Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-13
IN THE DICTIONARY.
origihators of New Words Anxious to
Get Them There.

From the New York Tribune
The word is not in any of the recognized
dictionaries. and is consequently not looked
upon as good English.
That verdict would be looked upon as
maj by the average man in a case where
question had arisen to the propriety
or using word. But TO those people who
know how dictionaries are complied the
TACT that the word did not appear in the
latest edition would not be conclusive.
The English language is growing contin-
uaily, and words and phrases are being
grated into the old stock which would be
meaningless to the people whose use of the
language or contact with the people who
speak 1t had ceased several years ago The
concert hail and the laboratory the work
shop and the bar room all contribute TO-
ward the stock of new words and science
as Wen as commerce gives rise to words
winch IN many instances reach the diction-
ares. But while this may be true of many
words, more live a season and then die. In
order TO determine what shall be done with
the ne" words the dictionary makers al
low them TO grow and ripen" in cabinets
made for that purpose These cabinets
consist of a series of boxes one for each
letter III the alphabet ana into these boxes
the new words are placed together with all
matter pertaining to them. until such time
as new or revised edition of the diction-
airy is to be issued. and then the accumu-
lated novelties in the way of words are
carefully examined. and those that are
found worry are given place in the new
edition and become part of the language.
The scientific publications furnish much
of the material for the word cabinets, but
there are other and peculiar sources. The
man who delivers a lecture before a back
woods debating society, and who earns from
his fellow-menbers the distinction of hav
ing COINED" word. usually sends the
word with the Mandatory remark of his
townspeople to the dictionary maker; the
man who makes a new shoe polish, tooth
wash, skirt binding or machine, and in
vents a name to describe the novelty.
makes efforts to advertise his invention by
having the name become a part of the die
tionary, and the consequence is that the
stock of that class of words is usually
great Some of these trade words have be-
come so popular that they have been taken
into the fold, but the makers of diction-
aries are skeDtics, and must be fully con-
WINGED of the lasting qualities of the word
before 1t is accepted.
A striking example of this class is the
name used for a popular pyroxyline ma
teriai The word was copyrighted, but was
so well known in business that the diction-
airy people felt justified in giving it a place
in their book But while some inventors
would have been pleased with this action,
tie pyroxyline material patentees objected,
on the ground that their compound was
patented, and should be fully described and
not cut off with simple description of
common noun"
IF We give the word and its derivations
and definitions just those who own the
copyrights wish us to give them, said a
dictionary maker. there would be no OBJ
lection on their part, but our book would
become an encyclopaedia.
Then there are the people who invent
dishes and wish to be immortalized in ths
gastronomic world. San Juan steak"
Manila stew and Maine shortcake" are
among the dishes which the inventors
wish to see Incorporated in the next edition
of the dictionary; and as to drinks, there
Is hardly a well-known naval officer in the
service after whom a cocktail, . smash or
a tulep has not been named. and In de-
scribing tt the writer usually requests that