103. (1.) The circles, the hooks, the halving principle, the double-lengthing principle, etc., are used to furnish a body of word-signs peculiar to phrasing - signs which represent many of the leading words of the phrasing vocabulary, but which are not and cannot be used to represent such words when standing alone. A few of the very common and useful words for which in phrasing we provide briefer signs than the ordinary ones are, - will, represented by the I hook; are and our, represented by the r hook; own and one, represented by the n hook; it, had and would, repre-

Variation Of Outline

sented by halving the preceding stroke; their and they are, represented by making the preceding stroke double length, etc. Thus there arise a number of what may be called phrase word-signs.

104. (2.) In the use of these phrase word-signs, the word-forms to which they are applied or attached undergo frequently some change of outline. For instance, in the phrase at it, we make at half length to add it; and the two words merge or coalesce in such a way that both lose their distinctive forms. The stroke which before modification was one word loses its accustomed length and thereby becomes two words. So, when we attach their to have by making v double length, both words lose their original or •ordinary forms, and merge or coalesce into a single stroke.