The World of Words

The World of Words JN the great world of today there are many smaller worlds — of science, art, speech, politics, business, journalism, medicine, sociology, travel, and above all, religion. Among the worlds, and well among the most interesting to explore, is the world of words — a country wherein one touches hills of his- tory, meadows of meaning, avenues of antiquity; wherein one finds scenes of romance, resting-places of beauty and other delightful spots. Words have within themselves the power to call up half-forgot- ten memories, to capture elusive thoughts and to convey delicate feeling. In one word may be crystal- ized a heart full of sentiment — "We," "Autumn," "Yes," "Mother," for a word is the symbol of thought, the rainbow path along which flows the light of understanding. In a sentence the friendship of nations has been expressed — "Lafayette, we are here!" In a few words at Gettysburg, Lincoln gave to the world inspiration which has lived through long years. In this enchanting, bewildering world are two hemispheres: one, the mechanics of words, in which dwell roots, stems, derivations, prefixes and their technical relatives; the other, the witchery of words, inhabited by metaphor and simile, descriptive phrase and poetry. Among all the languages, none, perhaps, is more interesting and colorful than English — now spoken in many lands and rapidly becoming universal. And yet there is a difference in "English as she is Spoke" in America and England; in the English of Shake- speare and H. G. Wells and that of George Ade and Will Rogers. In a brief glance at these differences one finds a choice side-trip away from the main line of travel through Wordland. Many ordinary expressions of America are scarcely comprehensible to the English, and vice versa. Our saleswoman is their shop-assist- ant. We have a drug store to equal their chemist- shop; and our derby hat is their bowler. They have a guard on the railway carriage for our conductor in the car; we eat crackers while they munch biscuits, and our gasoline is their petrol. Unimportant as this diversity may be, it goes to show the effect of locality on speech. A young man traveling in Europe spoke with such precision and nicety that a chance acquaintance asked him where he had obtained his schooling. "In America," was the reply, to which the other responded, "Then how did you ever learn to speak English?" The tendency to clip one's vocabulary has the effect of throwing a neutral-tinted veil over the glories of word-scenery. Dawn may be merely pretty, or it may be roseate, dew-pearled, cloud-flung, glowing, golden, or irridcscent, according to the vision and vocabulary of the traveler in the lands where dawns grow. In brief verse an Alabama newspaper tells the story: Two adjectives Susannah knows, On these she takes her stand; No matter how this old world goes, 'Tis either "fierce" or "grand!" Another, and worse, blot cm the word-landscape is the flaunting sign board of slang. Slang words are outlaws whose irregular habits and uncertain associations have served to exclude them from culti- vated society. It is somewhat difficult to define slang, as the word itself is of uncertain origin, but it is recognized as a language of highly colloquial type; and classed far below the level of standard speech. It strives for novelty, but with strained effect. Being a "jazz" form of speech, it is in- fluenced by all the ephemeral winds of the world of play — sports, games, stage, screen and automobile, as attested by such expressions as long suit, dark horse, take the count, below the belt; vamp, register, click, dumb, chorine, flat tire, skid, flivver, etc. "Slanguage," as it has been called, is peculiarly at- tractive to youth, fanatically opposed as youth is to the usual, the ordinary, the accepted. With a desire for newness, youth sees in slang the chance to achieve it, ignoring the fact that, due to its very connections, it cannot long remain new. It lacks originality, and frequently misses the point at which it aimed — that of colorful novelty. From the rut of established propriety it careens into the ditch of cheap imitation and far-fetched application. Occasionally a slang phrase appears which justifies itself, but seldom so happily as when King George of England declared that the American bad put "pep" into the Allies. For once, someone has pointed out, slang was made a part of the King's English. Another attempt to put novelty into dignified ex- pression is observed in the tendency to coin new words which have no basis of necessity. Such words as discussant, deRnitize, etc., crop out in conversation and writing, but the person truly desirous of using good English avoids such impromptu and unnecessary terminology and cleaves to the established, authorized forms. In changing times, expressions change, inevitably. New situations, discoveries, and objects require new terms. The intelligent person readily adjusts him- self to this condition, and makes his own words which must be a part of an up-to-date vocabulary. Words such as anesthetic, aseptic, bacteria, submarine , camouflage, zeppelin, voltage, watts, electrode, static, wave-length and others have come into recognized usage in comparatively recent times, but they have come in answer to a definite need, which stamps them as legitimate. In no respect is their newness com- parable to that of slang or the equally annoying improvisation. There is one way of using words which, while strictly justifiable, lends opportunity for originality and color, that of combining verb and adjective meanings* To sigh out a dance, mince into a room, gloom through an evening, or rhapsodize a revly, is enough of a departure from the ordinary to satisfy the craving for novelty without shattering propriety. It affords distinction without coarseness or undesir- able smartness. Walter Pater has said that the great problem of modern speech is to find the right word for the right thing, and in the process of doing so the lines of Pope still hold good as a guide. "In words, as fashions, the same rule will hold, Alike fantastic, if too new or old; Be not the first by whom the new is tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside." — E. T. B.