An introductory text-book of logic - Mellone, Sydney - Rare Books at ...

AND THE LAWS OF THOUGHT. 35
plural : "a coat of 1
many colours ; "different sizes may
be had." And it is true even when the term is used in
a purely abstract sense: "colour
(i.e.,
colouredness in
general), extension, density, are properties of bodies";
"
red is the complementary colour to green" Abstract
terms of this kind have no plural ; and hence the
connotation and denotation coincide.
It is said, again, that proper names have no connota
tion. This question does not concern singular names,
in all of which the two sides can be distinguished.
Many of them are specially connotative :
"
the honour
able member who brought forward the present motion."
Setting these aside,
we hear a proper name mentioned by itself, in detach
it is not to be denied that when
ment from a proposition, then (a) it gives us no informa
tion as to the qualities or characteristics of the person or
place, unless we are acquainted with him or it already;
names like Dartmouth, Oxford, which signify particular
situations, and personal names which are supposed
originally to have signified the occupation of the in
dividual bearing them, have long ceased to have any
such meaning, (b) And when we know the qualities,
&c., of the individual denoted, then when the proper
name is changed, the new name tells us nothing dif
contrast this with what
ferent from the 1 old : we may
is signified by changing the name of a thing from
"vegetable"
to "animal."
(c)
Also it is the fact that
the proper name is, as a rule, not given in order to
signify any attributes ; in the case of a child, it could
not be meant to signify attributes which are mostly
developed after the name is given. Hence we are
told that the name comes to suggest a number of these
1 The case of a woman changing her name on marriage seems the
only important exception.