences, and have nothing to do with the joining of hands. They are chiefly of two sorts, the Copulative and Disjunctive.

The Copulative Conjunction is employed for the connection or continuation of a sentence: as, “Jack _and_ Gill went up the Hill,” “I will sing a song _if_ Gubbins will,” “A thirsty man is like a City Giant, _because_ he is a Gog for drink.”

The Conjunction Disjunctive is used not only for purposes of connection, but also to express opposition of meaning in different degrees: as, “_Though_ Lord John is as cunning as a Fox, _yet_ Sir Robert is as deep as a Pitt.” “We pay less for our letters, _but_ shall have to pay more for our panes: they have lightened our postage, _but_ they will darken our rooms.”

Conjunctions are the hooks and eyes of Language, in which, as well as in dress, it is very possible to make an awkward use of them: as, “For _if_ the year consist of 365 days 6 hours, _and_ January have 31 days, _then_ the relation between the corpuscular theory of light _and_ the new views of Mr. Owen is at once subverted: _for_, ‘When Ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise:’ _because_ 1760 yards make a mile; _and_ it is universally acknowledged that ‘war is the madness of many for the gain of a few:’ _therefore_ Sir Isaac Newton was quite right in supposing the diamond to be combustible.”

The word _as_, so often used in this and other Grammars, is a conjunction: as, “Mrs. A. is _as_ well _as_ can be expected.”

The Siamese twins formed a singular conjunction.

A tin pot fastened to a dog’s tail is a disagreeable conjunction to the unfortunate animal.

A happy pair may be regarded as an uncommon conjunction.