A Card Game Promoting Study of Language.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Card Game Promoting Study of Language.
I, EFFIE EMELINE YOUNG of 45, Park Street, Orange, Essex County, New Jersey,
United States of America, Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows ::-
My invention relates to a card game designed to combine the study of language
with amusement; and has for its object to provide a simple inexpensive game of this
character which may be played by grouping the cards to form sentences or in a variety
of ways and will facilitate both the teaching and learning of a native or foreign
language.
The invention consists in a series of cards bearing a novel arrangement of words
and characters on their faces, all as hereinafter described. .
I will hereinafter more particularly describe the card game as adapted for the study
of a foreign language, but it will be understood that, in so far as some features of the
invention are concerned, the game may be advantageously employed to give one or
more persons a more thorough and correct knowledge of their own native
language.
The gaine consists of any desired number of cards of convenient size, having a word
or words of a foreign language produced on their faces in characters of the familiar
and foreign languages and in a peculiar manner of arrangement hereinafter explained.
There may be any number from one hundred cards or less to ten thousand or more cards
in the game and the cards will be packed in a suitable box having a cover and which
will be labelled to indicate or identify its contents, the box and cards presenting.
similar external appearance to many other card games in common use.
I will refer to three samples of cards for the use of those speaking or understanding:
the English language to obtain a knowledge of the German language, but it is obvious.
that a card game may be arranged on the principles underlying this invention,
for the study of any one language by those understanding a different language.
On one face of each card of the series there is produced, by printing writing or
otherwise and in the characters of the language of the learner or player, a word or
words of the language to be learned and on the reverse side or face of the card there.
is produced in characters familiar to the student or player the phonetic equivalent of
said word or words. This feature of the game cards enables the player to always give
the practically correct pronunciation of the word or words of the foreign lanuage by
referring to the back of the card. I purpose producing this phonetic representation
of the word or words on each card in a different color from that in which they are
produced on the other or first-mentioned side in the correct spelling of the foreign
word. For instance, the first card may have produced on one side or face "Der" in
English characters (and meaning the English article "The ") and on the reverse side.
or face is produced in English characters "Dare" which is the correct phonetic repre-
sentation of "Der" when it is used in the manner or sense indicated by the
grammatical elucidation of the German word expressed in abbreviations readily under-
stood and preferably at the lower part of the card under "Der," as will be hereinafter
more fully explained. In this instance the word "Der" at one face of the card went i
be printed or otherwise produced in black letters and the phonetic "Dare" on the
other face of the card would be printed in red letters or in any other readily distin-
guishable different color. These different colors of the words and their phonetic
equivalents are important, in that it will be understood by the players that the word
proper always appears in one color while the phonetic equivalent always appears in
the other color thus preventing the pupils mistaking the phonetic equivalent for the
word itself.

page_text: This principle of the invention is also carried out in the other cards. The second
card, for example, may bear on one face the German word "Freund" meaning
the English word "Friend" and on the reverse side of this card is produced,
preferably in a different color, the phonetic equivalent "Froint." The third card
may bear on one face the words "Er geht," meaning "He goes" in English and
on its other face is produced "Air gait" the phonetic equivalent giving the correct
pronunciation. I am not limited to placing the phonetic equivalent of the word
or words on the reverse faces of the cards, as both the words and their phonetic
equivalents may be produced on the same sides or faces of the cards and in the
same or in a different color, but the arrangement above described is preferred in
practice.
"
On one face of each card and preferably that face bearing the word of the foreign
language correctly spelled in the characters of the learner's language, is also written
or produced the word or words of the card in the characters of the language to be
learned; "Der," "Freund" and "Gr geht" thus appearing on the three cards respectively
and preferably over "Der," "Freund" and "Er geht." This last named feature of the
invention is valuable independently of the production of the phonetic equivalents of
the word or words on the faces of the cards, but the word or words produced in the
characters of the familiar and foreign languages and correctly spelled combined with
their phonetic equivalents, the latter produced on the cards and preferably at their
reverse sides or faces, is a much more desirable arrangement for promoting a quicker
and more thorough acquisition of the foreign language.
6
"
"
m
وو
Another distinctive feature of my invention consists in the production on the face
of each card of the grammatical elucidation of the word or words produced on the
card either in the familiar characters of the language of the learner only or in such
characters and also the characters of the language to be learned. This grammatical
elucidation, presently to be explained, is produced preferably on the main faces of the
cards having the word or words produced thereon in correct orthography in one or
both languages. In the examples given, the card having "Der"
upon it will also
have on it the grammatical elucidation thereof and preferably in abbreviations readily
understood by the card player, or M-n F-g or d P-g, which indicate that the
word "Der "may be used before a masculine noun indicated by M and in the nominative
case indicated by n and that said word "Der" may be used before a feminine noun
indicated by F when in the genitive or in the dative case indicated by g or d and that
said word "
"
Der
may be used before a plural noun indicated by P in any gender in
the genitive case indicated by g. The card having "Freund on it also has an "
in parenthesis indicating that "Freund" is a masculine noun and the termination "es
with gs
on the card indicate that by adding
"
es to "Freund" the genitive
singular is formed and the termination "e" with n p indicate that by adding
"Freund" the nominative plural is formed. The card having "Er geht" on it with
a line between h and t indicates that the root is "geh" and that the "3rd person
singular written below "Er geh" is formed by adding t to the root, making
"Er geht." By thus placing before the eye of the card player the required
grammatical elucidation of any word every time the word is seen on a card, the use of
a dictionary or language text book is not necessary and the words with their full
meanings will be much more easily learned. In fact, it would be quite inconvenient
and tiresome and would require too much time to consult text books, hence the
interest in the game by advanced students giving especial attention to the grammatical
correctness of words built up to form sentences in playing the game would fail and
the benefits desired by them from the game would not be attained
were the
grammatical elucidations omitted from the cards, although for younger students the
interest in the game may be maintained by using cards devoid of these elucidations
or those having only the correct orthographical and the phonetical representations of
the word or words on one or both faces.
" to
Another distictive feature of the invention consists in using cards of one color
only for each part of speech of the language to be learned, thus materially
assisting the card player or student, as the colors of the cards he holds will

page_text: indicate to him the several parts of speech and he will not confound a noun with
an article or with a verb; and this arrangement also provides for the more
ready mastery of any difficulty, attending the study of any particular part of
speech, as the cards bearing words of this class can readily be selected by their
color alone and by a player ignorant at the time of the meaning of the words.
The colors also serve as an incidental help to the memory of the student.
As
examples, the first card is red the second card is white, and the third card is blue. I
purpose providing with each game a representative set of cards of each of the principal
difficulties in each language, as for instance a verb conjugated each card shewing its
person, number, gender, mood, and tense. 1 will also provide duplicate cards having
produced on them simple words in more general use such as the articles a, an, and
the words "the," "it," etc., in order to facilitate the comparatively quick building up
of sentences by a grouping of cards by the successive players of the game.
$6
Another feature of the invention consists in giving cards bearing the most simple
words which may be used without fear of seriously incorrect results, a certain mark
which will distinguish them from cards bearing other more difficult words requiring
more or less study to understand them. This arrangement divides the cards into
"
series which may be distinguished from each other by any graduated marks
indicating the progressive difficulties attending the study of the words. For instance,
I may use numbers to indicate these characteristics of the word cards; the card
having "Der" on it being marked 1, the card bearing "Freund "being marked 2,
and the card bearing "Er geht" being marked 3, it being understood that all other
cards in the game bearing words not more difficult of acquirement than the word
"Der" will also be marked 1, those bearing words not more difficult than the word
"Freund" will be marked 2, and those bearing words of the same grade or difficulty
of acquirement as Er geht" will be marked 3 and so on all words of the same grade
as regards the ease or difficulty of their acquirement being thus distinguished by the
same number or mark thus grouping the cards in "series" which may at any time be
selected when any particular difficulty presents itself, that it may by more direct
efforts be quickly and thoroughly mastered. It is also my purpose to provide with
each card game a pamphlet "Key" containing many or all of the words of the game
and tables of their conjugations, declensions, derivations, etc., and rules for the use of
words and construction of sentences, allowing the game to be readily played by junior
or advanced students, without reference to any other dictionary or text book.
The game may be played by younger or older students of a foreign language,
in a variety of ways, as may be suggested by the judgment or fancy of the
teacher or learner one good way for beginners being to shuffle the cards and
deliver a number say four to each player it being advisable to select those cards
bearing the serial numbers or marks indicating that they carry ordinarily simple
words. If the language to be learned, German for instance, is known by one of
the players be may explain the meanings of the words on the distributed cards,
but if all the players are novices the " Key "will be consulted to get their full
meaning. Each player now understanding the words on the cards he holds, one
player will lay down a card, pronouncing the word or words on it and giving its
or their meaning as he does so, the next player will in turn, if he can, lay next
the first card one bearing a word or words making a sensible combination with
the word or words of the first card, pronouncing and defining such words as he
does so and also interpreting the meaning of the words or phrase or sentence this
far formed. If the second player has no card or cards he can use to make
sensible word combinations with the first card laid down, he must draw from
the pile or number of undisturbed cards until he secures a card which he can
play in this manner, and the next players proceed in like manner each playing
one or more cards as he may be able to do in constructing a complete phrase or
sentence. When one player has used all his cards he is the victor of the first
round and the number of cards held by the other players will be counted and
placed to his credit. At the end of the first round the cards which have already
been played will be shuffled and redistributed, giving each player a different

page_text: hand. Explanations by one player or from the "Key" having again been secured
a second round will be played like the first one, and thus any required number
of rounds will be played until the victor has to his or her credit a certain
predetermined number of cards. When the players already have some knowledge
of the language being studied in the card game, the grammatical elucidations
indicated on the card will be brought into requisition in some particular pre-
determined manner; for instance, if a player held an infinitive verb he might be
allowed to use it in any person, mood, or tense, he wished; if a noun he might
use it in any number or case; and all these features may be regulated by a
general requirement that some particular mood, tense, etc., is to be used.
the game may be played, a mistake in formation, construction, pronunciation, or
interpretation, would oblige the culprit to draw from the reserve fund of cards
thus lessening his chances of playing all his cards and being the victor of any
round of the game.
However
By the aid of this card game, a large vocabulary can be quickly and easily gained
and with prospect of remembering it as each word as learned is put to immediate
practical and agreeable use in a much greater variety of ways than would be possible
in study from ordinary text books and as a preparation for correct conversation it is
valuable as each player and student is constantly called upon to form entirely new
sentences. While the game presents an agreeable pastime it calls for beneficial mental
effort of service not only to a teacher of foreign languages but also to the student-
player in grounding himself in the principles of the language and it is believed that a
much larger amount of thoughtful repetition of words and their meanings can be
secured by the playing of this game than most people will give to the contents of a
text book. The use of this card game in the study of one's own or native language is
most beneficial in acquiring correct use of words and in promoting proficiency in
composition or in conversation.
The
There may be a slight variation in the arrangement of the text, the purpose being
to demonstrate that the marks or numerals may be made to perform double duty;
First the grammatical signification of a word and Second the degree of difficulty of
acquirement and of use in the game. For example, on the card the figure "2" may
be formed in connection with the letter "e." The student is informed in the pamphlet
designed to accompany the cards that the figure "2" if found anywhere except in the
upper right hand corner stands for the nominative and accusative cases in the plural
number, and that by adding the letters found near this figure to the word in the centre
of the card these cases of the word under consideration may be formed.
figure "2" takes the place it will be seen of more lengthy abbreviations. In addition
to this the cards are so arranged that the forms of the nouns will be most easily and
pleasantly acquired if other cards marked "2" are used at the same time; for
instance, numeral adjectives are marked "2" (in the upper right hand corner, this
placing shewing that their significance is not confined to the nominative and accusative
plural) the article "Die " (used as a nominative and accusative plural article) is
marked "2" etc. In the same manner the figure "5" refers to the genitive case
(singular if on the left side of the card, plural if on the right)-and "6" to the
dative, etc. On verb cards, the numbers refer to tenses instead of cases.
instance, the card may bear the numeral "6" in connection with endings or termina-
tions for the imperfect tense. Thus on the cards marked "6" are the words "Sehen"
(to see) "Gestern" (yesterday) "Vorgestern" (day before yesterday) and other words
requiring a past tense of the verb.
For
I do not limit myself to the use of figures in the designation of cases, tenses, etc.;
as instead of numbers I may employ abbreviations in common use as Nom. and Acc.
Pl., Gen. Dat. etc.
Cards representing certain difficulties or certain classes of words can be chosen by
their numbers (as well as by their colors as hereinbefore mentioned) by persons ignorant
at the time of the meaning of the words borne by them. Some of the cards bear
different terminations for the word appearing in large print; by choosing the correct
termination the card may be used in the formation of many sentences which without

page_text: such treatment would be impossible for those beginning the study of the language.
The player is on the alert to form a sentence if any changes will make it possible and
in the effort to accommodate one card to another (which effort forms the basis of the
game) the use of the various terminations is of necessity mastered. Some of the
cards may also bear remarks relating to construction.
Dated this 4th day of March 1890
E. E. YOUNG.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Card Game Promoting Study of Language.
I, EFFIE EMELINE YOUNG of 45 Park Street, Orange, Essex County, New Jersey,
United States of America, Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a card game designed to combine the study of language
with amusement; and has for its object to provide a simple inexpensive game of this
character which may be played by grouping the cards to form sentences, or in a
variety of ways, and will facilitate both the teaching and learning of a native or a
foreign language.
The invention consists in a series of cards bearing a novel arrangement of words
and characters on their faces, all as hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open box filled with cards prepared in accordance
my invention;
with
Figures 2, 4 and 6 are face views of one side of three of the cards ;
Figures 3, 5 and 7 are reverse side or face views of these cards; and
Figures 8 and 9 illustrate slight variations in the cards.
I will hereinafter more particularly describe the card game as adapted for the
study of a foreign language, but it will be understood that in so far as some features
of the invention are concerned, the game may be advantageously employed to give
one or more persons a more thorough and correct knowledge of their own native
language.
The game as shown consists of any desired number of cards A, of convenient size
having a word or words of a foreign language produced on their faces in characters of
the familiar and foreign languages, and in a peculiar manner or arrangement herein-
after explained. There may be any number from one hundred cards or less, to ten
thousand or more cards in the game, and the cards will be packed in a suitable box B,
having a cover b, and which will be labelled to indicate or identify its contents, the
box and cards presenting similar external appearance to many other card games in
common use, and as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.
The three samples of cards shown are for the use of those speaking or understanding
the English language, to obtain a knowledge of the German language, but it is
obvious that a card game may be arranged on the principles underlying this
invention, for the study of any one language by those understanding a different
language.
On one face of each card of the series there is produced by printing, writing or
otherwise and in the characters of the language of the learner or player, a word or
words of the language to be learned, and on the reverse side or face of the card there
is produced in characters familiar to the student or player the phonetic equivalent of
said word or words. This feature of the game cards enables the player to always give
the practically correct pronunciation of the word or words of the foreign language

page_text: by referring to the back of the card. I purpose producing this phonetic representation
of the word or words on each card in a different color from that in which they are
produced on the other or first mentioned side in the correct spelling of the foreign
word. For instance, the first card A, shown in reverse in Figures 2 and 3 of the
drawing has produced on one side or face "Der " in English characters (and meaning
the English article "The,") and on the reverse side or face is produced in English
characters "Dare," which is the correct phonetic representation of "Der when it is
used in the manner or sense indicated by the grammatical elucidation of the German
word expressed in abbreviations readily understood and preferably at the lower part
of the card under "Der," as shown in Figure 2, and as will be hereinafter more fully
explained. In this instance, the word "Der" at one face of the card would be
printed, or otherwise produced, in black letters, and the phonetic Dare" on the
other face of the card would be printed in red letters, or in any other readily
distinguishable different color.
These different colors of the words and their phonetic equivalents are important, in
that it will be understood by the players that the word proper always appears in one
color, while the phonetic equivalent always appears in the other color, thus preventing
the pupils mistaking the phonetic equivalent for the word itself.
This principle of the invention is also carried out in the other two cards, the second
card shown in Figures and 5 of the drawing having produced on one face the
German word "Freund," meaning the English noun "Friend," and on the reverse
side of this card is produced preferably in a different color, the phonetic
equivalent "Froint." The third card bears on one face the words "Er geht,"
meaning "He goes," in English, and at its other face is produced "Air gait," the
phonetic equivalent giving the correct pronunciation. I am not limited to placing the
phonetic equivalent of the word or words on the reverse faces of the cards, as both
the words and their phonetic equivalents may be produced on the same sides or faces
of the cards, and in the same or in a different color, but the arrangement shown and
above described is preferred in practice.
"
«
<
On one face of each card, and preferably that face bearing the word of the foreign
language correctly spelled in the characters of the learner's language, is also written
or produced the word or words of the card in the characters of the language to be
learned; "Der," "Freund" and "Gr geht" thus appearing on the three cards
respectively, and preferably over Der," Freund and "Er geht." This last
nained feature of the invention is valuable independently of the production of the
phonetic equivalents of the word or words on the faces of the cards, but the word or
words produced in the characters of the familiar and foreign languages and
correctly spelled, combined with their phonetic equivalents, the latter produced
on the cards and preferably at their reverse, sides or faces, is a much more desirable
arrangement for promoting a quicker and more thorough acquisition of the foreign
language.
Another distinctive feature of my invention consists in the production on the face of
each card, of the grammatical elucidation of the word or words produced on the card,
either in the familiar characters of the language of the learner only, or in such characters
and also the characters of the language to be learned. This grammatical elucidation
presently to be explained, is produced preferably on the main faces of the cards
having the word or words produced thereon in correct orthography in one or both
languages. In the examples shown, the card having "Der " on it, will also have on
it the grammatical elucidation thereof, and preferably in abbreviations readily under-
stood by the card player, or M-n F-g or d; P―g, which indicate that the
word "Der " may be used before a masculine noun, indicated by M, and in the
nominative case, indicated by n; and that said word "Der may be used before a
feminine noun indicated by F, when in the genitive or in the dative case, indicated
by g or d; and that said word "Der "may be used before a plural noun indicated
by P, in any gender, in the genitive case indicated by g. The card having "Freund"
on it, also has an "in parentheses, indicating that "Freund" is a masculine noun,
es with g, s, on the card, indicate that by adding "es
"
and the termination "
"
"

page_text: "
"with n, P,
to "Freund" the genitive singular is formed, and the termination " е
indicate that by adding "e to "Freund," the nominative plural is formed. The
card having "Er geht" on it, with a line between h and t, indicates that the root
is " geh," and that the "3rd person, singular" written below "Er geh" is formed
by adding t, to the root, making "Er geht," as shown.
By thus placing before the eye of the card player the required grammatical
elucidation of any word every time the word is seen on a card, the use of a dictionary
or language text book is not necessary, and the words with their full meanings will
be much more easily learned. In fact, it would be quite inconvenient and tiresome,
and would require too much time to consult text books, hence the interest in the game
by advanced students giving especial attention to the grammatical correctness of
words built up to form sentences in playing the game, would fail, and the benefits
desired by them from the game would not be attained were the grammatical elucida-
tions omitted from the cards, although for younger students, the interest in the game
may be maintained by using cards devoid of these elucidations, or those having only
the correct orthographical and the phonetical representations of the word or words on
one or both faces.
Another distinctive feature of the invention consists in using cards of one color
only for each part of speech of the language to be learned, thus materially assisting
the card player or student, as the colors of the cards he holds will indicate to him the
several parts of speech, and he will not confound a noun with an article or with a
verb; and this arrangement also provides for the more ready mastery of any difficulty
attending the study of any particular part of speech, as the cards bearing words of
this class can readily be selected by their color alone and by a player ignorant at the
time of the meaning of the words. The colors also serve as an incidental help to
the memory of the student. As examples, the first card shown in the drawing is red,
as indicated at the left-hand end of Figure 3; the second card is white, as indicated at
the left hand of Figure 3, and the third card is blue, as indicated at the left hand
in Figure 7.
I purpose providing with each game a representative set of cards of each of the
principal difficulties in each language, as, for instance, a verb conjugated, each card
showing its person, number, gender, mood, and tense. I will also provide duplicate
cards having produced on them simple words in more general use, such as the
articles a, an, and the words "the," "it," &c., in order to facilitate the com-
paratively quick building up of sentences by a grouping of cards by the successive
players of the game.
Another feature of the invention consists in giving cards bearing the most simple
words which may be used without fear of seriously incorrect results, a certain mark,
which will distinguish them from cards bearing other more difficult words requiring
more or less study to understand them. This arrangement divides the cards into
"series," which may be distinguished from each other by any graduated marks,
indicating the progressive difficulties attending the study of the words. For instance,
I may use numbers to indicate these characteristics of the word cards, the card
having "Der" on it being marked 1; the card bearing "Freund "being marked 2,
and the one bearing "Er geht" being marked 3, it being understood that all other
cards in the game bearing words not more difficult of acquirement than the
word "Der" will be also marked 1; those bearing words not more difficult than the
word "Freund" will be marked 2, and those bearing words of the same grade or
difficulty of acquirement as "Er geht" will be marked 3, and so on, all words of the
same grade, as regards the ease or difficulty of their acquirement being thus dis-
tinguished by the same number or mark, thus grouping the cards in "series" which
may at any time be selected when any particular difficulty presents itself, that it may,
by more direct efforts, be quickly and thoroughly mastered."
It is also my purpose to provide with each card game a pamphlet "Key,"
containing many or all of the words of the game, and tables of their conjugations,
declensions, derivations, etc., and rules for the use of words, and construction of

page_text: sentences, allowing the game to be readily played by junior or advanced students,
without reference to any other dictionary or text book.
The game may be played by younger or older students of a foreign language, in a
variety of ways, as may be suggested by the judgment or fancy of the teacher or
learner, one good way for beginners being to shuffle the cards and deliver a number,
say four, to each player, it being advisable to select those cards bearing the "serial
numbers or marks indicating that they carry ordinarily simple words. If the
language to be learned, German, for instance, is known by one of the players, he may
explain the meanings of the words on the distributed cards, but if all the players are
novices, the "Key will be consulted to get their full meaning. Each player now
understanding the words on the cards he holds, one player will lay down a card,
pronouncing the word or words on it, and giving its or their meaning as he does so;
the next player in turn will if he can, lay next the first card, one bearing a word or
word making a sensible combination with the word or words of the first card,
pronouncing and defining such words as he does so, and also interpreting the
meaning of the words or phrase or sentence thus far formed. If the second player
has no card or cards he can use to make sensible word combinations with the first card
laid down, he must draw from the pile or number of undisturbed cards until he
secures a card which he can play in this manner, and the next players proceed in like
each playing one or more cards as he may be able to do in constructing a
complete phrase or sentence. When one player has used all his cards he is the victor
of the first round, and the number of cards held by the other players will be counted
and placed to his credit. At the end of the first round, the cards which have already
been played will be shuffled and redistributed, giving each player a different hand.
Explanations by one player, or from the "Key" having again being secured, a second
round will be played, like the first one; and thus any required number of rounds will
be played until the victor has to his or her credit a certain predetermined number of
manner,
cards.
When the players already have some knowledge of the language being studied in
the card game, the grammatical elucidations indicated on the card will be brought
into requisition in some particular predetermined manner, for instance, if a player
held an infinitive verb he might be allowed to use it in any person, mood, or tense he
wished; if a noun, he might use it in any number or case, and all these features may
be regulated by a general requirement that some particular mood, tense, etc., is to be
used. However the game may be played, a mistake in formation, construction,
pronunciation, or interpretation would oblige the culprit to draw from the reserve
fund of cards, thus lessening his chances of playing all his cards and being the victor
of any round of the game.
By the aid of this card game a large vocabulary can be easily and quickly gained
and with prospect of remembering it, as each word as learned is put to immediate
practical and agreeable use in a much greater variety of ways than would be possible
in study from ordinary text books; and as a preparation for correct conversation it is
valuable, as each player and student is constantly called upon to form entirely new
sentences. While the game presents an agreeable pastime it calls for beneficial
mental effort of service not only to a teacher of foreign languages but also to the
student player in grounding himself in the principles of the language, and it is
believed that a much larger amount of thoughtful repetition of words and their
meanings can be secured by the playing of this game than most people will give to the
contents of a text book.
The use of this card game in the study of one's own or native language is most
beneficial in acquiring correct use of words and in promoting proficiency in
composition or in conversation.
In Figures 8 and 9, I have shown a slight variation in the arrangement of the text,
the purpose being to demonstrate that the marks or numerals may be made to perform
double duty, First, the grammatical significance of a word, and Second, the degree of
difficulty of acquirement and of use in the game.

page_text: For example, in the card shown in Figure 8, the figure "2" is formed in connection
with the letter "E." The student is informed in the pamphlet designed to accompany
the cards, that the figure "2," if found anywhere except in the upper right-hand
corner, stands for the nominative and accusative cases in the plural number; and that
by adding the letters found near this figure to the word in the centre of the card, these
cases of the word under consideration may be formed. The figure "2," takes the
place, it will be seen, of more lengthy abbreviations.
'
In addition to this, the cards are so arranged that the forms of the nouns will be
most easily and pleasantly acquired if other cards marked "2," are used at the same
time; for instance, numeral adjectives are marked "2," (in the upper right-hand
corner, this placing showing that their significance is not confined to the nominative
and accusative, plural); the article "Die" (used as a nominative and accusative
plural article) is marked "2," etc. In the same manner the figure "5" refers to the
genitive case (singular if on the left side of the card, plural if on the right),-and "6"
to the dative, etc.
On verb cards, the numbers refer to tenses instead of cases. For instance, in the
card shown in Figure 9, the numeral 6, is found in connection with endings or
terminations for the imperfect tense. Among the cards marked "6," the words
"Sehen" (to see), "Gestern" (yesterday), "Vorgestern" (day before yesterday), and
other words requiring a past tense of the verb will be found.
I do not limit myself to the use of figures in the designation of cases, tenses, etc.,
as instead of numbers I may employ abbreviations in common use, as Nom. and Acc.
Pl., Gen., Dat., etc.
Cards representing certain difficulties or certain classes of words can be chosen by
their numbers, (as well as by their colors, as hereinbefore mentioned), by persons
ignorant at the time of the meaning of the words borne by them.
Some of the cards shown bear different terminations for the word appearing in
large print; by choosing the correct termination, the card may be used in the
formation of many sentences which without such treatment would be impossible for
those beginning the study of the language.
The player is on the alert to form a sentence if any changes will make it possible,
and in the effort to accommodate one card to another, (which effort forms the basis of
the game), the use of the various terminations is of necessity mastered.
Some of the cards also bear remarks relating to construction, see Figure 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language, and also the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, substantially as
herein set forth.
2. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language, also the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, and also the grammatical
elucidation of the word or words, substantially as herein set forth.
3. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language, and also bearing in a different color the phonetic equivalent of said word or
words, substantially as herein set forth.
4. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
word or words of a language, and bearing on the reverse side or face the phonetic
equivalent of said word or words, substantially as herein set forth.
5. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
word or words of a language, and bearing on the reverse side or face and in a
different color the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, substantially as herein
set forth.
6. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
foreign word or words in the characters of both the familiar and foreign languages,
substantially as herein set forth.

page_text: 7. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
foreign word or words in the characters of both the familiar and foreign languages,
and bearing also the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, substantially as herein
set forth. :
8. A card game consisting of a number of cards bearing on one face a word or
words, and also the grammatical elucidation of said word or words, substantially as
herein set forth.
9. A card game consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
foreign word or words in the characters of both the familiar and foreign languages,
and also bearing the grammatical elucidation of said word or words, substantially as,
herein set forth.
10. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
word or words and also the grammatical elucidation thereof, and also bearing on their
reverse side or face the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, substantially as
herein set forth.
:
11. A card gaine, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or face a
foreign word or words in foreign and also in familiar characters, and bearing on the
same face the grammatical elucidation of said word or words, and said cards also
bearing on their reverse side or face the phonetic equivalent of said word or words,
substantially as herein set forth.
12. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language, and the cards carrying or representing the same parts of speech having a
like color for ready identification, substantially as herein set forth.
13. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language and also the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, and the cards.
carrying or representing the same parts of speech having a like color for ready:
identification, substantially as hercin set forth.
14. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on. one side or face a
word or words of a language, and bearing on the reverse side or face the phonetic
equivalent of said word or words, and the cards carrying or representing the same
parts of speech having a like color for ready identification, substantially as herein set
forth..
15. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing on one side or faco a
foreign word or words in the characters of both the familiar and foreign languages,
and said cards bearing on the reverse side or face the phonetic equivalent of said word
or words, and the cards carrying or representing the same parts of speech having a
like color for readý identification, substantially as herein set forth.
16. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language, and also the phonetic equivalent of said word or words, and said cards being
marked for identification in "series" indicating the probable degree of difficulty
involved in the study of the word or words on them, substantially as herein set
forth.
17. A card game, consisting of a number of cards bearing a word or words of a
language and also the phonetic equivalent of said word or words and the cards bearing
numbers (1, 2, 3, &c.) indicating their classification "in series," according to difficulty
of use in each sense in which the said word or words may be used, as specified.
Dated this 9th day of September 1890.
Dated this 9th day of September 10.
E. E. YOUNG.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.