NAI
(6ii)
NAI
N.
NA Liquid Confonant, and the i ;th Letter of the Greek, Latin, Englifi,t£c. Alphabets. See J Letter and Alphabet.
The N is a d, pafs'd thro' the Nofe 5 fo that when the Nofe is flopped by a Cold, or the like, 'tis ufual to pronounce d for ». M. VAhbe it Dangeau obferves, that in the French, the n is frequently a meer Nafal Vowel, without any thing of the Sound of a Confonant in it. He calls it the Sclavonic Vowel.
The Hebrews call their N Nim, which fignifies Son, as being fuppofed the Offspring of M ; partly on account of the refemblance of Sound, and partly on that of the Fi- gure. Thus from the M, by omitting the laft Column, is form'd N; and thus from the Capital JV, by omitting the firft Column, is form'd the Greek Mimfcule v. Hence for Biennius, $3c. the Latins frequently ufe Bimus, &c. And the Greek v at the end of a Word, they convert into an m 5 as 9cLtf*-ax ov , Pharmacum, &c.
N before^, b, and m, they change into m, and frequent- ly into I and r, as in-ludo, illudo y in-rigo, irrigo, $$ c . In which they agree with the Hebrews, who, in lieu of Nan, frequently double the following Confonant ; and the Greeks, who do the fame, as when for Manlius, they write uafow, t$c.
The Greeks alfo, before a, y, X, t', changed the v into y : in which they were followed by the antient Romans, who for Angulus wrote Aggulus ; for anceps, agceps, &c.
The Latins retrench the » from Greek Nouns ending in uv ; as Kim, Leo ; fgimr, Draco. On the contrary,' the Greeks add it to the Latin ones ending in ; as narmv.
JV, among the Antients, was a Numeral Letter, fignify- ing 90c ; according to the Verfe in Baronias,
N, quoque Nongintos numero defignat habendos.
And when a Line was ftruck over it, JV, Nine Thoufand.
Among the antient Lawyers, JV. L. flood for Non Liquet, i. e. the Caufe is not clear enough to pafs Sentence upon.
N°, in Commerce, ££c. is ufed as an Abbreviation of Numero, Number. Thus alfo in Medicine, Caryophyllorum, N Q vi. Signifies fix Cloves.
NABONASSAR, in Chronology. The JEra of Naeo- nassar is famous. We know but little of the Hiflory of the Man ; only that he was King of Babylon, and was alfo call'd Eeltfus , tho' fome will have |him the Baladan men- tion'd in lj'aiah xxxix. I. and 1 Kingsxx. 11. Some even conjecture that he was a Mcde 5 and that he was fet on the Throne by the Babylonians, upon their riling and making off the Subjection of the Medes.
The Beginning of this Prince's Reign is of great Impor- tance in Chronology ; by reaion Ptolemy allures us, there were Aflronomical Obfervations made by the Chaldeans from Nabonaffar to his Time : and Ptolemy, and the other Aflronomers, account their Years from that Epocha.
From the Obfervations quoted by Ptolemy, it follows, that the firfl Year of this JEra is the 747th Year before Jefus Chrift 5 and the 3957th of the Julian Period. See Epocha.
The Years of this Epocha are Egyptian Years, of 3^5 Days each ; commencing on the 26th of February, and rec- kon'd, according to the Computation of Aflronomers, from Noon. See Year.
NADIR, in Aflronomy, the Point oppofite to the Ze- nith ; /. e. that Point directly under our feet ; or a Point in a right Line drawn from our Feet thro' the Center of the Earth, and terminating in the Under-Hemifphere. See Zenith.
The Zenith and Nadir are the two Poles of the Hotizon, each qo° diftant from it, confequemly each in the Meri- dian. See Horizon.
The Word Nadir is pure Arabic.
The Sun's Nadir, is the Axis of the Cone projected by the Shadow of the Earth ; thus call'd, in regard that Axis being prolonged, gives a Point in the Ecliptic diametrically oppofite to the Sun.
NJEVI, in the Animal Oeconomy, Marks made on the Fxttts by the Imagination of the Mother, in longing for any thing.
Seethefe accounted for under the Article Monster. See alfo Foetus and Imagination.
NAIANT, orNATANT, that is, Swimming 5 a Term in Heraldry, ufed in the blazoning of Fifhes, when drawn in an Horizontal Pollute, Fefs-wife, or tranfverfely, a-crofs the Efcutcheon ; that being their Swimming Poflure. See Fishes.
NAIDS, or Naides, a fort of Heathen Divinities ftmi poled to prefide over Fountains and Rivers. See Cod ' Stra - 1 to fays, the Naids were Prietteffes of Bacchus.
The Word comes from the Greek vim, to Hide, or vzhip to abide, inhabit. 9
NAILING of Cannon, the driving of a JVa<7, or Iron Spike, by force, into the Touch-hole of a Piece of Artil- lery ; fo as to render it ufelefs to the Enemy. See Can- non.
NAILS, in the Animal Body, a kind of horny Excref- cences, growing over the Ends of the Fingers and Toes of Men, and feveral other Animals ; much of the fame na- tute with the Hoofs of others. Hoofs being nothing elfe but a Number of fmall Husks, anfwering to fo many FapilU of the Skin ; it may be concluded, that Nails are no more but the Covers, or Sheaths of the PapiiU Pyrami- ds of the Skin, on the Extremities of the Fingers and Toes, woich dry, harden, and lie upon one another See Papilxje
Their Ufe is to defend the Ends of the Fingers in hand- ling any hard and rugged Bodies ; that Part being exceed- ingly fenfible, by reafon of the great Number of Nerves which terminate here for the Senfation of Feeling See Feeling.
The Nails ate form'd, and grow after the fame manner as the reft of the Body 5 their Nourifhment they receive from their Roots, as is eafily obrervable from the white Specks fometimes Teen on them, and which conflantly re- cede from the Root.
The Romans were very curious in the Cutting of their Nails, and had it done by Artiiis, who made an Emnlov- roent of it. * 3
The Chinefe Doctors and Litterati pique themfelves on the exceflive Length of their Nails. F. le Compte fays, fome of them wear Nails near as long as their Fingers. See Cir- cumcision.
NAILS in Building, £>c. are little Metalline Members ferving to bind or fallen the Parts together, fife.
The feveral Kinds of Nails are very numerous. As Back and Bottom Nails ; made with flat Shanks to hold faft and not open the Wood : Clamp Nails, thofe proper to fallen the Clamps in Buildings, fSc. Clafp Nails, whofq Heads clafping and flicking into the Wood, render the Work fmooth, fo as to admit a Plane over it : They are of two Kinds, nia. long, ptoper for fine Buildings of Fir, £2?c. and Jirong, fit for Oak, and other hard Wood. Clench Nails, thofe ufed by Boat, Barge, ($c. Builders ; proper for board- ed^ Buildings, that are to be taken down, becaufe they will drive without fplitting, and draw without breaking. Clout Nails, thofe ordinarily ufed for nailing on of cfouts to Axle-Trees. DeckNails, thofe proper for faflning of Decks in Ships, doubling of Shipping, and Floors laid with Planks. Dog Nails, proper for fattening of Hinges to Doors, g?c. Flat Points are of two kinds, viz. Longs, much ufed in Shipping, and proper where there is occafion to draw, and hold fall, yet no neceffity of Clenching. Jobent Neils, thofe commonly ufed to nail thin Plates of Iron to Wood. Le?.d Nails, ufed to nail Lead, Leather and Canvas to hard Wood. Port rto'/j.commonlyufed to nail Hinges to the Porn of Ships. Pound Nails, are four-fquare in the Shank ; much ufed in Norfolk, Suffolk and Effix, tho' fcarce elfewhere, except for paling. Ribbing Nails, ufed to fallen the Ribbing, to keep the Ribs of Ships in iheir place in Building. Rofe Nails, are drawn four fquare in the Shank, and commonly in a round Tool. Rather Nails, chiefly ufed to fallen Rother- Irons to Ships. Round-head Nails, proper to fallen in Hin- ges, or other Ufes, where a neat Head is required. Scupper Nails, much ufed to fallen Leather and Canvas to Wood. Sharp Nails, much ufed, efpecially in the Weft-Indies, made with fharp Points, and flat Shanks. Sheething Nails, ufed to fallen Sheething-Boards to Ships: the Rule for their Length, is to have them full three times as long as the Board is thick. Square Nails, of the fame Shape as Jharp Nails, chiefly ufed for bird Woods. Tacks, the fmalleft of Nails, are to fallen Paper to Wood ; Middling, for Wool- Cards and Oars ; Larger, for Upholflerers, and Pumps.
In Lathing, 500 Nails are ordinarily allowed to a Bundle of five-foot Laths. Im Flooting, 200, i. e. 240 are allowed for a Square of Flooring.
Nails are faid to be toughened, when too brittle, by heating them in a F ire-Shovel, and putting fome Tallow or Greafe among therrt.
Nail is alfo a fort of Long Meafure, chiefly ufed in the Commerce of Clorhs; containing the iSth Part of a Yard. See Yard and M.easure.
7 R NAI-
