True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-07-30

slight Of hand performances, that alIude
the eye. 1t is now properly used to sigr
nifty great deeds, or splendid achievements
that impose on the mind Of the spectator,
and lead him to anticipate something still
greater. just as the wonderful tricks of
the conjurer astonish one, and make him
cry, "What NEXT" Thus we speak Of
the prestige Of splendid deeds-the pres
tige Of success. indicating the mental ILL.,
usiOn created by these things, and the
tendency to consider them the harbingers
or pledges Of something more. liza wri-
ter speak of a nation as having ''loSt its
prestige" we may doubt whether he
knows the true import Of the word. To
test it, let him substitute the definition for
the word, and see if il conveys his idea.
Mutual is very common word that
everybody seems 10 know the meaning
of, and yet it is often used improperly,
1t comes Immediately from the Latin ad
jective mutuus, which, again, is from the
verb mutO. Ito change by taking or Civ.
ing one Thing for another, to exchange" "
Now This implies strictly two parties, and
no more. Mutual affection, therefore. or
mutual friendship. whele e affection or love
is reciprocally inierchanged, is strictly
proper. But it is not proper or one par
~ speaking TO another 10 call a third par.
ty "our mutual friend" From the ely.
molOgy Of the word it is clear that this is
an in:orrect use of the word. "Our CON-
mon friend" is the proper phrase. Mac
aulay, in one of his reviews, calls a,ten.
ton to this very common yet manifest i'm
prOpriely.
Hiatus is properly a Latin word der.
ived from the Greek, and signifies an
apertue, chasm, or gap. In proSody it
designates the concur ence Of two vowels
in successive words or syllables, which
prolongs The opening Of the Ii s in utter.
ing The sound, OccasiOning difficulty in
enuncislion. 1t is sometimes used very
correctly to signifya gap or ckasm in a
composition, or in historical narrative
But i. is also incorrectly used in moral or
religious writings. Some speak Of a hia-
tus between man and God. This is sheel
bombast or fusiian.
Identity and identiea! are often used
incorrectly. Properly they indicate samc-
ness They, come 10 US through the
French identits. which is from the Latin
identitas, from idem, the same. Identi
ty, then, means simply sameness, anc
the Identical man, The identical body
mean the same man, the same body. L
am not mistaken, we hear the words
used in q very diferen sense. Thu:
identity Of character is sometimes used
for peculiarly or individuality or charac
ter, and the identical thing in place ofthe
exac, thing. or the suitable or fitting ar
,ice. "'lhe very identical" is sometime.
vulgarly used in the same way.
Predicate is another very good word of
ten put 10 illegilimate uses, even by goot
scholars. Derived from the Latin prae'
dico, it properly means 10 affirm some
thing of another. Hence tie noun predi
cate is used in logic to designate that par
of a proposition in which something il
affirmed (Dredicated) Of the subject. IL
is" says Webster, after giving the definl
lion Of the word, ii, is a great, hut com
mon error 10 give this word the sense o
found, as, to predicate an argument OIL
certain principles" Tins when wri
ter says, "isispredicated on the princi pie,
we may safely predicate Of him that he i
not well versed in ct mology.
Verbiags is word often misappVed
The verblage Of the resolution, Of tn
speech. ETC., is frequently heard, and M
unfrequently seen in writing, and The ex
preston may often be appropriate enough
though no: just in the sense intended
The worlds originally from the Latin, viz
verba, words, and agere, to make bu, i
|. does not mean TO DO into words or TO ex
press in language. 1t means simply t
: make words, and means the same as vel
bose, or wordy. II comes to us throug
the French, and is, in fact. purely Frenc
word transferred. In the French dit
tionary, usrbiage is defined idle word:
empty, frothy discourse. In accorlanc
with this, Webster gives "verbiage, (Fr.
verbOsi y; use ofmanr words withou ne
cessity superabundance of words.
. Johnson does not give the word at al
D Richardson gives it, and illustrates it b
r a citation from Warburton that CORES
ponds to Webster's definition. In thu
, capital book. Oswald's "Etymologic;
, Dictionary" edited by that admiral
' and much lamented man, who died b.
r fore his true vaue was adequately know
d (Dr John r. Keagy,) the definition
/. tie same Verboseness, verbusity Il
. use cf many words without necessity
r super,buntance Of words. We ha,
n dwclt the longer on this because we lhir
@ some will find it difficult TO adjust the
s minds 10 an unaccus.omed meaning.
Iclose with noticing a word that is cor
n ing into use, whether in light OF serio,
e writing, in new or very general sens
% The word pony is now often applied %
e horse with discrimination though perha
:, mostly used to designate riding or sa
IS dle.hOrss This would quite mslead
\, Brton, who never uses it to signify
.. horse under the common size. such
!, are mostly kept for children Johnson al
d. Richardson both give the word, and d
IS fine it small horse, and suppose | 8 de
as vation is from puny, small. Webs
n, defines it small horse, but says nothi
,e Of the derivation. II is certainly desi
~ bio 10 be uniform in our use Of wol
n. otherwise we shall fail 10 he understo,