, 1881-05-13
HISTORIC WORDS.

~ u - SstIl tlial "'IiS ii'ANN -
torica' meaning some minds revert At once
to terms OF geographical distinction rs
Vermont. (yer,l. green and mont. nioun-
tain.l Florida ltiurid, blooningl German
! It Herman the warmani TO WaldenseS
or people OF the valeys. Others again
! think TO confine such terms to designa-
tiOns Of local religious sects as Mcthodi>is
/ (who were Scvt rely mrthOdical in religion)
or QuaLerS and Purltans so called from in-
cidental peculiarities; or the broader terms
OF PrOtest-ants and non-conforHers. which
terms are selt-explanatOry. Some have
! in mind the rise OF political parties, as
whig, from the whig-gamore raid, from
the word wing. uSe in the west Of Scot
| land where the carter urges forward his
horses with ''whig. whig" lget on AS one
now says gee and haw." Tory likewise
is said to have originated in jest from
those who opposed insurrection petitions
against Charles II. and were called abhor-
rers. then hOrries, aud soon tory as class
desigu2tiOn. Similarly arose the Aneri-
Gan limitation hy party lines as Federal
tbOui,d by the lcaSue. ar Constiiuriun,)
Democratic. popular. belonging 10 the
p,.Opel Republican iIa.rtaiiing TO the
general or public govcrnment.l A LOCAL
term sometimes gives risr TO common
noun designating the chici character OF
dwelirr> AT = given p!ace-aS AssaSsiiis,
The tribe in Syria poS>rs'ing the colony "i
/ II ..ri,, fan
atheism arr,l revenge have given the word
this wurl fnr criminal charge Ass>aSSliI.
4 Similar di>repuic attached to one Of
London = early fish markets, Billing<gitr.
where. the free intercourse Of fish mon-
ger. originated that vulgar conversation
and harangur now known rs personal
Islander, slang. biIlingsgarr. With Amer
leans have originated the wor,is carIret-
bagger tor impOStrrl and bulldozc Iior
tryani1el which have spread from ocean
TO OCEAN and from Gulf 10 Lakes so As TO
make lasting impression OH our Ian
guage DE- Tocqurviile says, 'thc history
OF the word gentleman i that of drmOc-
racy Itself, and today ~e speak OF per-
SONS highly connected. well-born. which
the NOrmans designated as '.gentil l"-
none Very early the srrt found his
stronghold OF freedom in the enfran-
chised towns; hence he was known rs
william, though yet servant 10 the Lord.
In 1884 this statement il quoted by the
historian, We are no Wilkins. nor cfIurlS.
but warriors aud g"ntleinen;' 80 that one
| is reminded Of Luther's translation mak-
ing Paul y ..knave (servant) Ut Jesus
Christ" 1899 and later years use the
word gentry rs lower class. "rhe e1cnr
sion Of the gentry 10 London spread the
| worst follirs Of the town.'-knight Y. 5S;
Willie elsewhere the term seems To denote
middle class. rs: '.In almost every house |
OF the nobility and higher gentry there
was chaplain. knight II. 1874 From
snrnames have arisen many common |
terms from the character or life Of the |
man. Graniiism tfor Tyranny or stern,
will torcc.l LymclIing tior mob retribu-
tion.) Bowie ur0m Col. j. Bowie. tile
inventory Ont ot ancient history, "hec.
tor from the wretch ll-etor;I ponder.
ihOm the prOiigaiity of Paudarus,) sim
ony. tirom the hypocrirical bribery Of ST.
mon;I faDican--' 'riilxtOry" from the hesi-
ration of Gen. Fabius.; such cha racier-
ization passes into proverbs as In Shakes
prare. 1T ont Herods ierod,'' ..Our al
fairs are Fabiused nIO very dissgrra-
ble posture. s.'-Irving's wash. III. 800.
l. |
which apply their traits to man-"rhe
f.l.un Churchill WAS hawLed at aud killed
By the moasing owl Harley. knight
3!9. '.Mr. Moo'iy never apes profession
al irs."-Christinn Union.
Another groupe OF historical words
come from coalescing or reduction. viz:
All-so and all-otf. shortened to alsc and
aioof; at-one. pass port and pass word.
united without change; shire-reeve and
holy day. turned to equivalent sounds
sheriff and holiday. Ia this process a.
tween and a-fore change the prefix to be-
acrr. axe. and sucii- drop the 6nal vowel;
merchant and parlonr the needless IL.
The iatiniz-d forms f.cily teastlyl conven-
liable convenient! and importable (nn-
besrable) disappear. while the Latin de-
rivarivas. cunning. vulgar and Imposition
have degenerared 10 meanings that were
at first unthought of. We perceive that
some words are cognate as seihence. since;
nathiess, hevertheless.) but such exprcss-
sions as "WOo worth [be tol him.
Knight Ill; 90. and Il thon thee. thou
traitor, knight Ill, 3l7. seem very
strange. judge this last TO mean Il use
thy language against thee, thou traitor"
Srch WAS our language in In 1903, unless
We except this last statement IA a mere
eccentricity of an individual orator. AS
such it confirms Landor's statement that
.'every COOL writer has much idiOln.''
II may De doubted what scope q writer
has in transferring qualities and changing
the thought burden of words, yet this al
tDrtis exercise for inventive power and |
adds to the charm OF narration. Thus
knight speaks OF the ''delirium and frrn-
zy OF lnya!ty'' (the actors dclirious more
natural than the criOns.l Similarly. |
..hot haste." ''cold respect" ..shake ones |