Another way in which languages increase their stock of vocables is by
the forming of new words according to the analogy of formations, which
in seemingly parallel cases have been already allowed. Thus long since
upon certain substantives such as ‘congregation’, ‘convention’, were
formed their adjectives, ‘congregational’, ‘conventional’; yet these
also at a comparatively modern period; ‘congregational’ first rising up
in the Assembly of Divines, or during the time of the Commonwealth{80}.
These having found admission into the language, it is attempted to repeat
the process in the case of other words with the same ending. I confess
the effect is often exceedingly disagreeable. We are now pretty well used
to ‘educational’, and the word is sometimes serviceable enough; but I can
perfectly remember when some twenty years ago an “_Educational_ Magazine”
was started, the first impression on one’s mind was, that a work having
to do with education should not thus bear upon its front an offensive, or
to say the best, a very dubious novelty in the English language{81}.
These adjectives are now multiplying fast. We have ‘inflexional’,
‘seasonal’, ‘denominational’, and, not content with this, in dissenting
magazines at least, the monstrous birth, ‘denominationalism’; ‘emotional’
is creeping into books{82}, ‘sensational’, and others as well, so that
it is hard to say where this influx will stop, or whether all our words
with this termination will not finally generate an adjective. Convenient
as you may sometimes find these, I would yet certainly counsel you to
abstain from all but the perfectly well recognized formations of this
kind. There may be cases of exception; but for the most part Pope’s
advice is good, as certainly it is safe, that we be not among the last
to use a word which is going out, nor among the first to employ one that
is coming in.
‘Starvation’ is another word of comparatively recent introduction,
formed in like manner on the model of preceding formations of an
apparently similar character--its first formers, indeed, not observing
that they were putting a Latin termination to a Saxon word. Some have
supposed it to have reached us from America. It has not however
travelled from so great a distance, being a stranger indeed, yet not
from beyond the Atlantic, but only from beyond the Tweed. It is an old
Scottish word, but unknown in England, till used by Mr. Dundas, the
first Viscount Melville, in an American debate in 1775. That it then
jarred strangely on English ears is evident from the nickname,
“_Starvation_ Dundas”, which in consequence he obtained{83}.
{Sidenote: _Revival of Words_}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account