Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-05
THE srupv or A WORD.
The Aessurcss and Variety q Inssrmasios
II h Likely 60 Furuisl..

ne Bessurces and Variety oS lnssrmasios
II h Likely 60 Furnish.
Tho great dictionaries are library in
themselves md furnish an eshaustless
source Of information. A study OF n
single word like cross in the Century
Dictionary shows the resources and va.
ricty Of information that n famiiin,
word may furnish. There nrc l5s col.
umrs devoted 10 this word and its com.
binaaioEs. There IRE 81 pictorial illus.
trations. All in all there ARE c57 differ
cnt words made out Of cross which have
to sc defined. In the great Oxford Die.
tionary there arc II pages given to this
word, or twice rs much as in the Cen
tury. In the Century the study is
highly fascinating. There are II radical
Iy different sets &C definitions to the
word itself.
Tho fundamental idea is. Of course,
tho cross. the cruz for cruc.fying, bu: i:
has come 10 have a variety Of meaning
. "a 81 monument, a crucifix. the atone
incnt. the Christian religion itself, any
suffering for Christ's sake. anything that
thwar.s or vexes, n IniSing.of breeds IN
animal breeding. "a term used in chang
ing plants. joint IL a pipe, the acci-
dental contact Of two electric wires. n
| sportsman phrase for a contes. dishon-
cstly decided.
Then cross becomes an adjective. with
several meanings, as falling, athwart.
I passing; FROM enc OF two Positions. per-
| verse, ETC., TO the ether. being opposed.
! being rccvish or frotful, Ill tempered,
thoroughly contrary. in the breeders
| vocabulary. Thea il becomes an advcrb,
meaning trans VI -sely or adversely. Then
I u becomes :. ycfb. with all kinds of sig
n;i.caucc. from the running Of line to
cross tEirs. to cancel by crossing. 10
c.css ones self IN devotion. passin., from
side TO 500 &C 8 I:.an, To so over body
of water, % oEs:ruct, 80 cause TO inter
fcrc. 90 crcss llsrts. 10 hoist iro,a the
Goc,: 10 is Place IN TIE ;::.st any Of TIE
lighter ysrils.
Then there Is the proposition. in riding
cross-cour;ty - walking; o-oss-loss. All
TINS with til .imrlc we'd Itself. which
sOCs cavoftin- from :hc most sacred
thought in the wo-iG TO tie breeders
Gad the srC.ts:s.ar.'s language OF the
coop and RANCH.
ai;oT tnis the mysteries begin. There
s.c crOssos-aascratcl gTcllanc. BEAN
| ~. b-c.cssc, c.toGscd, co.ninissc, Gre
uclc. csto!lc. i.sghc. fi.ury, crin-olc. lam
bCaU-. Incline, noNycd, nylc. quatre-
| foil, s2iticr, sGr,lc, rJsarcuicd. Then
| thc-c ETu .hc iriuIncraIic compounds #
crosse from CfCss-arIned, Crcss-bated.
crOss-t!tcr. c-,sss-b..r and cruss-hun.
through oross-i,gcan, cr0ss-ruff. cross.
sOwCT and c-os--srGlc IL crossword.
Then ta1rc a. cross-grainei set Of
CROSSES, such IS croSsarchinal. cross
archus, crussettc. Crossorinal. crosspp
tcrygia, S-UssOptorygian. crossoptery.-i-
dae. cross0.t e-y.;ii. crossoptcrygia. cross
uptcrySiuil. crJssovls, c-OssC-ained ana
| crcsSCrhiniu.c.
il Is incomrrehcnsitlc tia. : word SO
simple should have gone rol,ickiag all
over the Garth, INFO the bowels of tn.
earth, into tho depths OF the sea. among
the fowls Of Tie air. the horse upon the
turf, to card table, 10 tic ships upon the
scG, to the fishes il their glCe, 10 tho
SHARKS in thc.r feroc.,y, 70 the arch;tcc,
agi plumber. 80 tE' farmer III lis la.-
rowing, 10 the railroad i'll lis building.
70 the engine i i.swo-l.ins. &c the seam
stress in her l.Do-s. 20 the spider in his
webbing, TO t!,c spiancr at his loom, 70
the lawyers IL their pleading. to "A shrcw
III hcr vranglins, to the sunn.c in tn,
fort. 20 tho miner g; his lode. TO u,
rurl; - lie SIS. 20 the sword Of. the glad.
iatoT. 90 Che expert with his telescope. {,
the woman in her gazing and ia hel
dressing. 20 the athletes III their wrcs
Ting and 20 Tine swiadlcr az his arts.-A
Z. WnsEip in Journal Of Education.