The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-16
If he arrives in England safely he will
return Immediately with his boat
THE WORDS WE USE.
Does an Average Man Use 700 Words
or 1000?


From Literature.
At an educational meeting held IN this
State few years ago, the conductor, a
noted professor, made the following state
ment: 1.-The best educated person in this
room will not use more than GEO or 200
words" He also assigned smaller number
to persons of limited education, stating
that an ignorant man would not use more
than 200 or 800 words | haI before seen
statements Of similar import in public print,
and to test their correctness | began an in
vestlgation of the matter.
The subject was brought anew to my mind
by observing an article in the Chatudugltdn
some months ago, in which Prof. Bancroft
remarked: at has been estimated that
an English farm hand has a vocabulary
limited to 300 words An American work
ingman who reads the newspapers may
command from 700 to 1000 words. Five
thousand is large number, even for an
educated readeror speaker" This .asser-
ton is much nearer the truth than that of
the institute conductor mentioned. For
the benefit of those who may be interested,
| offer the results of my study on the sub
Ject. An intelligent person can make the
same examination, and will arrive at sub
stantially the same result.
took Webster's high school dictionary,
bulary, and examined each word in the
book. | made q note of those words which
| supposed had used at some time either
in speaking or writing. | counted the
primitive words and those derivatives whose
meaning is most at variances with the
primitive. Thus, | count fright and fruit,
but not frighten frightful, frightfully, nor
fruitage, fruiterer, fruitful, fruitfulness,
fruition, and fruit tree. [ omitted most Of
the compound words, especially when the
component parts directly indicated the
meaning, as milk-pail, meeting house, rag
man, but counted those whose significance
was not directly indicated, as crowbar,
quicksand, tinfoil. As the result of this ex-
animation, | had 1923 words, which | think
| myself have used.
There were 4l9 in A, 52S in B. 766 in c,
$50 in D. 235 in E, 500 in F, 279 in G,
2S6 in II, 330in |, 81 in j, ~ in K, 300 in L.
47G in NJ, IA in n, PIT in o, rs in p. So in
Q, 1877 in r, 954 in S, 454 in T, AZ in U,
148 in V, POP in w, % in x and Y, and 10
in q.
Had counted the various derivatives in
common use, it is probable the number
would be nearly double.
To make a further test of words at my
command, spent about two hours in writ
ing from memory words in A. | was able
to note down 537 words that l could use if
occasion required. This is 35 per cent. more
than l had counted from the dictionary.
Should the same proportion hold good in all
the letters, it would follow that l can recall
from memory 10,700 words, all Of which are
familiar.
made another count, and came to the
conclusion that | could give a fair defni-
ton of at least 2j 900 words in that book,
and would understand their sfgnifca-
ton in a printed article or spoken ad-
dress.
The above estimates are based upon my
own experience and knowledge, because
it was convenient to make the expert
ment with myself. Every well-informed
man will be as competent, if not more
so. Either professor mentioned will
have more extended vocabulary than l
have.
then took at random, in the same die
tionary, page in each letter, and counted
the words in very common use. On
twenty-four pages there were 254 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 the study one of
my children was years and months of
age. | noted down land still have the list
213 words used by her in one day. They
were words that 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. | estimated her
vocabulary at 400 words, and she did not
know enough to carry on any except child
ISL conversation.
From all OF the foregoing observations /
drew the following conclusions:
Every well-read man of fair ability will
be able to define or understand 10000 or
$4,000 primitives and principal derivative
words
The same man in his conversation and
writing will use not less than 5000 or Z, 000
words If he be a literary man As will com
mand 1000 or 5000 more.
Common people use from 5000 to 1900
words, according to their general intelli-
gence and conversational power.
An ''illiterate man" (One who cannot read
will use from 500 to $500 words.
A person who has not at command at
least 900 words is an ignoramus, and will
fad difficulty in expressing his thoughts, if
indeed, he have any to express.