Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-12-14
IrInrnIr on rrIzoorY.

just criticizm should always be
taken as favor. But those who criti-
cine the language Of others ought TO
be very cautions, especially in such q
tongue as the English. Words, which,
according to their derivation ought to
mean one thing, so often mean some.
thing very different, that we cannot be
certain Of our correctness, until, in adj
dition to knowing the origin ola word,
we also know its history up to the
presenttime and whatever causes may
have operated to produce change in its
meaning. Take the word CANDLE
STICK, for example. II originally
meant stick, or piece Of wood, one
end of which was made to hold can
die, and the other our rude Saxon an
cestors drove into the earthen floors
of their huts. Then it was a stick
Now it means any sort of contrivance,
whether of brass, tin, glass or porcc-
lain, made to hold a candle. A piece
of brass or tin made into certain
shape for holding candle, is no more
a candle-stick, than the horse disease
is an epidemic. Still good writers
and speakers will, without hesitation,
call thata candle-stick which is not a
stick atall. A CHANDELIER does not
only hold candles, as its etymology
suggests. but also oil lamps and gas
lights. That is, it is candle holder
which frequently does not hold can
dies, but generally something else.
Again, the word PREVENT two hun
dred years ago signifod to come, or so,
before because it was derived from
the Latin word which meant to
come before. 1t now means to hinder,
or obstruct, and in its old English
sense is no longer used. An epidemic
is, according to its etymology, a gener-
al disease affecting persons, not
horses. But we will give few reasons
why the present distemper among
horses should be called an epidemic.
|. The word EPIDEMIC is understood
by the people generally to mean prev
alent disease of any kind. The pco-
pie frequently say, an epidemic among
fowls, sheep or hogs, ss the case may
be. And the people, not the scholars,
mold language.
9. The word EpIzooTY has been,
until lately, so rarely used as to be al
most like foreign word to the PEG
pies ears. And it does not mean a
disease of horses only, but of any Of
the lower animals. 1t means an ami
NAL pestilence. and not a horse dis
temper. If there il anything, to be
gained by forming new words, we
might suggest EPIHIPPIC.
3. While it may not be etymologi-
cally correct to call this disease an ep-
demic, and thus class the horse with
man; it is injustice to the noble horse
to call it epizooty, and, in that way,
class him with hogs, dogs, sheep, &c.
4. Upon the the same principle that
it is considered erroneous to call a
pestilence among horses an epidemic,
we must also find some other name for
steel pens. For the word PEN is from
the Latin PENNA, n feather or quill.
Likewise we must not say that cotton
cloth made by machinery is mlnutac;
tured; because that word is derived
from the Latin MASUs, a hand and
FAcruRA, a making. In this way we
might go on pointing out words, to the
number of several hundred, that are
constantly and commonly usel to ex-
press ideas very different from what
was signifed by the words from which
they were derived.
.