Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-24

Several weeks ago "John and George"
asked THE GAZETTE to answer the ques-
ton care there any two words In the En-
glish language synonymous" The an
swer was given, and as the following let
ters show, was correct. The subject was
generally discussed, and Il number Of bets
made, when, to decide the question, the
professors of language at Cornell, Yale,
and Columbia were written 20 by Mr.. L..
A. Schwartz, who took an interest in the
matter. The replies are as follows;
YALE COLLEGE,
NEW HAVEN, Dec. ~, l8S5.-DEAR SIR;
The question you ask Is a very difficult
one to answer unqualinedly. There are
many words which In certain uses are
exactly synonymous, and yet again in
other uses might be employed with ~.
cidcdly distinct meaning; or even IKE
distinct, with difference that eYerYsaAG
would feel though it might be hard TO eXsy
press. To answer absolutely would re-,
qulre man to look over the whole nelf-
of the language and look up every pair of
Synonymous words all through their
various and varying applications, with the
chance that after all he might overlook
some usage that was on the very surface.
But TO come down to specific things, am
disposed to say there are some words IN
our tongue that are precisely synonymous,
though few in number, and should sup
pose In every case representing the two
elements that make up our sNsies ir5RA.
Teutonic and the Romance. Thus fNFsfle
stance can not think Of the slightest
difference there could be in any case be-
tween the words annual and Yedriy-the
former representing the Romance element
and the latter the Teutonic. 1t is, how
ever, right to add that language is always
economical Of its resources, and will rare
ly allow two words long to remain in use
with precisely the same meaning. There
Is always Il tendency going on to de-
synJnymi2e words and to Introduce dis
ordinations In their use; and even II two
words can be found now absolutely
synonymous, the chances are very much
against their being allowed to remain so
for Il long period of time. Very truly
yours, Il. II. LOUNsBURY.
THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
ITuACA, n. Y, Dec. 3, lSs5.-NlY DEAR
SIR: | have received yours OF the 2Sth OF
November. There ure numerous p0irs Of
words .hich may he said to be perfectly
Synonymous, so far as the intellectual con-
captions which they represent are con
ccrnpd, but they, Tor the most part, make
somewhat different Impressions; In other
words, they are not dcSthetic0Uy synOny-
nous. This Is felt especially in the
higher poetry, In the rcadngo OF which the
feelings are more active than in the read
ing of unimpassioncd prose. The differ
ence would be felt even IN the case of such
synonyms AZ acid and sour These two
words may be said % be, intellectually,
entirely synonymous; and yet, under GER
tain relations, one could not properly be
used instead of the other. The two words
OCerSccr and supervisor are, intellectually,
synonymous, the one being Saxon and
the other Latin (super-ovcr, and visor
seer and yet any one with a nice tseliug
for words would spontaneously and un-
consciously use one instead Of the other
according to tie relations In which IL
would be placed. And so OF the intel
lectually synonymous words torrrupHci'
and precursor (pro-fore, and ciTSor-run-
ncr).
See, also, the note in Webster's UNI
abridged under the word Synonymous, and
see also DeQunccy's essay "On Words
, worth's Poetry" in his Essays ON the
Poets" third paragraph from the be-
ginning.
In Il language of great vitality, like the
English, II two words Should be, for
! awhile, SO perfectly synonymous that no
. difference In their meaning could even be
, felt, they would soon become more or
, less dcsynouymZcd. This is true even In
the case of the same word having two ac-
centuatlons; rs for example, miSchievous
and mischievous; Il mlschieyouS child is
one given to little but innocent tricks; Il
/ niSchievous person is one who Is given
to things which do harm to society and
individuals.
] f., = la,
, ways, as in the word "cerk" in this
country namely, clark and clark the
, two RECOMMENDATIONS get TO have n
4 somewhat different applications one who
( uses both proumcations of the word
! cited Is disposed to apply the former
A (clurk) to an inferior, and the latter
CLARK to n superior kind of clcrk--the
clnrk IN n grocery store, and the clark of
the house of representatives,
II we should take the authority of
newspaper scribblers, we should find
{ plenty of pairs OF words which are used
Unfortunately, for the reason that such
q scrlhhlorS have not attained TO nice
! JteliHa Of words; but II we take the au-
B thority OF masters OF the language, we
shall find thar words perfectly synonymous
4 In every respect hardly exist IN the Ian.
! guage. | am, very respectfully yours,
[ etc, HIRAM .NoRSON,
Professor OF Auglo-SaNou and English
n literature, Cornell University.
+ COLUMBIA CoLLEGE,
NEW YORK, Dec. 3. lSS5,--DEAR SIR;
q In respect OF the question asked Ia your
letter OF the 2Sth Of November, Il has Of
ten been said that in living language no
V two words, however closely thoy APP
Is preach, have exactly the same meaning
This Is probably true, " we allow the
historical associations and the atmos
phore OF a word To constitute a part OF
Us meaning But there are many eases
i think, when no ineffective subtlety car
n establish any solid difference In prac
e tice ~ between two Synonyms,
e Respectfully, THos. Il. PRICE,.
!, To Mr., J., 4. Schwartz, Fort Worth, Tex
:. Advice TO Mothers,
{ Mrs niualntuiu GpntbtVt, Sxr,,n uhnt.1f