The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-09-19
For the Citizen.
GOOD ENGLISH.
copious in Expression, and Abound
ing in Happy Signifcanoes, Yet
Few Can Speak or Write It
Correctly.

EDITOR CITIZEN -. >. . cOmmu-
nication in recent issue of the CIR
IzEN calling attention 20 hagrant
and common misuse, or rather
abuse Of language, w0s read with
much pleasure II is thought by
great many that il Is quite an easy
task TO write and speak good En-
glish. make no unguardod asser.
tion when say that not one in ten
can write "A page of pure English.
i mean tested under the rules
and formulas even ordinarily
taught in our schools. The Ian
guage we speak il one OF the
richest, both in words and their sig
nIGcation. The words OF our
tongue take TO themselves a variety
of shades OF meaning-happy, half
hidden and keen signihcances, max
ing the language wonderfully copi-
Gus in what is called expression.
Yet there are in IL few Bynonims.
mean few words that can be used
strictly as such. One half Of us
would be very much surprised at
the meager vocabulary with which
we are individually supplied. Tho
entire stock OF the ordinary man,
unlettered, rarely eve- exceeds 800.
Edward Everett. called the Addison
Of America, is said to have written
those models Of good English, his
orations, employing less than 5000
words. Compare this with the
number we have ia the Ian
guage, $4,000, and you have my
idea. Hence, having 20 few syno
nyms, aud individually such a pau-
city Of words, great many are
compelled 90 use the same words 10
express entirely different meanings,
and IL is only cOnyentionality that
makes us understood. One source,
then. of the great abuse Of lam
guage. Furnishing ourselves with
few illustrations we can probably
sec the matter palmer. Take the
word differ. Not one In twenty
would pause for choice between
differ, disagree, vary or dissent.
But let US examine: TO disagree "is
the act Of one man with another;
Co dissent is the act Of one or more
in relation 70 a community. Differ
is said OF two things, vary OF one
thing In respect 10 itself Tempers
differ; one persons temper varies
from time 20 time. Attention might
be called 10 the frequent expression
81 differ with you" That's an i'm
possibility. IL is meant i differ
from you. We agree with and dif
fer from. IL has been well said
that "words are living powers"
They are the sparkling silica In
which mas been imbodded the
worlds thought. We must know
not only the meaning Of words but
the reason for their meaning before
we can use them in making pure
language. Just here let me say
that we cannot take the etymology,
nor even the radix OF word as
true guide 10 its meaning. Take
for instance the words pecuniary
and fiscal, occurring - me at the
moment the one derived from Pecus,
flock or herd, the other from fseHs,
a basket. Now what possible con
nection is there between money and
flock OF sheep or herd Of cattle, a
basket and :he revenuof The con-
nection Is in the fact that In the
olden time all the wealth Of the
country was Ia It's herds, and as the
species of property Increased the
word pscuniary attaches itself %
them In the Roman state the hs-
Gus or basket was used % receive
the revenues, hence fiscal, pertaining
10 the treasury. ! am tempted by
one more word. Calculate, 70 cast
up, 20 compute, from calculus. pcb-
bic or Email stone. The reason or
the meaning OF our word rs In Gus
tom OF the old time which was
nothing more than counting, calcu-
lating with tho small bag Of pebbles
which each shepherd or keeper Of
cattle constantly carried with him.
To use our language with propri-
ETY. aud purity We must get under IL,
so 20 sneak. study 10, pick 10 20
pieces. and II stands II remarkably
we'll, unravcl. examine, think. Read
our best authors. not this catch.
penny literature which hasn't doz-
en- pure sentences 20 the hundred
pages.
Allow me % tender my thanks 20
DIR. Rivers for his healthy articles.
hope Il. 5. will favor us with some
more suggestions. Respectfully.
Lawrenceburg, Sept q. N.
The frantic manner 10 which a
town comDosed Of nve saloons, sew