Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-10-26
What's Your Verbal Range?

How large is the vocabulary OF
average, reasonably well educated
twentieth century person? Probably
not one in ten million ever finds out.
Most of us regard with something
akin to veneration Milton's proverbial
eight-thousand word power, and as
for Shakespeare's fifteen thousand
that puts the Bard of Avon in class
by himself to this day, so far as for
mer estimates have been made.
But we may make another guess
today. Now comes Mrs. Myrtle Koon
Clergyman of Grand Rapids, Michi-
gan, with a record of twice that of
Shakespeare and one that places a
piker like Milton in a cave so COM
pletely isolated that he cannot be
heard at all. Mrs. Clergyman says she
made systematic journey through a
dictionary to find out what her word
prS,~ was. Incidently, she learned a
great many interesting things about
the vital statistics of words-their
birth, growth, decline and death
but the mere number of words at her
command was impressive-31,5 500,
twice as many as Shakespeare used!
Mrs. Clergyman is a very intelli-
gent woman, but without formal
college education; a public reader
and an effective speaker; writes both
verse and prose, bue is not classed as
a professional writer. Her journey
through the dictionary was not made
for publication. She began the ex-
pertinent as a sort of game, as a pas
time, going through half-page or a
page list of words every evening, in
the same way in which others might
play hand of solitaire each night
But she soon became interested in
the game and worked at it from time
to time at odd moments. She develop
ed an intense curiosity about words.
She learned a great many curious
facts about some of the words she al
ready knew that made them richer
for her and transformed the journey
through the dictionary into an adven-
turous quest for hidden treasures.
There is the word "sulky," for in
stance-the sort of one-seated gig
her doctor father used to ride in on
his country rounds "so-called,"
says the dictionary, because of the
fact of it's carrying but one person."
the implication seeming to be that
the young man who feels sulky rides
by himself in one of these lonesome
things instead of on regular buggy
seat with his girl beside him.
The comment of this 31,5O0 word
power woman herself on her expert
ment adds a new sprig to the laurel
of Shakespeare: "It only proves that
Shakespeare was even more of a wiz
ard than we have been told, if he
could paint such undying pictures
and give an effect of infinite variety
with half the stock in trade of rath-
er poorly educated woman of the
twentieth century,"
The Record wonders how many
South Carolinians, men and women,
ever try to improve themselves by a
trip through the dictionary. We
should hesitate to even guess, much
less to ask any of our friends, per-
sonally. Yet we know scores and
scores of persons who spent enough
time at the ultra silly tasks to i'm
prove themselves greatly, if they
would spend the same time on worthy
Record.
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the case, why not follow the example
set by the manufacturer and reduce
production to point where the world
will readily absorb their products at
a fair price.
A strong "back-to-the-farm" move
ment is being fostered by many indi-
viduals and organizations. Farm and
Ranch is unable to fathom the mind
that will direct people to invest and
labor long hours producing something
that will glut a market already over
burdened with things that cannot be
sold at a price that will pay even a
small portion of the expense of pro-
ducing. People behind the "back-to-
the-farm movement" may be over
loaded with good intentions, but they
are doing those who have spent their