Evening star., 1932-12-22

An attempt TO select the most beauti-
sul 10 words in the English language
ha1 met with much criticism from the
public, for the reason that it is held by
many impossible to choose such LIST
which would be responsive to all in
dividual tastes. The suggestion came
from Wilfred J. Funk, poet and pub
Usher. whose list includes dawn, hush,
lullaby, murmuring. tranquil. mist. lum-
nous. chimes, golden and melody.
We have 10 disposition TO quarrel
with Mr.. Funks list" says the Omaha
World-Herald. That would b. too
much rushing in where angels fear to
tread If any man is capable of judg-
ing Geographical beauty it should be he.
He is a chip off the old block of a
family which has been dealing in words,
beth professionally and commercially,
for many years. Words are his BUSINESS,
and when he isn't seriously occupied
with them he finds amusement in play
ing with them in the form of nonsense
verse. Nevertheless, Mr.. Funk's list is
disappointing. 1t fails to provoke that
emotional response which is beauty S
due There Is beauty in his words, no
Goubt. but it is the beauty of the flow
CT in the ungerminated seed. the beauty
CT the god captive in base earth. th9
beauty of the uncut diamond. There are
undoubtedly pleasant. graceful words,
and there are ugly, uncouth words. But
the beauty of words is not so much IN
their form and connotation. standing
alcne. as it is in their context, in string
ing them together on the thread of a
beautiful idea. A single pearl may be
exquisitely beautiful, but it cannot COM
pare in beauty with the string OF
matched pearls. no one Of which by
itself is quite so iawless in form and
texture So it is with words. 1t Is
unnecessary to cite examples. but you
will find among English lyrics scores
upon scores which do not contain a
single one of Mr. Funk's selection and
vet which are things of transcendent
beauty. BY the side of them his words
of beauty are only much.
"One should be sure in advance" ad-
vises the San Francisco Chronicle,
whether the words are chosen strictly
for their beatty Of sound or for the
beauty Of the Ideas they represent" J"
That paper holds that mother" Is the
most beautiful word in any language.
and that 'it would be hard to select
beautiful words on the basis OF sound
alone" It feels that it would be i'm
possible to find beauty In "any words,
expressed in no matter what combina-
tion of sound, which stands for an idea
harsh, evil, painful or disgusting" The
Chronicle concludes: There is ire
quently beauty in words which derives
from a third clement In addition to the
two mentioned by Mr.. Funk, beauty OF
meaning and beauty Of sound. This
element is the appropriateness where
one idea has been used in the naming
Of another. Take, for example. the
Spanish noun 'sombrero.' In sound the
word has both dignity and music.
Beauty Of meaning may be ignored
here, since a hat may be anything.
But the word 'sombrero' is pre-eminent
In the third quality. 1t has an eX-
quisite appropriateness. Literally,
'sombrero' means 'shadower.
mo two persons" in the judgment OF
the Dayton Daily News, find beauty
In the same place The reporter who
made q round Of writer's for authort-
tative opinion might have got more in
teresting compilations from that ALL
inclusive figure, the man in the street.
He would then have found job and
prosperity among the most beautiful
and depression and unemployment two
of the ugliest." In agreement with this
point Of view, the Asbury Park Eve
ming Press makes the comment: This
Is undoubtedly an interesting game,
but 1t Is like trying to name the most
palatable foods, for no two persons arc
likely to &xee and there Is no standard
upon Whic8 10 Judge the winner. It Is