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The usage of the best speakers and writers is our only standard of purity.

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Campbell's Law. With reference to usage, Campbell, in his Philosophy of Rhetoric, defines good usage as being

1. Reputable; that is, the usage of the intelligent and educated.

2. National, as opposed to provincial, technical, or foreign.

3. Present, as opposed to what is obsolete.

Violations of Purity.-The chief violations of purity are found in the use of foreign words, new words, obsolete words, provincialisms, and technical terms.

1. Foreign Words.-Foreign words and expressions that have not been naturalized should be avoided. Naturalized words are those which have been adopted into our language and become familiar to the ordinary reader. Scholarly and cultured writers rarely use a foreign word, from either the ancient or the modern languages, where the thought can be as well expressed by the use of English. The use of foreign terms where the thought can be as well expressed in English is regarded as evidence of pedantry and affectation.

Note. It must be remembered, however, that many foreign terms, such as omnibus, quorum, item, ignoramus, lunatic, advent, and hosts of others, have been naturalized, or Anglicized, and that it is entirely proper to use these in English composition.

2. New Words. All newly-coined words should be avoided. Newly-coined words are such as have not received the sanction of reputable writers. They include such words as enthuse, burglarize, bulldoze, suicided, mugwump, and the like.

A word is not to be rejected simply because it is new. It is the law of our language that new words are constantly being formed and introduced as the necessity for them arises. Many of these words remain permanently and become a part of our general vocabulary ; but it is a safe rule for young writers not to be among the first to use words newly coined or newly introduced.

Law of Verbal Formation.-As a general rule in the formation of words, the component parts of a word. should be taken from the same language. Thus, the Latin termination -ity should be added to Latin roots alone, and the Saxon -ness, meaning the same thing, to Saxon roots. In this way we get from the Latin cavus, felix, brevis, unus, etc., cavity, felicity, brevity, unity, etc. In a similar manner we get from the Saxon words one, same, sick, sour, etc., the derivatives oneness, sameness, sickness, sourness, etc. So also from the Greek tele, afar off, and graphien, to write, we get telegraph, telegram, telegraphic.

The following are hybrids, or words of mongrel formation, and should be discarded: Timist, from the Anglo-Saxon and the Greek; cablegram, from the French and the Greek; amiableness, from the Latin and the Anglo-Saxon.

Exceptions to the Law.-While the general law of verbal formation may be followed with safety, there are many words now in use which are exceptions to the law. This is true of such words as appositeness, credibleness, and the like, which are in general use, but even in such cases the word which conforms to the law is to be preferred.

3. Obsolete Words.-Not only are new words being constantly formed and introduced into our language, but others are also constantly disappearing. Words no longer in use are known as obsolete.

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These words were at one time in popular use, but they are now used only in imitations of the ancient style, and occasionally in poetry. If used at present by a writer they would be considered barbarisms.

There are many words which, though not obsolete, are gradually vanishing from the language, such as amongst, hearken, froward, whilst, etc. These are known as obsolescent.

The Safe Plan.-Writers of English have such a rich vocabulary from which to draw that there is but little excuse for violating purity by the selection of unusual words, either new or old. Where a new thought is to be expressed, the use of a new or an unusual word to correspond with the thought is permissible, but, in general, the safest plan is to use only those words which are known to be sanctioned by the best usage. Pope states the rule as follows:

"In words, as fashions, the same rule will hold:
Alike fantastic if too new or old;

Be not the first by whom the new are tried,
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside."

4. Provincialisms.-All provincial or local forms of expression should be avoided. To this class belong such words as chuck-hole, boost, and nullify, meaning to disappoint.

Vulgarisms and colloquialisms are in many cases provincial, and are to be avoided. The former ought specially to be avoided on the ground of morality, and both because they add nothing to the dignity of discourse.

5. Technical Terms.-Technical terms are admissible only in dealing with the subjects to which they apply,

and in speaking or writing to those who fully understand their meaning and application.

Campbell's Canons.-Campbell gives in substance the following precepts or canons for the use of language:

Canon 1.-When two words or phrases are in equally good use, one susceptible of two significations and the other of but one, choose the latter. Thus, "insurance " policy is preferable to 66 assurance "policy, as "assurance" means also "confidence." Thus, also, bidden and forgotten are preferable as participles to bid and forgot, as the latter are used also as verbs.

Canon 2.—In doubtful cases the analogy of the language should be regarded. Thus, contemporary is preferable to cotemporary, because the n of con is usually retained when placed before a syllable beginning with a consonant. On the same principle of analogy would rather and would better are preferable to had rather and had better, though the latter also are grammatically correct.

Canon 3.-Other things being equal, the simpler and briefer form should be chosen. Thus, accept, admit, and approve are preferable to accept of, admit of, and approve of. So also mix is preferable to mix up, brush off, to brush off of, follow to follow after, etc.

Canon 4.-Of two forms of expression otherwise in equally good use, the one which is the more agreeable to the ear should be chosen. Hence, scarcity is preferable to scarceness, delicacy to delicateness, amiability to amiableness, toward to towards, etc.

This canon does not, however, permit us to sacrifice sense to sound; but when we can substitute a pleasant-sounding word for one that is unpleasant to the ear without interfering with the sense, it should be done.

Canon 5.-In the few cases where the preceding canons do not settle the doubt, the choice should be in favor of the word which conforms to the older usage. On this ground jail is preferable to gaol, trustworthy to reliable, and begin to commence.

e majority of good writers, it is folly to declaim against it, and the nons above referred to cannot be quoted.

EXERCISE.

iticise the following with regard to Purity:

1. I am much beholden to you.

2. Methinks he will come soon.

3. The gallantness of the young man was remarkable.

4. Your change in circumstances has quite transmogrified

u.

5. Let physical punishment always be your dernier resort.

6. This is, par excellence, the summer resort.

7. Temperance and exercise are preventatives of disease.
8. Your action will jeopardize our interests.
9. I must say I admire your candidness.

10. The lamps were lit soon after dark.

11. He can't be bamboozled with any such devices.

12. The boys made an attempt to bulldoze the teacher, but ey failed.

13. The battle had scarcely commenced before the sutlers bean to skedaddle.

14. A new proposition is on the tapis.

15. My impression is that there was a difficulty betwixt them. 16. Mr. Smith is advertised to orate at the meeting. 17. The excellencies of the book are specially notable.

18. We have no desire to associate with people of their ilk. 19. Your friend has just stepped out; he'll be back to rights. 20. The hunter was known among his associates as a crack not.

21. I reckon one is as near right as the other.

22. The man was stricken down with coup-de-soleil.

23. The gamins surrounded the beggar and began at once to aff him.

24. There was danger that the fracas would result in an neute.

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