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It is not only important, but, in a degree necessary, that the people of this country, should have an American Dictionary of the English language; for, although the body of the language is the same as in England, and it is desirable to perpetuate that sameness, yet some differences must exist. Language is the expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language. |
TEM'PERAMENT, n. [L. temperamentum.]
Internal constitution;
state with respect to the relative proportion of different qualities, or
constituent parts.
The common law . . . has reduced the kingdom to its just state and temperament. Sir M. Hale. Due mixture of qualities; a condition brought
about by mutual compromises or concessions.
[Obs.]
However, I forejudge not any probable expedient, any temperament that can be found in things of this nature, so disputable on their side. Milton. The act of tempering or modifying; adjustment,
as of clashing rules, interests, passions, or the like; also, the means by
which such adjustment is effected.
Wholesome temperaments of the rashness of popular assemblies. Sir J. Mackintosh. Condition with regard to heat or cold;
temperature.
[Obs.]
Bodies are denominated "hot" and "cold" in proportion to the present temperament of that part of our body to which they are applied. Locke. A system of compromises in the
tuning of organs, pianofortes, and the like, whereby the tones generated
with the vibrations of a ground tone are mutually modified and in part
canceled, until their number reduced to the actual practicable scale of
twelve tones to the octave. This scale, although in so far artificial, is
yet closely suggestive of its origin in nature, and this system of tuning,
although not mathematically true, yet satisfies the ear, while it has the
convenience that the same twelve fixed tones answer for every key or scale,
C***sharp] becoming identical with D***flat], and so on.
The peculiar physical and
mental character of an individual, in olden times erroneously supposed to
be due to individual variation in the relations and proportions of the
constituent parts of the body, especially of the fluids, as the bile,
blood, lymph, etc. Hence the phrases, bilious or choleric
temperament, sanguine temperament, etc., implying a
predominance of one of these fluids and a corresponding influence on the
temperament.
Equal temperament (Mus.), that in which the variations from mathematically true pitch are distributed among all the keys alike. -- Unequal temperament (Mus.), that in which the variations are thrown into the keys least used. | ||||||||