The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-27
MATCHLEss BEAUTY AND sTREN 9Th
OF OUR LANGUAGE.
of Some Familiar Expressions-A
Profound Remark.

i Those readers of the Star" who are
so fortunate as to be able to read the
German language, will find fund of
information and much entertainment
in "The Origin of Language" by Jacob
Grimm. This eminent German philo-
logist and photographer, who was the
best qualified to express a judgment
on the merits of living language of
any one of the many scholars who have
given their time and energies 10 the
perScting of the best means of express
sion for human thought, thus sums up
the strength of the English Language:
mo other modern language, directly
by the remuneration and confounding of
the rules of sound. by the loss of al
most all the infections, has acquired a
greater force and vigor than the Eng
fish: and from the unteachable yet
learnable fullness of its free middle
tones has flowed a substantial power of
expression such as perhaps never yet
stood at the command of any lar guage.
Its entire structure and completeness, lat
once wholly intellectual and wonderful
ly perfected. has proceeded from an
astonishing union between the two
noblest languages of modern Europe,
is well known how they are related in
English, the former predominantly Civ
ing the material basis, the latter the
intellectual conception - in fact, the
English language as use d by Shakespeare
can rightfully be called world |
language, and seems like the English |
people itself. destined in the future in
yet greater measures than heretofore tn
rule in all the ends of the earth. When |
we consider its richness, Intellectually, |
and condensed adaptability, no one of
all the other living languages may he
placed at its side, yea, not even our
German language"
Yet, this is what the writer heard on
his way down Beretania street from the |
mouth of an English-speaking lady, adj |
di essed to her Chinese coachman:
John you pi mai and PAM that gate all
same quick" And he commenced 10
muse ON the possibilities of human ex
preston. What did the lady meanI The
| EXPIRE ssion as given is neither good |
English. good Hawaiian, good Chine Sc
nor 90 d Choctaw. Is it not quite as
well always to use correct English.
even to children and uneducated per-
sons, as it is to insist upon never allow
ing servant and an inferior to Guido
us in politenesst
| NOW ttlS same lulOlit tADTthSlbn, ny |
historical changes and reversals of
meanings, may some day come to have
n meaning of its own, as strange things
have happened For example kndUe |
in early English ment "a boy" or any |
male servant" SO that paul serv-
ant of Jesus Christ" might have read. |
paul kHdUe of Jesus Christ y but, |
knave has now become a synonym of
william. william has changed its mean
ing from country mans peasant or
farm servant to IAN eXtreu ely wicked |
person; IA rascal" A Hbertine was ga
freeman of corporate town" later "a
free thinker now, he is ga debauchee;
"A rake"
Most of us use words caring little for
their origin or original meaning, SO long |
as neighbors and acqunintances under
stand them, and if we were called upon
to give reason or our use Of terms.
our explanation would he quite as
amusing as that of the hungry French
man who was charged with stealing a
pig, and who. when asked>by the magis-
trate before whom he was summoned,
what he had to say to q e indictment,
replied: "Oh steal no pig; no, sar. l
nevar. Aha, you shall see. l tell re
pig will he go wiz me. He say, 'Oui.
oui, and zen l take him. Is Eat what
you call steal re pig, ven he go Wis his
own CONSENT The "wee. wee of a
pig is a perfect Eyes, yes in French;
ut did his swineship mean it to be So
; understood
There is an old nursery story which
goes: "a was an apple pie; b bit it; C|
cut il; d divided it; + fought for it; q
got it" &c, &C., to the end of the al
phabet. When everything moves along
in regular order we say it is in apple.
pie order" The story is the origin of
the saying.
cali in my eye" cover the left are
first found in preface to Julian the
Apostate." "What benefit Popish
successor can reap from lives and for
, tunes spent in the defence OF the Protes
tant religion he may PIT Ia has eye:
and what Protestant religion gets by
lives and fortunes spent i'll the service
, of Popish successor will be 1rer the LETT
shoulder"
"Fuolscap," owes its origin to the fol
lowing incident: Soon after the restor
alton of Charles H., the king had
. occasion to write certain dispatches,
and some of the government paper.
, issued while Cromwall was protector
and which had the "Cap Of Liberty
{ stamped upon it, was brought to him,
, On looking at it he said, Take it away;
= I'll have nothing to do with fools
cap"
How curious is the origin of the word
: "whig." In the sixteenth century
, there arose in England party opposed
= to the king, and in favor of republican
: form of government in which the peo-
r pie should have voice. This party
f adopted as its motto, eve hope in
God" The word "whig" which origin.
ally meant opposition 10 kings and
o friendship for the people is acombina-
= ton of the initial letters of the first
a liberty party's motto.
q 1.-The Devil to pay" is in no sense a
=. profane expression. 1t doubtless
% originated in printing office on some
a Saturday nights settlement Of wages.
D. John" says the publisher to the
bookkeeper, how is the cash 2 But a
small balance on hand, sir" Let's see, :
rejoined the publisher, chow far it will
u go toward paying the hands" Then
John goes over the list: so much due
e Towntopics; so much Typus; so much
pullman, and SO on to the end OF the
'e list.
Is The publisher stands aghast There
is not money enough by jug full.
i. mo, sir; and besides there is the dew
.r (printer's) to pay"
A most profound physician and sur
ID Seon WAS once looking at the ariiculate'
w. skeleton Of jackass, when he wa
heard to say: Eyes, we are fearful.
lg and wonderfully made" A study o
III our language will convince one that tn
n same is true Of il. But if you canno
- speak Chinese to your laundryman, d.
DC not slobber around with pigeon-Englis 81
lie ii.
r.
Japanese Theater.
ed A Japanese theater will be start
b, ed in the HcWaH .Shimp0 building