Haphazard studies in the English language

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Haphazard studies in the English language
Language: English
Source: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume 9 (Issue No. 9) September 1929
Year: 1929
Rights
Fulltext: September, 1929 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 21. the bishops a preeminence of rank, and from thence a superiority of jurisdiction. As often as in the spring and autumn they met in provin cial synod, the difference of personal merit and reputation was very sensibly felt among the members of the assembly, and the multitude was governed by the wisdom and eloquence of the few. But the order of public proceedings re quired a more regular and less invidious distinc tion; the office of perpetual presidents in the councils of each province was conferred on the bishops of the principal city; and these aspiring prelates, who soon acquired the lofty titles of Metropolitans and Primates, secretly prepared themselves to usurp over their episcopal brethren the same authority which the bishops had so lately assumed above the college of presbyters. Nor was it long before an emulation of preemin ence and power prevailed among the Metropoli tans themselves, each of them affecting to dis play, in the most pompous terms, the temporal honors and advantages of the city over which he presided; the numbers and opulence of the Chris tians who were subject to their pastoral care; the saints and martyrs who had arisen among them; and the purity with which they preserved the tradition of the faith, as it had been transmitted through a series of orthodox bishops from the apostle or the apostolic disciple to whom the foundation of their church was ascribed. From every cause, either of a civil or of an ecclesias tical nature, it was easy to foresee that Rome must enjoy the respect, and would soon claim the obedience, of the provinces. The society of the faithful bore a just proportion to the capital of the empire; and the Roman church was the greatest, the most numerous, and, in regard to the West, the most ancient of all the Christian establishments, many of which had received their religion from the pious labors of her missionaries. Instead of one apostolic founder, the utmost boast of Antioch, of Ephesus, or of Corinth, the banks of the Tiber were supposed to have been honored with the preaching and martyrdom of the two most eminent among the apostles; and the bishops of Rome very prudently claimed the (Continued on paée 28) Haphazard Studies in the English Language The University Dictionary which is sold by the Manila Daily Bulletin at two pesos the copy, contains an essay on Common Errors in English by Dr. Farquson Johnson that will be run in installments in this department, commencing with this issue. For it is at once interesting and instructive; indeed, the editor of the Journal, benefited by it greatly in his own diction, has seen nothing comparable to it any where. For this essay alone, he would not part with his own copy of this convenient English vocabulary at any price—unless he might, for the pittance at which it sells, obtain another. Dr. Johnson’s pages fairly glow with linguistic erudition, as the student will observe. But the original was proof-read carelessly, and the errors which therefore appear in it have here been corrected. Where there are references to the main vocabulary, etc., any standard English dictionary may be consulted.—Ed. {Continued) at auction. In England they say “by auc tion,” but in America we say “at private sale” and “at auction.” Johnson says/“the verb auction means to sell by auction,” that is, by offering to the highest bidder. “At an auction” and “at a private sale” are common and correct expressions. at length, at last. The difference in meaning between these two phrases often escapes all but the most careful speakers. “At last” . implies difficulties overcome, impediments causing unforeseen delay, or disappointment by having had to wait longer for an object than we expected. “At length” is not neces sarily final, but implies long continuance of effort, mental or physical, for a definite end, or long continued hope, expectation, suspense or suffering. “At length his wishes were realized and he went to Europe.” “At last he died.” at you. Not “mad at you,” but “angry with you,” will correct two common errors. attache. Although this is purely a French word, we have adopted it for want of a better one. Pronounced a-ta-shay, with the first two a’s short, and last a long; only slight ac cent on last syllable. auxiliary. Pronounced aug-zil'yari, not auks'il-ary. avenue. Often mispronounced av'noo or av'enoo; should be av'e-new. avocation. To be distinguished from voca tion, which should be used of a man’s daily business or calling in life, while his avocation is his recreative employment, or, it may be, his hobby. Thus we say correctly, “The law is his vocation, politics his avocation”; “Her vocation is teaching, her avocation pyrography.” As Alfred Ayres clearly puts it, “Our avocations are the things we do for the love of doing them; our vocations are the things we do for gain.” The two words are frequently confounded, but careful speakers will avoid the error. awful, awfully. Colloquialisms that grate upon the ear in such phrases as “awfully good,” “an awful headache,” and “Thanks awfully!” Their use, even when regarded as slang, is always in poor taste, and generally betokens a limited vocabulary. The common misuse of such strong words as “awful” results unfortunately in lessening their strength and value for legitimate use. There is surely nothing awe-inspiring about the ordinary social bore, but he is flippantly and frequently called “an awful bore,” which robs the word “awful” of its significance when properly applied to a truly awe-inspiring spect Bring your plans to us. Let us counsel with you about building with APO Cement, an enduring material lending itself to the beauties of permanent architecture. Strive for Permanence and Beauty in Building Consider the Facts of True Economy! No one has studied the conditions surrounding real estate in Manila and environs more than the judges of our courts; and they find the topography of the city such that, combined with the peculiar ownership of extensive urban areas, values are even higher than the growing population of the city would alone bring about. It is false economy to build on such land save with the most permanent material—CONCRETE, A home product— “APO” CEBU PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY CHINA BANK BUILDING MANILA, P. I. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 22 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL September, 1929 acle. To speak of an artesian well as “an awful bore” would be a correct use of the word, but would cause smiles instead of won der or admiration, simply because of the wide spread misuse of “awful.” Careful speakers will scrupulously avoid such misuse of awful, terrible, horrible, and similar words. aye. Two distinct pronunciations of this word are sanctioned. When it signifies “yes,” or a vote in the affirmative, it is pronounced as long i; when it means “always, ever,” the pro nuncia' on is that of long a. B bachelor. A very common abbreviation of this word is bach; not used by good speakers or writers. back. Should not be used with “return,” which includes the sense of back. “He will return back home” is an example of frequent misuse. bacillus. Pronounced ba-sil'us. The plural of this word, “bacilli,” is often misused for the singular form. backward, backwards. The former may be used as either an adjective or an adverb, the latter is a variant form of the adverb. We speak correctly of “a backward pupil,” and we retire either backward or backwards, ac cording to individual preference, both forms being used by good writers. There is a ten dency to drop the final s in all such adverbs, bad. Misused in such cases as “a bad cold, a bad wound,” where severe or dangerous is the proper word. As one writer pertinently asks, “Inasmuch as colds are never good, why should we call them bad?” bade. The a is short, bad; not baid. badly. “I want to see you badly” should be “I want to see you very much.” Similarly with “We miss you badly.” The use of badly in such cases is undesirable. baggage. The word is seldom used in speech in England, where “luggage” takes its place. The best English writers, however, are now using “baggage,” and it is etymologically the better word. “Luggage” is perhaps better suited to the conditions existing in Europe, where travelers continue to “lug” their bag gage, in the absence of many conveniences of transportation here. balance. Frequently and erroneously used for rest, remainder. Balance is the excess of one thing over another, that which will make them balance, and should only be used in this sense. “The balance of the evening” is not only wrong but ridiculous, like “The balance of the guests stayed late.” “Rest” or “re mainder” are easily and properly substituted. “Balance” is correctly used of accounts, in referring to the difference between the debits and the credits, or the sum needed to balance an account. balm. Pronounced bahm, not bam. banister, banisters. Used colloquially for baluster and balustrade, which are preferred in formal speech and writing, on the ground of etymological correctness. Banister is sim ply a corruption of the old word baluster. Common usage has given it a certain standing of authority. (Continued in October) TRIAL OF ALAMIT .... (From page 19) Her Majesty’s subjects were properly awed by the appearance of the Court retinue. They divided into two groups to make room for the parade, which moved toward the foot of the tree from which Paniqui hung. As they marched along they were accompanied by music,—the booming cries of crocodiles in the nearby river Buaya, chief of the crocodiles, and cousin to Saua, awaited the Queen under the tree to deliver the address of welcome. Saua reached the gigan tic old balete tree and stopped. With pleasing grace she raised the front portion of her body and bowed her head to her assembled subjects in acknowledgment of their greetings and renew ed vows of allegiance. Slowly the python wrap ped herself around the enormous trunk of the balete, and powerful coils moved spirally up ward. Admiringly, with mingled feelings of amazement and awe, the motley crowd watched the huge body glide along the tree to a large, thick branch almost twenty meters above the ground. “How beautiful our Queen is!” croaked Uafc, the crow, into his wife’s ear, the while one eye was winking mischievously. “Lovely enough to make me want to hug her to my breast.” “It would be your last hug, you old fool,” snapped back the jealous Mrs. Uak. “Look at that pile of bones below the tree, all crushed to splinters. They are Tao’s, the man from the barrio, who once foolishly matched his strength with Saua’s.” The smooth, vari-colored scales on the body of the enormous python glistened in the rays of the full moon as Saua, Queen of the jungle, lay coiled around the large limb. Shadows cast by the leaves above formed fantastic paterns on the large reptile, and when a gentle breeze swayed the tree top they moved, becoming grotesque figures leaping in a mad dance. All the Animals and birds assembled below were fascinated, The Viva-Tonal Columbia Model 820 E-Z Payments P475 Fourteen Models Many Sizes Try before you buy—convince yourself! Good Discounts for Cash Played and Displayed at Our “COLUMBIA” Branch 136-138 Escolta, Roxas Building and BECK’S: ESCOLTA WP staring with fixed eyes at Saua, whose small black eyes glittered brightly in her gracefully poised head. Some were superstitious; others saw in the person of their queen a supernatural being. Breaking the hypnotic silence, at last Saua spoke to Paniqui hanging above her. The clerk raised his right wing in a signal to Kalaw, who had been watching him. Now the Master of Ceremonies flew to a high stump and raised his powerful voice. “Koak! Koak! Koak!” he shouted. “Her Majesty, Saua, Queen of the jungle, has con sented to listen to those who have been wronged. All who wish to be heard assemble under the balete tree.” Puñalada, Coling and Musang came forward instantly, but Kuliawan, who was now proud of his new plumage, wished to remain behind. Coling, the monkbird, insisted, however, that he appear with him as witness against Alamit. Saua spoke to the bleeding-heart dove first. “Puñalada, how did you get that red spot on your breast?” ‘‘Like Life Itself” UXIKE life itself!” What more JL> can be said of this marvel ous new Columbia achievement, the Viva-tonal Columbia Phon ograph? What more, indeed, could be said of any musical cre ation for reproducing recorded sound? Close your eyes when you hear the Viva-tonal Columbia play the first record. For you the singer is in the room; for you, the world’s great orchestras play as if in your presence. Prices are ranged to meet every purse, every taste, and every space limitation or imposing requirement. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL September, 1929 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 23 “Your Majesty, Alamit, the villain, went to my nest while I was away in search of food for my two babies and killed them. When I re turned I saw him there licking his bloody lips and grinning at me. I was so angry and heart broken I hardly knew what I was doing. I flew at him, but he bit me in the breast and the blood stained my white feathers.” The Queen looked sympathetically at the beautiful dove with the blood-red spot on her white breast just above her heart. She spoke gently: “Alamit shall be punished for this, but in memory of the cruel deed you shall bear this red spot on your breast forever, in keeping with your name, Puñalada, which means stabbed with a dagger.” The crowd became silent and glanced an xiously at one another when Saua looked searchingly around and called for the offender. Guago, the chief of police, had not yet returned with the criminal. Suddenly a cry of astonishment was heard. Everyone followed the eyes of Mrs. Uak who had spied a small hole in the branch on which the Queen rested. Saua turned her head and saw Alamit sticking his head out of his hiding place. The scoundrel smiled impud ently at her and spoke boldly. “Here I am, Queen Saua, your obedient ser vant, to defend myself. My wife and children were hungry, and nothing was left for me. I was walking through the jungle suffering from hunger pangs when I came upon the dainty morsels in Puñalada’s nest, and I could not resist temptation.” “I prohibited you from killing my subjects, and ordered you to take your food only from Manoc, the chickens of Tao, the man in the barrio,” hissed the Queen sternly. “You have disobeyed my command and shall therefore be punished.” Turning to the others waiting below, Saua bade them relate their grievances. “Your Majesty,” began Coling, “Kuliawan and I were once beautiful in spotless, snow-white plumage. One day Alamit came to us and promised to show us the finest mango tree with the most delicious fruit we had ever tasted, provided we would race to the sun to see which one of the two could fly higher. We agreed and started off. I flew faster than Kuliawan, and, paying little attention to where I was going, bumped my head against the fiery sun, burning the feathers on the top of my head and scorching all the rest. Now I am bald-headed with a black suit and the laughing-stock of the forest. They call me Monk, Undertaker and Baldy.” His voice was so sad that had he not presented THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK = LTD. - (ESTABLISHED 1880) HEAD OFFICE: YOKOHAMA, JAPAN Yen Capital (Paid Up) • - - - 100,000,000.00 Reserve Fund - 105,500,000.00 Undivided Profits - 9,346,622.43 MANILA BRANCH 600 DASMARINAS, MANILA K. YABUKI Manager PHONE 2-37-59—MANAGER PHONE 1 2-37-58—Export, Current Account, Cashier I 2-37-55—Import, Accountant such a ludicrous ap pearance everyone would have wept. “But how did Kulia wan happen to get his beautiful coat of golden yellow and black?” smiled the Queen. Though she was sym pathetic, she could not hide her amusement at Coling’s tale. “He was with you.” “I was far behind Coling,” Kuliawan in terposed, proud that Saua also had noticed his new coat, “and when he hit the sun with his head, golden sparks scattered everywhere and covered me. Only the tips of my wings and top of my head were scorched; gold settled over the rest of my body.” Turning her atten tion from the golden oriole, Saua looked down on the small wounded animal sit ting on the ground below the tree. “What has happened to you, Musang?” she asked kindly. “Alamit came to my home in a hole in a tree trunk,” answered the palmroller, “and told me that he knew a place full of Manoc, chickens of Tao, the man, and invited me to go with him for a feast. When we arrived at the house Alamit told me to crawl through a small hole in a box where he said the chjckens slept. As soon as I was inside, Aso, the dog, sprang at me and almost tore me to pieces. While we were fight ing, and when I at last succeeded in escaping and ran off with Aso after me, Alamit gorged himself in the chicken coop near the box. He only took me along to be the goat, so that he might have his fill undisturbed while I kept off the dog.” Saua with difficulty suppressed a smile of amusement as she listened to the clever trick the crafty civet had played on poor unsuspecting Musang. The unfortunate palmroller did not enjoy the unqualified respect of all the Queen’s subjects, however, and many began to laugh uproariously in enjoyment of Alamit’s cunning prank. Often it is that the innocent must suffer while the guilty one wins the plaudits of the multitude. Other animals and birds, even snakes, lizards and frogs, appeared before the Queen to recount wrongs they had suffered because of Alamit, until the list became very long, indeed. Realizing that he was safe so long as he stayed in his hiding place, the grinning civet looked amusedly out from the hole in the branch at the staring throng below him. His head only was visible, and no more of him was to be seen in spite of Saua’s command to come out and face the judges. At last Her Majesty’s patience was exhausted. She ordered Ungoy to place two of his monkeys on guard near Alamit’s hiding place, while pre parations for the wedding of the young deer, Sylva, continued. Buaya, the big crocodile, shook his head in disapproval. Monkeys commissioned guards! From his watery home in the river he had watched them often and knew what foolish, untrustworthy creatures they were. While the other animals were cutting capers and enjoy ing gay pleasures of the occasion, he worked his way noiselessly around the foot of the tree, and unseen by Alamit and the monkey guard, hid himself in a thick clump of brush just be neath the hole where Alamit was concealing himself. Soon dawn would end the festivities. Alamit was thinking intently of a way to escape. Pro nouncing sentence upon the evildoer, Her Majesty had ordered that the tree be burnt with the criminal in it as an appropriate climax to the night’s entertainment. Below, the watching eyes of Buaya suddenly twinkled in merriment as he observed Alamit. The tails of the two monkeys were hanging over the branch on which they were sitting, one tail on either side. Alamit reached from his hole, and with his front paws quickly knotted the two tails together, then swiftly jumped from his hole, the monkeys making a dash to follow. He laughed as he saw them hanging in midair, caught to the branch by their knotted tails. Alamit had planned very wittily, but he had reckoned without Buaya’s vigilance. His dash for liberty had landed him right in the wide open snout of the large croco dile, who was waiting for him. All the cunning of the world could not extricate the civet from this last predicament. His mischievous career was ended. 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