The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-07-05
The Words We Use.

The Words We Use.
At an educational meeting held in
this State a few years ago the con-
ductor, noted professor, made the
following statement: "The best edu.
Gated person in this room will not use
more than 600 or 700 words" He
also assigned a smaller number to per-
sons OF limited education, stating that
an ignorant man would not use more
than 200 or 800 words. had before
seen statements OF similar import in
public print, and to test their correct.
ness began an investigation OF the
matter.
The subject was brought anew to
my mind by observing an article in
the Chautanquan some months ago.
in which Prof. Bancroft remarked:
ut has been estimated that an Eng.
lish farm hand has q vocabulary linn.
tied to 800 words. An American
worklng.m man who reads the newspa-
pers may command from 700 to 600
words. Five thousand is a larger
number, even for an educated reader
or speaker" This assertion lie much
nearer the truth than that OF the in.
stitute conductor mentioned. For
the benefit of those who may be inter
ested, offer the results of my study
on the subject. An intelligent person
can make the same examination and
will arrive at substantially tho same
results.
Itook Webs:er's high school die.
tionary. edition 1878, containing ABA
pages of vocabulary, and examined
each word in the book. l made a
note OF those words which l supposed
had used at some time either in
speaking or writing. l counted the
primitive words and those derivatives
whose meaning is most at variance
with the primitive. Thus, count
fright and fruit, but not brighten,
frightful, friehtfully, or fruitase, fruit
erer, fruitful. fruittulness, fruition and
fruit tree. l omitted most of the com.
pound words. especially when the
component parts directly indicated
the meaning, rs milk-pan. meeting
house, rag-man, but counted those
whose significance was not directly in.
dictated. as crowbar, quicksand tin
Toll. As the result OF this examina.
ton, had 1928 words, which Think
myself have used.
There were 4l9 in A. 528 in B, 7G6
in c, 455 in d, 235 in E,369 in F,279
in G, 28G in H. $50 in l. 81 in J.4o in
X, 900 in l., 476 in NJ. Ia in N. PIT
in o, It's in p. 55 in Q, 1917 in r, 954
in 5. 454 in L, A. in U, l48 in V, 2O2
in W, % IN X and Y and 10 in Y.
Had l counted the various deriva.
tives in common use, 1t is probable
the number would be nearly double.
10 make a further test of words at
my command, spent about two
hours in writing memory words in A.
was able to note down 537 words
words that could use if occasion re.
quired. This is thirty-tive per cent.
more than have counted from the
| dictionary. Should the same proper
ton hold good in all the letters, it
would follow that l can recall from
memory 1O,7OO words. all of which
are familiar.
made another count, and come to
the conclusion that could give q fair
definition of at least $4,000 words
in that book, and would underst and
their Specification in printed article
or spoken address.
The above estimates are based up.
on my own experience and knowledge,
because it was convenient to make
the experiment with myself: Every
wellinformed man will be as compe-
| tent, ii not more so. Either profess
sor mentioned will have a more ex.
tended vocabulary than l have.
then took at random, in the same
dictionary, a page in each letter, and
counted the words in very common
use. On twenty.four pages there
were 24O such words. This would
give $500 words in use by persons OF
the most ordinary intelligence. None
OF these lists include any proper
| names:
"At the time of making this study
one of my children was three years
and two months ofage. Inoted down
land still have the 'ist) 2l3 words
used by her in one day. They were
words any intelligent child would use,
! chiefly names OF household articles
and common things, with the most
! ordinary verbs and participles. did
not hear all she said during the day,
nor do think she used all the words
she knew. I estimated her vocabu.
larry at 400 words. and she did not
know enough to carry on any except
childish conversation.
From all OF the foregoing obserya.
tions drew the following conclusions:
Every well.read man OF fair ability
will be able to define or understand
2O,O or 25, 900 pr;mitives and prin-
! cipal derivative words.
The same man, in his conversation
and writing, will use not less than
5000 or 900 words. If he be a. liter
ary man he will command 1000 or
5000 more.
Common people use from 5000 to
1000 words, according to their genera
intelligence and conversationalp o wer.
An ''illiterate man" Zone who can.
not read) will use from 1900 $500
! words.
A person who has not at command
at least l 900 words is an icnoramus.
ard will find difficulty in expressing
his thoughts. if. indeed, he have any
TO e::press.-Literature.
Distributing Fertilizers Evenly,
A farmer vino uses fertilizers is pre-.