ABA (2) ABA
A is also an Abbreviature, us'd in divers Arts, and with divers Intentions. See ABBREVIATURE. Thus, Among Logicians, A is us'd to denote an universal Affirmative Proportion ; according to the Verse,
Asserit Ai negat E, verùm generaliter Ambæ.
Thus, in the first Mood, a Syllogism consisting of three universal Affirmative Propositions, is said to be Bar-ba-ra ; the A thrice repeated, denoting so many of the Proportions to be universal, &c. See MOON, BARBARA, &c.
Among the Romans, A was us'd in the giving of Votes, or Suffrages. When a new Law was proposed, each Voter had two wooden Ballets put in his Hand ; the one mark'd with a Capital A, signifying Antiquo, q. d. Anhquam volo ; and the other with V.R. for Uti rogas. Such as were against the Law passing, cast the first into the Urn, as who should say, I refuse it, I antiquate it ; or I like the antient Law, and desire no Innovation. See SUFFRAGE, CENTURY, &c.
In the Trials of Criminal Causes, the same Letter A denoted Absolution : whence Cicero, pro Milone, calls A, Littera salutaris, a Saving Letter. Three Ballots were distributed to each Judge, mark'd with the Letters, A for Absolvo, C for Condemno, and N. L. for Non Liquet, It is not clear. From the Number of each cast into the Urn, the Prætor pronoune'd the Prisoner's Fate. Is they were in equal number, he was absolv'd. See ABSOLUTION, CONDEMNATION, &c.
In the antient Inscriptions of Marbles, &c. A occasionally stands for Augustus, Ager, Aiunt, &c. When double, it denotes Augusti : and when triple Auro, Argento, Ære. Isidore adds, that when it occurs after the Word Miles, it denotes him young. See INSCRIPTION.
On the Reverse of antient Medals, A denotes 'em struck by the City Argot. And among the later Coins, the same Letter is the Mark of 'Paris. See MEDAL, COIN, MONEY, &c.
Among English Writers, A is ordinarily us'd for Anno, as A. D. Anno Domini ; for Artium, as A. M A. B. &c. See CHARACTER.
Among Physicians, a or aa, is us'd in Prescription for Ana ; to denote an equal Portion of divers Ingredients, whether in respect of Measure or Weight. See ANA.
Thus, R Sal. Volat. Oleos. Tinet. Croc. aa expresses Sal Volatile Oleosum, and Tincture of Sassron, of each half an Ounce.
The same ā or āā is also us'd in the like Sense, without expressing any limited Quantity or Weight : Thus, ā or āā P.Æ. denotes simply, equal Parts of the Ingredients there mention'd.
Lastly, among Chymists, AAA signify an Amalgama, or the Operation of Amalgamating. See AMALGAMATION.
ABACTOR, a barbarous Latin Word, retain'd in our Dictionaries as a Law-Term, tho never yet naturaliz'd, nor its Idea agreed on.
Literally, it imports the same with Abigeus, or as others write it, Abigevus, or Abigens ; form'd of Abigo, I drive away, q. d. a Driver of Cattle.
Technically, it is us'd to denote a Thief ; but with something particular in the manner of his Crime, to distinguish it from Furtum, or common Theft. 'Tis generally suppos'd to be one who steals, or drives off Cattel by Herds, or great Numbers : Thus Bracton, L. iii. c. 6. Si quis suem surripuit, fur erit ; & si quis gregem, Abigevus. See THEFT.
Others will have Abactors to be strictly those who drive off Cattel openly, and by main Force. In the former Sense, the Act of Abaction amounts to the Abigeat, and in the latter to the Rapina of the Civilians.
But the Distinction between Fur and Abactor has now no place among us.
So, among the antient Physicians, Abactus was us'd for a Miscarriage procur'd by Art, or sorce of Medicines ; in contradistinction to Aborsus, which is Natural. But the Moderns know no such distinction. See ABORTION.
ABACUS, among the Antients, was a kind of Cupboard, or Buffet. See BUFFET.
In this Sense Livy, describing the Luxury into which the Romans degenerated after the Conquest of Asia, says, They had their Abaci, Beds, &c. plated over with Gold. Dec. IV. Lib. ix.
The Word is Latin, but form'd from the Greek, άβαξ ; which among that People signify'd the same thing. Guichart goes higher : He derives άβαξ, from the Hebrew ךכא, extolli, to be elevated, rais'd ; and supposes its primary Signification to be a high Shelf, or other Convenience for things to be laid upon out of the way.
Abacus was particularly us'd among the Mathematicians, for a little Table strew'd o'er with Dust, on which they drew their Schemes and Figures. And hence the Abacus Pythagoricus, a Table of Numbers, contriv'dsor the ready learning of the Principles of Arithmetic ; denominated from its Inventor Pythagoras.
Hence also, from an Agreement in point of Use, the Karnes Abacus and Abaco, are us'd among the English and Italians for an Alphabet, or A B C, &c.
The Abacus Pythagoricus was, in all probability, no other than what we call Multiplication-Table. See TABLE.
Ludolsus and Wulsius give us Methods of performing Multiplication without the help of the Abacus; but they are too operose in ordinary Cases for Practice. See MULTIPLICATION.
ABACUS, in Architecture, is the uppermost Member of the Capital of a Column ; serving as a kind of Crowning, both to the Capital and the whole Column. See COLUMN.
Dr. Harris, and the rest of die Dictionary-Writers, make the Abacus to be the Capital it self ; which is altogether as just, as to make the Crown of the Head the whole Head. See CAPITAL, and CROWNING.
Vitruvius, and others after him, who give the History of the Orders, tell us, the Abacus was originally intended to represent a square Tile laid over an Urn, or rather over a Basket. An Athenian old Woman happening to place a Basket thus cover'd over the Root of an Acanthus ; that Plant shooting up the following Spring, encompass'd the Basket all around, till meeting with the Tile, it curl'd back in a kind of Scrolls. An ingenious Sculptor passing by, took the Hint, and imme- diately executed a Capital on this Plan 5 representing the Brick by the Abacus, the Leaves by the Volutes, and the Balket by the Vase, or Body of the Capital. Such was the Rise of the first regular Order. See ORDER, ACANTHUS, VOLUTE, CORINTHIAN, &c.
There is some difference in the Form of the Abacus in different Orders. In the Tuscan, "Doric, and antient Ionic, it is a flat, square Member, well enough representing its original Tile ; whence the French call it Tailloir, Trencher. See TUSCAN, DORIC, and IONIC.
In the richer Orders it has lost its native Form ; its four Sides, or Faces, being arch'd, or cut inwards ; with some Ornament, as a Rose, or other Flower, or Fishes Tail in the middle of each Arch. See CORINTHIAN, and COMPOSITE ; see also FLOWER, &c.
But some Architects take other Liberties in the Abacus, both in respect of its Name, Place, and Office. Thus, in the Tuscan Order, where it is the largest and most massive, as taking up one third of the height of the whole Capital, it is sometimes call'd the Die of the Capital.---- In the Doric 'tis not always the uppermost Member of the Capital ; a Cymatium being frequently placed over it.—--- In the Ionic, some make it a persect Ogee, and crown it with a Fillet. See DIE, CYMATIUM, OGEE, &c.
Add, that the Abacus is not constantly restrain'd to the Capital of the Column ; Scamozzi using the Name for a concave Moulding in the Capital of the Tuscan Pedestal. See PEDESTAL.
ABAFT, in the Sea Language, denotes the Stern, or Hind-part of a Vessel ; call'd also AFT. See AFT.
The Stern, strictly speaking, is only the Outside ; Abaft includes both inside and out. See STERN.
ABALIENATIO, in the Roman Law, is a Term scarce us'd in any Enlish Writer ; tho our Dictionaries would pass it for English. Indeed, it is not very common among the Latins. The usual Term among them was Alienatio ; and in our Language Alienation. See ALIENATION.
ABAPTISTON, or ANABAPTISTON, a Name antiently given to an Instrument in Chirurgery, by the modern Writers call'd Trepan, Modiolus, Terebra, Terebellum, and Trafine. See TREPAN, MODIOLUS, &c.
The Word is a mere Stranger in our Language. It seems to be one of those Exoticks imported by the Dictionaries ; and never taken notice of but by themselves.
ABARTICULATION, in Anatomy, is represented by Blanchard, and other Lexicographers after him, as synonymous with Diarthrosis : but the Definition they give of it, does not quadrate with that Notion.
"Abarticulation, or Dearticulation," say they, "is a good Constitution of the Bones, whereby they become dispos'd to move strongly and readily." But what this should mean, it were hard precisely to say. See DIARTHROSIS.
ABASING, literally denotes the taking a thing down, or bringing it lower.
In this Sense the Word is us'd at Sea ; where, to abase a Flag, is to lower, or take it in, as a Token of Submission and Inferiority. See FLAG.
By an Ordonnance of Philip II. King of Spain, the Captains are peremptorily enjoin'd, rather to perish than abase the Royal Flag.
ABASED, Abaisse, in Heraldry, is applied to the Vol, or Wings of Eagles, &c. when the Tip, or Angle looks downward toward the Point of the Shield ; or when the Wings are shut: The natural way of bearing 'em being spread, with the Tip pointing to the Chies, or the Angles. See VOL.
A Chevron, a Pale, Bend, &c. are also said to be abased when their Points terminate in, or below the Centre of the Shield. See CHEVRON, PALE, &c.
Again, an Ordinary is said to be abased, when below its due Situation. Thus, the Commanders of the Order of Malta, who have Chiefs in their own Arms, are oblig'd to abase 'em under those of the Religion.
