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SYR
without making a Shew of the Riches thereof, or heaping Synonyma's on Synonymy's.
But, tho' Synonymous Words be laudable, Synonymous Phrafes are inexculabie : The Reafon is, that two Synony- mous Phtafes keep the Mind at Reft, and let it flag and languifh.
SYNONYMY, in Rhetoric, a Figure whereby Synony- ma's, or Synonymous Terms, that is, various Words of the fame Signification, are made Ufe of to amplify the Difcourfe.
As abiit, evafit, effugit, he went off, he efcap'n, he run away.
The Word is form'd from the Greek, »V, with, and o«fi®-, Name.
SYNOVIA, in Medicine, a Term ufed by fome Authors for the nutritious Juice proper to each Part. See Nutri- tion. c
Others ufe it for the Gout, and other Difeafes arifing from a Vice in the nuttitious Juice.
Others reftrain it to the oozing out of the nutritious Juice thite' the wounded Parts.
Van Helmont defines it a kind of tranfparent Mucilage, like Seed, fiich as iffues from the Legs of a Calf upon cut- ting off the Feet.
SYNTAGMA, a difpofing, or placing of Things in an orderly Manner.
The Word is Greek, ovvTayivt..
SYNTAX, in Grammar, the Conftruflion or Conneflion of the Words of a Language into Sentences, or Phrafes. See Word, Sentence, Phrase, &c.
Or, as F. Sonffier more accurately defines it, Syntax is the Manner of constructing one Word with another, with regard to the different Terminations thereof, prefcrib'd by the Rules of Grammar. See Construction and Grammar.
Some Authors, as N.Vaugelas,&c. confoundit with Style; but there is a real Difference, See Style.
The Office of Syntax, is to confider the natural Suitable- ness of Words with refpefl to one another ; in order to make them agree in Gender, Number, Perfon, Mood, gjc.
To offend in any of thefe Points, is call'd to offend againft Syntax : and fuch kind of Offence, when grofs, is call'd a Solecifm; and when more flight, a 'Barbarifm. See Solecism and Barbarism.
The feveral Parts of Speech, ate, with regard to Lan- guage, what Materials are with regard to a Building. How well prepar'd foever they may be, they will never make a Houfe, unlets they be plac'd confotmably to the Rules of Architeflure. 'Tis the Syntax, then, that properly gives the Form to the Language ; and 'tis this makes the moft efien- tial Part of Grammar.
There are two Kinds of Syntax ; the one of Concord, wherein the Words are to agree in Gender, Number, Cafe, and Perfon. See Concord.
The other, of Regimen or Government, wherein one Word governs another, and occafions lome Variation therein. See Regimen. , •
The firlt, generally fpeaking, is the fame in all Lan- guages, as being the natural Series of what is in Ufe almoft every where, the better to diftinguifh Difcourle. Thus, the Diftinflion of two Numbers, Singular and Plural, has render'd it neceffary to make the Subftantive agree with the Adjeflive in Number ; that is, to make the one Angular or plural, when the other is lb : For, as the Subftantive JS the Subject confufedly, tho' direflly, mark'd by the Ad- jeflive ; if the Subftantive exprefs feveral, there are feveral Subjcfls to be exprefs'd in that Form by the Adjeflive : And by Confequcnce it ought to be in the Plural ; as Homines <DoBi, learned Men : But there being no Termination in the Adjeflive in Etglifl to diftinguifh the Number, it is only impiy'd. See Number.
The Diftinflion of Mafculine and Feminine Gender, obliges the Languages, which have diftinfl Terminations, to have a Concordance or Agreement between the Subftan- tive and Adjeflive, in Gender as well as Number : And for the fame Realbn, the Verbs are to agree with the Nouns and Pronouns in Number and Perfon. If at any Time we meet with any thing that feems to contradifl thefe Rules, 'tis by a Figure of Speech, i. e. by having fome Word underftood, or by considering the Thoughts rather than the Words themfelves. See Gender.
The Syntax of Government, on the contrary, is generally arbitrary ; and, on that Account, differs in moft Languages. One Language, for Inftance, forms their Regimen by Cafes; as theZ««'» and Greek- others ufe particles in lien thereof ; as the I'.nglifh, French, Italian, Sfanifti, &c. See Case and Particle.
One or two general Rules, however, may be here noted, which are of Ufe in all Languages. _ i°. That there is no Nominative Cafe, but has a Relation to fome Verb, either exprefs'd or underftond ; fince we never fpeak merely to exprefs what we conceive, but to exprefs what we think
of what we conceive, which is done by the Verb. Sec Nominative.
2 Q . That there is no Verb but has its Nominative Cafe either exprefs'd or underftood ; for the Offue ot tue Verb being to affirm, there mull be iomething to affirm of. which is the Subject or Nominative Cafe of the Verb ; tho' before an Infinitive 'tis an Acculative ; as Scio'Petrum'eJfe doSum I know Peter to be learned. See Verb.
3°. That there is no Adjective but has a Relation to fome Subftantive ; in tegard the Adjeflive marks confuledly the Subftantive, which is the Subjefl of the Form or Quality diftinflly mark'd by the Adjeflive. See Adj ective.
4 . That there never comes any Genitive Caic but is govern'd by fome other Noun. See Genitive.
5°. The Government of Verbs is frequently taken from various Sorts of References, included in the Cafes, accord- ing to the Caprice of Cuflom or Ufage ; which yet does not change the Specific Relation of each Cafe, but only thews that Cuftom has made Choice of this or that. Thus, the Latins fay, Ju-vare aliquem ££ opitulari alicui ; the French, Servire quelqu wi & jervir a quelque chofe ; and in the Spanip, the Generality of Verbs govern indifferently a Dative and an Accufative Cafe.
SYNTECTOE, in Medicine, a kind of Colliquation of the Solids of the Body ; fuch as frequently happens in In- flammations of the Bowels , Colliquative Fevers, £cfc. wherein a fatty Uliginous is voided with the Excrements by Stool. See Colliquation.
SYNTHESIS, the Compofitim or putting of feveral Things together ; as the making a compound Medicine of feveral fimple Ingredients, &c.
The Word is form'd from the Greek uvv, with, and Qiju, pojitio.
Synthesis, in Logic, E5c. a Branch of Method, oppofite to Analyfis. See Method.
In the Synthefis, or Synthetic Method, we purfue the Truth by Reaibns drawn from Principles before eftablifh'd or affum'd, and Propositions formerly proved ; thus proceeding by a regular Chain, till we come to the Conclufion.
Such is the Method in Euclid's Elements, and moft De- monftrations of the ancient Mathematicians ; which pro- ceed from Definitions and Axioms, to prove Propofitions, &c. and from thofe Propofitions proved, to prove others.
This Method we alfb call Compofitim, in opposition to Analyjis, which we call R.efolution. See Composition.
Synthesis, in Grammar. See Syllepsis.
Synthesis, in Chirurgery, an Operation, whereby di- vided Parts are re-united ; as in Wounds, Fraflures, cifc.
SYNUSIASTS, orSYNOSIASTS, a Sefl of Hereticks, who maintain'd, that there was but one fingle Nature, and one fingle Subftance in JefllS Gorift.
The Synufiajls denied, that the Wotd had taken a Body in the Womb of the Virgin ; but held, that a Part of the divine Word being detach'd from the reft, was there changed into Flefh and Blood. Thus they taught, that Jefus Chrifi was confubftantial to the Father, not only as to his Divinity, but even as to his Humanity and his Body.
The Word is form'd from the Greek, cruV, with, and W\&, Subftance.
SYPHILIS, is a Term ufed for the Lues Venerea. See Venereal.
Some will have it from civ, cum, with, and fihU, Amor, or Amicitia, Love or Friendfhip ; becaufe it proceeds from the infeflious Intercourfes of Lovers in Coition. Others will have it from the Name of a Shepherd fo called, who was remarkably afflifled with it.
However, fome Authors of Note ufe the Term ; and Fracaforius a famous Italian Phyfician, gives it for the Title of a fine Poem, which he wrote upon that Diftemper.
SYPHON. See Siphon.
SYRENS, SIRENES, in Antiquity, Mermaids, or certain fabulous Beings, reprefented by Ovid, cifc. as Sea-monfters, with Womens Faces and Fifties Tails; by others, deck'd with a Plumage of the gayeft Colours.
They are luppoled to have been the Three Daughters of the River Achelous ; and call'd 'partlenepe, Ligea, and Leucofa.
Homer only makes mention of Two Syrens ; but others reckon Five. Virgil places them on Rocks, whete VefTels are in danger of fplitting. 'Pliny makes them inhabit the Pro- montory of Minerva, near the liland Caprea. Others fix them in Sicily, near Cafe felonts. Claudian fays, they inhabited harmonious Rocks ; that they were charming Monfters; and that Sailors were wreck'd on their Rocks without Regret, ana even expir'd in Raptures: Duke malum 'Pelago Siren.
This Defcription is, doubtlefs, founded on a literal E x ~ plication of the Fable, that they were Women who inha- bited the Shores of Sicily, and who, by all the Allurements of Pleafure, ftopp'd Paffengers, and made 'hem forget their Courfe. Some Explainers of the ancienr Fables, will have the Number and the Names of the Three Syrens, to have been form'd on the Triple Pleafure of the Senfes, Wi*. L Love
