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CHAPTER X.

SYNONYMS.

As preliminary to the treatment of synonyms, we wish to say that

XXXIII. Some Words Widen their Meaning.—This widening we will represent thus, <. The telescope has revealed many facts concerning the moon, unknown to those who named that body. But we have not dropped the name for another; moon remains, though it signifies now more than it did.

¿ XXXIV. Some Words Narrow their Meaning.—This narrowing we represent thus, ▷. Worm once had, in addition to its present meaning, all that snake, asp, serpent, and kindred words now express. Starve, in Chaucer, meant to die; now, to die of hunger, or, simply, to famish. Creatures meant all created things; now, only living things.

To this tendency synonyms conform; and this, whether they come, those of a group, from the different elements of our language or from the same element. The large ground of meaning once covered by both-symbolized by the space c in the first parallelogram below-is gradually divided between the two, until 1-2 and 3-4 have narrowed, each, we will say, to one-half of 1-4, and c has disappeared as common ground.

XXXV. The Relations of Synonyms to Each Other.-Synonyms are words, in groups of twos or threes or more, which

have a meaning in common, but have also each a meaning wholly its own. They abound in English. They come, oftentimes, those of a group, from the same element of our speech; frequently, from different elements. Their sources in English are largely the Anglo-Saxon and the Latin. When these were blending, the growing component had its choice. between two words for the same thing. Often it chose one, but frequently it took both. Many of its early words the English has since duplicated or triplicated by borrowing directly from the Latin.

Restricting each word of a group to a part of the meaning once held in common by all is to make each word more specific; is, in reality, to add to the resources of the vocabulary. From the beginning of English, the movement has

been one of desynonymization.

To exhibit the relation of synonyms to each other let us draw the parallelogram 1-4,

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and divide it into the two parallelograms 1-2 and 3-4, with 3-2 forming part of each. Now let us suppose the area 1-2 to represent the ground of meaning covered by one synonym, and 3-4 that covered by the other. 3-2, or the space marked c, will then picture that shared by the two synonyms; a that which belongs exclusively to the first synonym; and b that which belongs exclusively to the second. When then, below, we use the letters a, c, b, it will be understood for what parts of the synonyms they stand.

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Bear in mind that a and b do not give the full meaning of

the synonyms. Add c to a for the meaning of the first synonym, and c to b for that of the second.

If there are more than two in the group, conceive the parallelogram c to be extended upwards and downwards. Each extension plus c will then symbolize another synonym, and the complete figure will represent a group of four with the common meaning c.

Sometimes the relation of the synonyms to each other is such that it would be better illustrated by the parallelogram divided thus :

с

2

b

3

1

Here 1-2 and 1-4 represent the two synonyms; and c, their ground of common meaning, is all of the meaning covered by one of the synonyms-which synonym, then, has no meaning exclusively its own.

To the Teacher.-You must determine how much time can be spared for work upon the synonyms below, and what shall be the length of each lesson.

A.-S. = Anglo-Saxon ; L.=Latin; Gk.=Greek; C.=Celtic; S.= Scandinavian; A.=Arabian; I.E.=Indo-European; H.-Hebrew ; P. Persian; and G. German; F. French, but not Latin.

Direction.-Study (1) the meanings which the synonyms below have in common; (2) that which belongs exclusively to each; (3) insert the right word in the illustrative sentences; and (4) frame sentences of your own, using each synonym correctly.

Bring and Fetch, both A.-S.; c, all that is expressed by bring to bear the object from its place to the one giving the order; b, to go and get.

As she was going to - it, he called to her and said, pray thee, a morsel of bread.—Bible.

me, I

Jealousy (Gk.) and Envy (L.); c, a feeling excited in one; a, by fear lest another may deprive one of his own; b, by uneasiness at another's good fortune.

Base withers at another's joy.-Thompson. The sick look with upon the well. Iago aroused Othello's of Cassio.

Hope (A.-S.) and Expect (L.); c, to look forward to something; a, with desire for it; b, with a conviction that it will occur whether desired or not.

All -to die.

there is life there's

deferred maketh the heart sick.-Bible. While Gay.

News and Tidings, both A.-S.; c, fresh information; a, from any quarter, and unlooked for; b, from a particular quarter, and looked for.

The of Lincoln's death shocked us. The loss of the Oregon was startling from Shiloh.

We waited for

Healthy and Healthful, both A.-S.; c, applicable to objects; a, having health; b, producing health.

The climate is

of the orchard are

food tends to make one

The trees

Discover and Invent, both L.; c, to furnish something new; a, by revealing what existed before; b, by creating something not existing before.

The Chinese

gunpowder. Newton the law of gravitation.

Harvey the circulation of blood.

Many (A.-S.) and Much (S.); c, copious, abounding in; a, number; b, quantity.

wheat is exported yearly.

men of

minds.

An Untruth and a Lie, both A.-S.; c, all that is covered by untruth a statement lacking truth; b, made with intent to deceive.

Ananias was smitten dead for the

utter

he told. People unwittingly

Character (Gk.) and Reputation (L.); c, the sum of qualities; a, which one really has; b, which one is credited

with having.

Burr's unenviable ever written out of

grew out of his worthless but by himself. - Monk.

No man was

Brutal and Brutish, both L.; c, denoting qualities attributed to the brute; a, savage, cruel; b, gross, filthy.

A drunkard wallowing in the gutter is ; a drunkard beating

his wife is

Can but and Cannot but, both A.-S.; c, possibility or necessity depending upon; a, physical, natural law; b, moral law or restraint.

We speak of things seen and heard. We think that God is good. Water run down hill.

Grateful (L.) and Thankful (A.-S.); c, all that is denoted by grateful-warm feeling towards a benefactor; b, the expression of this feeling.

A polite man is never without being

also.

Abstinence and Temperance, both L.; c, the whole of temperance-restriction to a moderate use; b, this restriction extended till it becomes total.

Practice in youth, or you will be driven to

in old age.

Dissemblers (L.) and Hypocrites (Gk.); c, deceivers ; a, who conceal what they are; b, who feign to be what they

are not.

André within the American lines, in a citizen's clothes, was a Arnold, whom he visited, had long been a

Murder (A.-S.) and Assassinate (A.); c, the whole of murder to kill with malicious forethought; b, suddenly, and by stealth.

William the Silent and Henry IV. were

Dr. Cronin was

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