Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-06-28

Often Convenience to Writers But a
Stumbling Block to Readers

/ ~~tNNAA A~Ne4NAe'
II do not like big words as usual
thing, but occasionally they are a
great convenience, for they are great
savers Of space and time, remarked
a gentleman the other day who oc-
casionally breaks into magazine
with heavy weight, speaking with
New Orleans Timcs-Democrat man.
"By multiplying The predxcs, or
sandwiching in The fraction of the
root Of some word from here and
there, a combination can be arranged
that will convey in a single word and
e single glance an idea that or
diDarily il would take multiplicity
Of words to convey. For This reason
medical jurisprudence, and scientific
literature generally, are rich with
what is regarded as rare and extraor-
binary vocabulary. Yet there are but
few words used in any Of the branches
of science which a mere novice in
language could not understand if he
would but analyze the combination
aud think for a moment of the deriva-
tive fragments which are to be found.
Sometimes the word may string out
over a half line in an ordinary news
paper column, but an examination of
it will show that, even Independent of
the context, one may easily under
stand it if one will but reflect for
moment upon the fragments Of other
similar words which are preserved in
the combination. ] had an amazing
Experience once with a big word, and
incidentally the use Of it profted me
in small way. ! had blazed out on
the negro problem, and in discus
sion of the mental status Of the negro
! had occasion TO refer TO the popular
belief among negroes in the mate
rial heaven, and urged, in my conten-
ton, that the negro race was a prim-
tive race; that even his conception Of
a deity had not yet undergone the
processes Of deanthropomorphization.
The word struck me because of its con-
venience and expressiveness, convey
ing as it does anidea that could scarce
y be conveyed by anything less than
dozen words. There was lean,
cadaverous bill collector who walked
in my shadow on pay day. He walked
into the Office with a copy Of my ar
ticle in his hand. Excuse me- he
said, but me and my wife read your
article on the negro question, and,
being southerners, we indorse all you
say. But there is one thing about it,
he continued, timidlys which we do
not understand, and since we have
failed to find the word in the diction-
airy, I thought I would ask you what
it meant | did not know exactly
what he was driving at and thought
at first he was joking me. lie point
ID out the word 'deanthropomorphiza-
ton | picked it to pieces for him
and handed it to him in sections, and
he smiled blandly, and in his en-
barrassment forgot to present the bill |
which he had been trying to collect, |
and never after that did he dun me. |
But it taught me a more serious les
son, for | honestly believe that what
ever merit there was in my article
was lost on that couple because of the
intense interest and curious concern |
which conferred in the word which they !
did not understand. | have not used |
the word since, and while it may be
convenience in literary construction, |
! believe would rather spell the idea
out in smaller characters"