He must know the
mechanism of the machine, in every detail, and the articulation of all
its parts. He must be able to locate trouble on the instant and be able
to apply the remedy. He must be sensitive to every slightest sound that
indicates imperfect functioning. This, of course, carries far beyond the
mere spelling of the word, but all this is essential to the safety of
his passengers.
=Etymology.=--Etymology has its place, of course, in the study of words,
but it stops short of the goal. It may be well to take the watch apart
in order to make an examination of its parts, but until it is
reconstituted and set going, it is useless as a watch. So with a word.
We may give its etymology and rhapsodize over its parts, but thus
analyzed it is an inert thing and really inane so far as real service is
concerned. If word study does not carry beyond the mere analysis, it is
futile as a real educative process. To be really effective, the word
must be instinct with life and busy in the affairs of life, and not a
mere specimen in a museum. Too often our work in etymology seems to be
considered an end in itself, rather than a means to an end.
=The word in use.=--Arlo Bates says that the word "highly" in the
Gettysburg Speech is the most ornate word in the language in the setting
that Lincoln gave it. The merest tyro can give its etymology, but only
when it was set to work by a master did it gain potency and distinction.
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