MIN
fcT 550. File 70, f2r 77, tSll 60, fit 81—nre 03, ro£t 05—yhte 105, pm 107—no 152, muvo 1<S J >
ness, and ought not to have been used. Tims, In theSpectator, No. 195, Mr. Addison says—Were 1 toprescribe a rule for <irinkiug» it should be formed upona saying quoted by Sir William Temple —’ The firstglass for niyself, the second for my friends, the thirdfor good humour, ami the fourth for mine enemies.”In Milton too—
** ■ ■ ■ 1 — - — Methonght
** CloBe at mine ear oue call’d me forth to walk.”
Par. Lost.
“-- Sleeping within mine orchard,
“ My custom always in the afternoon,
" Upon iny secure hour thy uncle stole,u With juice of curs’d hebenon in aphial,u And in the porches of mine ears did pouru The leprous dislilment.” Ilumlet.
Id all these instances we find a formality, stateliness,andnncouthnessof sound,that are peculiarly unpleasantto the ear; and as this mode of writing was introducedwhen our language may be said to have-been in its in.fancy, for the sake of euphony (for it is clearly un-grammatical), so now, when it may be said that it hasarrived at its maturity, the very same reason seemsto entitle the present age to alter it; that is, I meanthe pronunciation of it, by substituting my, pronouncedlike me, in its stead.
The disagreeable sound which mine , has in thesecases, has induced several readers to pronounce it min;but by thus mincing the matter (if the pun will bepardoned me) they mutilate the word, ami leave itmore disagreeable to the ear than it was before. Head-ers, therefore, have no choice, but either to pronounceit as it is written, and to let the author be answerablefor the ill sound ; or,in all language but that of Scrip-ture, to change it into my, pronounced like m
Shakespeare seems to have used this word ludicrous-ly inThe Merry Wives of Windsor,whereFalMatf says—“ Mine host of the Garter —truly, mine host, I mustturn away some of my followers;” and the host, byrequesting Falstatf to'speak scholarly andvyisely,seemsto intimate that this use of the word mine before avowel or a h was the most correct way of speaking.But though f/iy will,in familiar or ludicrous language,admit of being changed into the sound of the—minewill, on no occasion, suffer an alteration into min.When the vowel is used familiarly, it is always a bur-lesque upon the grave use of it, and therefore requiresthe grave sound, that the humour may not be lost.MINE, mine, s.64. A place or cavern in theearth which contains metals or minerals ; acavern dug under any fortification.
To MINE, mine, n. n. To dig mines or bur-rows.
To MINE, mine, v. «. To sap, to ruin bymines, to destroy by slow degrees.
MINER , mlne'ur, s. 98. One that digs formetals ; one who makes military mines.MINERAL , mhi'er-itl, s. 88. Fossiie body,matter dug out of mines.
MINERAL , min'ner-al, a. Consisting offossiie bodies.
MINERALIST, m?u'n6r4uist,s.One skilled
or employed in minerals.MINERALOGIST, mfo-nSr-itl'lA-jlst, s.
One who discourses on minerals.MINERALOGY, niin-ner-ill'lA-jc, s. 518.
The doctrine of minerals.
To MINGLE, ming'gl, v. «. 405. To mix, tojoin, to compound, to unite with something soas to make one mass.
To MINGLE, liAig'gl, v. v. To be mixed,to be united with.
MINGLE, mlng'gl, s. Mixture, medley, con-fused mass.
MINGLER, mlng'gl-ur, s. 98. Ho whomingles.
MINIATURE, mfne-ture, s. 274. Repre-
sentation in a small compass, reprcscnlati >nless than the reality.
MINIKIN, mln'ne-kin,s. Small, diminutive.392
MINIM, rafa'nlm, s, A email being, a dwarf
MINIMUS, lnin'ne-mus, s t A being ol theleast size. Not used.
MINION, mfn'yun, s. 8, 113. A favourite?a darling, a low dependant.
MINIOUS, min'yus, a. 113. Of the colourof red lead or vermilion.
To MINISH, mln'nlsh, v. a. To lessen,lop, to impair. Obsolete.
MINISTER, min'nls-tdr, s. 9S, 503, b. ^* nagent; one who acts under another;is employed in the administration of goyerfl'ment; one who performs sacerdotal function 5 >a delegate, an official; an agent from a foreignpower.
To MINISTER, mln'nls-tur, r. a. Toto supplv, to afford. .
To MINISTER, min'nls-tfir, r. n. To attend?to serve in any office ; to give medicinesgive supplies of things needful, to give assist'ance ; to attend on the service of God ,
MINISTERIAL, min-nis-te're-al, a. AJ'tendant, acting at command ; acting undersuperior authority; sacerdotal, belonging y*the ecclesiasticks or their office ; pertaining wministers of state.
M1NISTERY, inin'is-tfir-i, s. Office,
vice.
MINISTRAL, mln'nfs-tr&l, a. 88. Pertai* 1 'ing to a minister.
MINISTRANT, min'nis-trihit, a. Attendantacting at command.
MINISTRATION, min-nis-tra'shun, 8 :Agency,intervention,office of agent delega tc .or commissioned ; service, office, ecclesiasticfunction. ,
MINIUM,min'y 5m,$.113. Vermilion,red k 3<1 'MINISTRY, min'nis-lre, s. Office, service*ecclesiastical function ; agency, interpositi® 1 ^persons employed in the publick affair* °*state. ii
MINNOW, rain'no, «. 327. A very s» a “fish, a pink. . f#
MINOR, mi'nur, a. 16G. Petty, inconsid eable; less, smaller. «
MINOR,ml'nftr,s.Oneunderage;the s ec0fl0
or particular proposition in the syllogism* .
MINORITY, me-niJr'e-te, s. 129. Theof being under age; the state of being *the smaller number. Jn .
MINOTAUR , mln'no-tawr, s. A monstd^vented by the poets, half mun and half * ,u ^
MINSTER, mln'atftr, s. 98. A monastery^ecclesiastical fraternity, a cathedral d nU . C :«n.MINSTREL, min'atrll, s, 99. A mustf 1 *one who plays upon instruments. .MINSTRELSEY, min's^l-se^Musi^g.
strumentni harmony ; a number of m l,s,cMINT, mint, a. A plant. v is
MINT, mint, s. The place where nio n *coined ; any place of invention- -y;
To MI NT,mint,n.a.To coin, to stampsto invent, to forge. i irb ^
MINTAGE, mint'idje, 4. 90. Thatcoined or stamped ; the duty paid (otCMINTER, m?nt'5r, $. 98. A coiner. ..j] C dMINTMAN, mtnt'mdn, s. 88. One s*in coinage. yfb®
MINTMASTKR, mlnt'mA-stur, 5. one
A stately
lar dance.