The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-26
The seheol noek Qae.llol,

hultuib lutsAltttaeNls
see in the Ermi,g Standard Of Febru.
airy 20, an article on the subiecto school
Text Books" written by some one signing
himself "Citizen;p aud as 1have expressed
myself several times on the same subject
permit me through the columns Of your
paper to call attention to some points
maze BY the gentleman against Rareeys
Grammar text book on that subject
now in use in our public schools. He
makes two objections, or rather retcrs to
two definitions occurring near the first
part Of the book; and from this infer
that the gentleman has gone no further,
but condemns the entire book, because he
finds two definitions that do not suit his
views. Let US compare these definitions
with those given BY other authors:
H1rey-A word Is the sign OF an idea.
A primitive word Is one in no way de-
rived from another In the same language.
A primitive word is one formed by joining
to primitive some letter or syllable to
modify It's meaning.
Bmghdm-k spoken work Is sound or
combination Of sounds used Us the sign Of
some idea. Primitive-A word not deriv.
ed from other words. Derivatlve-A word
derived from other words,
Bmt-Words are expressions used by
common consent as the signs Of ideas.
Primitive-A word in its simplest form.
Derivative-Is word formed from the
primitive by adding a prefix, suffix or
both.
Butler "A word is syllable or combina-
ton Of syllables used as the sign OF some
idea. Primitiye-A word not derived
from another word in the language. De
rivatye-A word that is derived from an
other word in the language.
CIdrk-A word Is q letter or combina-
ton of letters used as the sign OF an idea.
Primitive word that does not derive It's
origin from another word in the SAME
language. Derivative-Is word derived
from the primitive, by prefxing or adding
one or moro letters to it.
These are all the authorities we will
quote at present, but We think they are
enough to show conclusively that HaF-
vey's definitions compare very favorably
with the Others. If'"CitiEenh will take
the pains to refer to Webster's U Unabridged
Dictionary he will find that Harvey's def.
nitions do not conflict with his definitions.
On page Harvey says that a word is
either syllable OF combination Of sylla-
bles used as the sign OF an idea. The great
end and aim Of English Grammar is to
teach us to speak and to write our mother
tongue correctly-not to teach the infieU.
ton OF words This is important, as q
matter OF course, but not OF the greatest
Importance. / have as yet seen no text
book on the subject ofgrammar that is moi
open 10 some exceptions il critically ex-
amined, and when the author produces the
book in which he critic eau find no fault,
then all X. IL fsvor its adoption in ouI
schools. l Ma very much prejudiced
against Harvey's grammar when it was in
troduced into our schools, but after teach.
ing 1t for six years, must say it compares
very favorably with any other book on
the subject, and in its revised form it sure.
II meets the wants OF our schools.
VIII "Citizen" suggest a better text.
book to be used, instead OF Haryey's
grammar, and also, show that it would
pay to incur the expense OF making the
change?
Citizen" also thinks that good text.
book is almost everything, or we so take
it from the concluding part OF his article
A good textbook on any subject is very
desirable, but a good teacher with even
poor textbook will succeed much better
than poor teacher with the best text
book ever published. A TEACHER,