Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-01-28
AIS
PhilOIogicaI Matters.

DegenerHcy of style is a growing evil
among the present race of literary men.-
| FastidiOusness in composition may be car
ried to an extreme, aud then il becomes
grave fault; bat carclessness is q much
greater fault, because it leads to more seri-
GUS consequences. We have occasionally
published communications from cores
pondents pointing out the use of words
that are not English, as well as the misuse
of words that are English, in the belief
that well considered structures on those
subjects will tend to induce Il reformation
of the designated errors. Experience, how
er shows that the remedy is very stotr in
its operation.
For example, we have of ourselves, or
through orr correspondents, shown that
predicate does not mean 10 found: that
couple IS not the synonym of ttrO +; that de-
mean does not mean dcbdse +: that pdraphrr-
Hdfid does not mean ornaments or apenda-
ges generally; that stand point does not
mean point of view; that ':orer his sig
nature is silly attempt at accuracy; that
either and neither can properly be applied
to bW t,co objects that the added to
6ackwdrd, .f0rwdri, dfterWdrG, totcard, &c,
is vulgarism; that ''our mutual friend" is
ten times more Il vulgarsm that beside
should never be used as an adverb that
the phrase "3ir. White and lazy is n very
coarse Americauism that the addition of
eSS to such words az director, manager,
'rGitcr, should be prescribed by all who
abhor an aticctaton of prettiness and pre-
cision; and so forth, and so forth, and so
forth. Yet we do not find that these and
many kindred nuisGnces are perccptibly
abatcd. Perhaps they never will be aba
ted, although i; remains a mystery to US
how any man of cultivation, after seeing
cda persist in his error.
We have in our mind, at this moment,
another word that is constantly misuscd,
even by good writcrsi namely, d3aPiddie.
This word comes directly from the latin
Glapia0, that being Il compound of al and
iapidO; and it seems strange that any one
can know even so much of the origin of
the word and yet misapprchend its exact
and restricted significance. The latin pre-
fix III is equivalent to the English prefix de
or dis; as cover, discover; populate, de-
populate; and thus, IapiEo is to stoHe, and
dHap;dO to U3st0as, or de-stone. Tie
meaning, therefore, of dRCpiddfe is exactly
and exclusively the falling down or throw
ing down of something-a wall, or
building, of any kind-maGe Of stone
Anything constructed or made of materials
other than stone, may be destroyed, or in
jurcd, or deCayed but it cannot bc dilapi-
dated. For instance, n dilapidated boot is
one OF the absurdilies involved in the
misuse of this word; and one might as
we'll speak of employing a iIPidary to
mend his Jooi, as of his dilnpidatcd boot.
Again, consequence is now perpetuHlly
used rs the SynOnyme of importance, al
though there is little, il anything, IN CONF
mon between the two words. Consequence
signifies strict sequences, things that fol-
of
without any reference to following. The
familiar phrase, ats of no consequence"
is always wrong. And, again, the verb
IedVe is coming into constant use as an in
trnnsitive verb, as: sBrown WAS advised
to leare instantly" "White Icft yesterday"
al shall Icare Tomorrow &c. The word
reason is frequently complicated with be-
coWse, as, 'the reason for this is, because
John" did SO and so, instead of ti"t John
did so and so.
Now, we do not deny that there is an
abundance of precedent for the above
mentioned and many similar errors; and
VIC admit that, under certain reservations,
the usage of good writers is the common
law of language But we make distinc-
ton between innovations that are founded
on pathological principles, or arc introdn-
ced to supply the necessities OF language
on the one hand; and, on the other, those
that originate in ignorance. or misappre-
hension, and are officiously thrust into pla-
ccs already better occupied by Legitimate
words. we have many instances in Eng
Iish of secondary meanings which have
superseded primary Specification, by the
rule of necessity. For example, esteem, re-
gard, respect confederation, which originally
all had q transitivc use rs verbs, and as
such were nearly synonymous, have now,
rs nouns, an intrnr siiivc sense which tnc-
itly includes something understood and
that understood something renders them
also nearly synonymous. But it is to be
observed that the language ,raRted those
words in their present secondary signifca-
ton, because the language had no prima-
ry word that occupied their place; whereas
the words couple, dencan, predicate, Sc,
as misuSed, are not only perverted from
their true Specifications but are obtrudcd
into places not vacant and where they are
not wanted.
Our conclusion is, that while innova-
tions may be made in those cases where the
necessities Of the language require them,
they should he restricted to such necessity
and the burden of proving the necessity
should rest on him who introduces them.
The columns of daily newspaper are
not the place VIC should choose for the
practice of accurate writing, and there, If
anywhere, Inaccuracies arc exeusahle; nor,
perhaps, are such columns the most fitting
place for pathological criticism, because
ncople .read the papers" for news rather
than for Literature: bUt the thing is in our
minds, and we have no time to seek anoth-
er medium. Those who have something
to learn in the premises, need not hattcr
themselves that they have not hccn duly
served" with this notice, on the ground
that they did not look for 1t here!
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