Conversation: Its Faults and Its Graces Part 11

Never place the accent on _flu_ in _superfluous_, but always on _per_.

245. In reading Paley's "Evidences of Christianity," I unexpectedly _lit on_ the pa.s.sage I wanted; say, _met with_ the pa.s.sage, &c.

246. He has ordered a _phaeton_ from his coach-maker; beware of saying, _pheton_ or _phaton_. The word should always be p.r.o.nounced in _three_ syllables, with the accent on _pha_. N. B. In pha-e-ton the _a_ and _e_ do _not_ form a diphthong, as many suppose; the word is of Greek origin.

247. Be careful to use the hyphen (-) correctly; it joins compound words, and words broken by the ending of the line. The use of the hyphen will appear more clearly from the following example: "_many colored_ wings" means _many_ wings, which are _colored_; but "_many-colored_ wings" means "wings of _many colors_."

248. He had to wait in an _antechamber_; carefully avoid spelling the last word _antichamber_. N. B. An _antechamber_ is the chamber that leads to the chief apartment. _Ante_ is a LATIN PREPOSITION, and means _before_, as, to ante_date_, that is, "to date beforehand." _Anti_ is a GREEK PREPOSITION, and means _against_, as, anti_monarchical_, that is, "against government by a single person."

249. The _axe_ was very sharp; never spell _axe_ without the _e_.

250. The force of voice, which is placed on any particular word or words to distinguish the sense, is called _emphasis_ and those words are called _emphatical words_: as, "Grammar is a _useful_ science." In this sentence the word _useful_ is emphatical. The great importance of _emphasis_ may be seen by the following example:

1. Will you _call_ on me to-morrow?

Yes, I shall [_call_].

2. Will you call on _me_ to-morrow?

No, but I shall call on your _brother_.

3. Will you call on me _to-morrow_?

No, but I shall on the _following day_.

4. Will _you_ call on me to-morrow?

No, but my _brother_ will.

251. Never say _o-fences_ for _offences_; _pison_ for _poison_; _co-lection_ for _collection_; _voiolent_ for _violent_; _kiver_ for _cover_; _afeard_ for _afraid_; _debbuty_ for _deputy_.

252. He is a mere _cipher_; never spell _cipher_ with a _y_.

253. I was _necessitated_ to do it; a vile expression, and often made worse by _necessiated_ being used. Say, I was _obliged_, or _compelled_, to do it.

254. Gibbon wrote the "_Rise_ and Fall of the Roman Empire;" p.r.o.nounce _rise_, the noun, so as to rhyme with _price_; _rise_, the verb, rhymes with _prize_.

255. Have you been to the _National_ Gallery? Never p.r.o.nounce _national_ as if it were written _nay-shun-al_, a very common error, and by no means confined to uneducated persons.

256. I bought a new _umbrella_; beware of p.r.o.nouncing _umbrella_, _umberella_, or _umbereller_, both very common errors.

257. He is a supporter of the _government_; beware of omitting the _n_ in the second syllable of _government_. A very common practice.

258. He strenuously maintained the _contrary_; never place the accent on the _second_ syllable in _contrary_. In the ancient and time-honored ditty, however, of

"Mistress Mary, Quite _contrary_, How does your garden grow?"

a ballad with which we are all more or less familiar, the word "_contrary_" _is_ accented on the _second_ syllable, so as to rhyme with the name of the venerable dame to whom these memorable lines were addressed.

259. "Received this day _of_ Mr. Brown, ten pounds;" say, "Received this day _from_", &c.

260. "In what case is the word _dominus_?" "In the _nominative_, sir."

In the hurry of school p.r.o.nunciation "_nominative_" is nearly always heard in _three_ syllables, as if written _nomnative_ or _nomative_, an error that should be very carefully avoided; it is a word of _four_ syllables.

261. Of whatever you _get_, endeavor to save something; and, with all your _getting_, _get_ wisdom. Carefully avoid saying _git_ for _get_, and _gitting_ for _getting_.

262. So intent was he on the song he was _singing_, as he stood by the fire, that he did not perceive that his clothes were _singeing_. N. B.

Verbs ending with a _single e_ omit the _e_ when the termination _ing_ is added; as, _give_, _giving_. In _singeing_, however, the _e_ must be retained, to prevent its being confounded with _singing_.

263. The boy had a _swingeing_ for _swinging_ without permission. _Read the preceding note._

264. The man who was _dyeing_ said that his father was then _dying_.

Read the note in No. 262, in reference to _dyeing_; and observe that _die_ changes the _i_ into _y_ before the addition of the termination _ing_.

265. His _surname_ is Clifford; never spell the _sur_ in _surname_, _sir_, which shows an ignorance of is true derivation, which is from the Latin.

266. In "Bell's Life in London," of Sat.u.r.day, Jan. 13th, of the current year [1855], there is a letter from a Scotchman to the editor on the subject of the declining salmon fisheries in Scotland. In one pa.s.sage the writer thus expresses himself: "The Duke of Sutherland has got _almost no rent_ for these [salmon] rivers for the last four years," &c.

The writer should have said, _scarcely any rent_. "_Almost no rent_" is a downright Scotticism.

267. His _mamma_ sent him to a preparatory school; _mamma_ is often written with one _m_ only, which is not, as may at first be supposed, in imitation of the French [_maman_], but in sheer ignorance. The word is pure Greek.

268. Active verbs often take a neuter sense; as, _The house is building_. Here _is building_ is used in a neuter signification, because it has no object after it. By this rule are explained such sentences as, _Application is wanting_, _The grammar is printing_, &c.

269. He _attackted_ me without the slightest provocation; say, _attacked_.

270. I saw him _somewheres_ in the city; say, _somewhere_. N. B.

_Nowheres_, _everywheres_, and _anywheres_ are also very frequently heard.

271. He is still a _bacheldor_; say, _bachelor_.

272. His language was quite _blasphemous_; beware of placing the accent on _phe_ in _blasphemous_. A very common mistake. Place the accent on the syllable _blas_.

273. I fear I shall _discommode_ you; say, _incommode_.

274. I can do it _equally as well as_ he; leave out _equally_, which is altogether superfluous.

275. We could not forbear _from_ doing it; leave out _from_, which is unnecessary.

276. They accused him _for_ neglecting his duty; say, _of_ neglecting, &c.

277. He was made much _on_ at Bath; say, made much _of_, &c.

278. He is a man _on_ whom you can confide; say, _in_ whom, &c.

279. _I'm thinking_ he will soon arrive; say, _I think_, &c.

280. He was obliged to _fly_ the country; say, _flee_ the country. A very common mistake.

281. The snuffers _wants_ mending; say, _want_ mending.

282. His conduct admits _of_ no apology; leave out _of_, which is quite unnecessary.

283. A _gent_ has been here, inquiring for you,--a detestable, but very common, expression; say, a _gentleman_, &c.