The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-24

| ulllXXcu lnc LOlluOn pOpnItlce.
The Elizabcthian period gave to the lam
guage many words, which, though they are
of the mongreI type and have many cur
rish aflnitirS are still worth retaining.
! What word has more latent force and can
| be read palmer beneath the lines than pot
valiant? TO say that man was pOt-ral-
| liant plainly indicates that he was Il strong
| drinker, and hence would be the last to toss
up his cup and fall under the table in inc
briate bliss. Sccllion, Scattcrbrain, bog
trotter, gutter Snipe, etc, are equally as
interesting.
1t would hc much out of place to men,
fion few surnamcs which together with
their origin might prove of interest. All
the civilized world was wrought up over
the DreyfuS trial and the SympathieS OF
all good people went out to this poor tam
gIefoot-for this is the meaning of his
name in German. 1t seems that even In
this case there is something in q lame.
During the reign of Frederic the Great OF
Prussia all the Jews of Prussia were forced
to take Il surname. The Jews at that time
not being IL very choice people in regard to
their names, took them from geographic,
architectural or scenic objects near which
they lived. Thus, jacob who lived near the
schoss or castle became Jacob Schoss,
Isaac Einstine was Isaac who lived near
the single stone, and Philip with blonde
hair, as is the case with many German
Jews, was Philip Blume or Blum. English
surnames, at least many of them, are self
evident. No one will doubt for moment
the origin of Brown, Green, Smith, White,
etc. Wilson is Wills son, and it is easy to
see that Anderson is none other than An
drews's son, while Bradley or Broadligh
was simply a man who lived near a broad
meadow. MacNeil is the son of Neil, while
O'Neil is his grandson. These lrishmen
now transmit the Mac" and the "O' to
posterity in such haphazard manner that
were we to translate the names in the gen.
Biological lines literally there would be such
an intermiXing of names as to confuse
even genealogical specialist.
There was once a WelShman named
John Rice, who has son and was at a loss
to know what to call him. John was given
him as christian name, and as op means
son of in that particular dialect. he was
called John Oh Rice or John Price"
The English language is great COM
pOSite, like the ravenOuS nav or the dra-
gon in Dante's Inferno, it lusts to swallow
everything within its reach. 1t is Omnlv.-
erous; it is jumble OF all that is best and
all that is worst Of other languages, to-
gether with the original Saxon. This mis-
gigantic national mind into mosaic OF
bOundless dimensions, exquisite beauty,
and eternal strength. 1t is an organized
Bable, harmonized discord, pathological
syncretism, d paradox! 1t showed its &C
tivity early by substituting auxiliary verbs
for passive and preterit forms, and it ac-
tiveness is plain index to the activity OF
the AnglO-SaXon race. Like the giant oak
it has thrust its roots deep into the rich
mould of ancient Greece and Rome and
draws therefrOm the vitality on which 1t
subsists and with which it procreates CIV
ilization.
In the language are found words which
form pictures in our minds the moment
they are uttered. How realistic are the
words scamp, Scrape, grace and craven.
In the later we plainly see one who has
craven his life perhaps at the hands OF
stranger and nObler fellow being. One
would feel slightly offended at being called
capricious, but to be said to have the char
acteristics of hegoat would be unendur-
able, and yet they are essentially the same,
nor would we think ordinarily of redund-
cncy in calling one of those playful ami
mails a capricious kid.
In early Saxon times small boy was
called an imp, for Bede speaks OF the
Queen and her two lively imps. Unfor-
tunately small boys do not grow out OF
their impish characteristics as rapidly as
they did from the name.
AS III dreams, lnOuPlllS Ou llOupuIS d
countless throng come chasing countless
thoughts along, so in the universe OF light
idealism and sound come as winged mes
sengers myriads on myriads Of words,
each word sermon to mankind. Byron's
words with Byron's thoughts, Shake
speares words with Shakespeares
thoughts by thousands counted, engulfing,
enshrining and endowing with dramatic
fire the ashes Of the past, and Miltons
words with Milton's thoughts high gates
soft on golden hinges turning and helPs
hollow caverns dark in ghoulish ruin clear.
ing with the wild danger Of her gates or
iron hinges grating harsh thunders," or
Wadworth's gentle words stealing from
of gentler nature subtle charms soft
enough to sooth freted child. Follow the
American Indian and meath the curling
smoke before his tepee this child Of nature
will teach you the poetry Of words, with
what a soft restfulness does he puff his
calumet and dream Of his laughing water
or how gently does his light canoe glide
meath the shadows of the live oaks or soft
savannahs and smoky waters.
SO important is the position held by
words that with Lowell we may we'll say
Life is but a sheet of paper white, where
on each one of us may write his word or
two and then comes night
In the writing Of this paper we are in
debted much to History Of English
Words"