OBS. 37.—­In the view of some writers, interrogative pronouns differ from relatives chiefly in this; that, as the subject referred to is unknown to the speaker, they do not relate to a preceding noun, but to something which is to be expressed in the answer to the question.  It is certain that their person, number, and gender, are not regulated by an antecedent noun; but by what the speaker supposes or knows of a subject which may, or may not, agree with them in these respects:  as, “What lies there?” Answer, “Two men asleep.”  Here what, standing for what thing, is of the third person, singular number, and neuter gender; but men, which is the term that answers to it, is of the third person, plural, masculine.  There is therefore no necessary agreement between the question and the answer, in any of those properties in which a pronoun usually agrees with its noun.  Yet some grammarians will have interrogatives to agree with these “subsequents,” as relatives agree with their antecedents.  The answer, it must be granted, commonly contains a noun, corresponding in some respects to the interrogative pronoun, and agreeing with it in case; but this noun cannot be supposed to control the interrogation, nor is it, in any sense, the word for which the pronoun stands.  For every pronoun must needs stand for something that is uttered or conceived by the same speaker; nor can any question be answered, until its meaning is understood.  Interrogative pronouns must therefore be explained as direct substitutes for such other terms as one might use in stead of them.  Thus who means what person?

   “Who taught that heav’n-directed spire to rise?
    The Man of Ross, each lisping babe replies.”—­Pope.

OBS. 38.—­In the classification of the pronouns, and indeed in the whole treatment of them, almost all our English grammars are miserably faulty, as well as greatly at variance.  In some forty or fifty, which I have examined on this point, the few words which constitute this part of speech, have more than twenty different modes of distribution. (1.) Cardell says, “There is but one kind of pronouns”—­Elements of Gram., p. 30. (2.) D. Adam’s, Greenleaf, Nutting, and Weld, will have two kinds; “personal and relative.” (3.) Dr. Webster’s “Substitutes, or pronouns, are of two kinds:”  the one, “called personal;” the other, without name or number.  See his Improved Gram., p. 24. (4.) Many have fixed upon three sorts; “personal, relative, and adjective;” with a subdivision of the last.  Of these is Lindley Murray, in his late editions, with his amenders, Ainsworth, Alger, Bacon, Bullions, Fisk, A. Flint, Frost, Guy, Hall, Kirkham, Lennie, Merchant, Picket, Pond, and S. Putnam. (5.) Kirkham, however, changes the order of the classes; thus, “personal, adjective, and relative;” and, with ridiculous absurdity,