192 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF FACTS. 



Maud, German, dim. form nf Ma- ' 



tiltla. q. c. 

 May, Latin, month of May, or dim. of 



"Mary, /. r. 



Mercy, Kngtitk, compassion. 

 Mildred, Sajron, shaking mild. 

 Minnie, dim. o/ Margaret, </. i\ 

 Naomi, ffflircir. alluring:. 

 Nest, flriti.-ih, tin' tui/n' ;s Agnes. 

 Nicola, Greek, fent iiiine o/'Nicholas. 

 Olive. Olivia, Latin, an olive. 

 Olympia, Gink, heavenly. 

 Ophelia, Greek, a serpent. 

 Parnell, or Petronilla, little Peter. 

 Patience, Latin, bearing patiently. 

 Paulina. Latin. feminine o/Pauliniis. 

 Penelope. OrwiE, a weaver. 

 Persis, Greek, destroving. 

 Philadelphia, Gre'k. brotherly love. 

 Philippa, Greet, feminine of Philip. 



Phoebe, Gredc, the light of life. 

 Phyllis. Greek, a green bough. 

 Pollv, variation of Molly, dim. of 



Mary, q. c. 



Priscilla, Latin, somewhat old. 

 Prudence, Latin, discretion. 

 Psyche. Greek, the soul. 

 Rachel, Hebrew, a lamb. 

 Rebecca, ffilin "'. fat or plump.. 

 Rhoda, (irrfk.ii rose. 

 Rosa, or Rose. Latin, a i 

 Rosalie, or Rosaline, Latin, little 



Rose. 



Rosalind, Latin, beautiful as a rose. 

 Rosabella. Italian, a fair rose. 

 U>saiuond. Saxon, Rose of peace. 

 Koxana. Persian, dawn of day. 

 Ruth, Hebretr, trembling, or beauty. 

 Sabina, Latin, sprung from the Sa- 



bines. 



Salome, Hebrew . perfect. 

 Sapphira, Greek, like a sapphire 



stone. 



Sarah, Hebrew, a princess. 

 Selina, Greek, the moon. 

 Sibylla. Greek, the counsel of God. 

 Sophia, Grei-k. wisdom. 

 Sophronia. (-ff k. of a sound mind 

 Susan. Susanna. Jfei-r> >c, a lily. 

 Tabitha, Xijriae. a roe. 

 Temperance. Latin in <lerati<iii. 

 TheodoMa. <,rnk. ;iven :y God. 

 Tryphena, Gre:k. delicate. 

 Tryphosa, Greek, delicious. 

 Victoria. Latin, victory. 

 Villa. rfe.f .ninine ./David. 

 I'rsula. Latin, a she bear. 

 Walburga, Saxon, gracious. 

 Winifred, Saxon, winning pe.. 

 Zenobia, Greek, life from Jupiter. 



MISUSE OF WORDS. 



A and An. A is used before all words beginning with 

 consonants except those beginning with silent H. or 

 when the word beginning with H is accented on some 

 other syllable than the first. An is to be used before all 

 vowel Bounds, silent H, and when the words beginning 

 with H are accented on some other syllable than the 

 first. 



Ability (for capacity). Capacity is the power of re- 

 ceiving and retaining knowledge with facility. Ability 

 is the power of applying knowledge to practical pur- 

 poses. 



Abortive (for unsuccessful). A plan may be abortive, 

 but an act cannot. 



Acceptance (for acceptation). ' No word is more 

 vague in its general acceptance," should be " in its 

 acceptation." 



Accident (for wound). "'Witch hazel cures acci- 

 dents." 



Accredit (for credit). Few. except very bad writers, 

 employ it as a robust substitute for credit or believe. 



Administer (for deal). " The blows were adminis- 

 tered [dealt] by Policeman Johnson." 



Admire (fo'r desire). It is an error to follow this 

 verb with an infinitive, as "I admire to see a man con- 

 sistent.'' Doubly wrong, therefore, is the expression. 

 I should admire to go with you." 



Aggravate (for irritate, worry, annoy. There 

 would l>e no danger in aggravating Violet by this ex- 

 pression of pity." Better" irritating." 



Agriculturalist (for agriculturist). The first is 

 never correct. 



Ain't. The only legitimate contraction of I am not 

 is I'm not. 



Allow (.for say. assert, express opinion^ We may 

 allow or admit that which we have disputed, but of 

 which we have been convinced : or we may allow certain 

 premises as the basis f argument : but we assert, n.H 

 allow, our own opinions. 



Allude (for say or mention). Allude (from htdo. Iti- 

 derr, to play) means to indicate jocosely, to hint at 

 playfully : and so to hint at in a slight, passing manner. 

 Allusion is the byplay of language." 



Alone (for only). Alone means ' quite by one's self." 

 and is always aii adjective, differing herein from only, 

 which is both an adverb and an adjective. In some 

 cases the words may l>e used indifferently, but as a rule 

 there is a marked "distinction between alone and onlv. 

 as "I did it alone." quite by myself: " an only daugh- 

 ter : " "they differ on one point "only." 



Alternately (for by turns). This word should be 

 used only in speaking of two objects or classes of ob- 

 jects. Whately rightly defines alternative as a choice 

 between two objects. 



Amateur (for noviceX A professional actor who is 

 new and unskilled in his art is a novice, and not an ama- 

 teur. An amateur may be an artist of great experience 

 and extraordinary skill. 



Among (for between, when speaking of two). Gould 

 says it should not be written amongst, but Worcester 

 and Webster give both forms. 



And. The commonest case in which it is violated is 

 where and introduces a relative clause, no relative hav- 

 ing occurred before, as " I have a book printed at 

 Antwerp, and which was once possessed by Adam 



Smith." And for to is a frequent misuse. "Try to do 

 it," not "try and do it." 



Anyways (for anyway). This is a frequent in 



Anywheres (for anywhere). Belongs to the class of 

 words frequently misused. 



Apprehend (for comprehend'. Apprehend denotes 

 the laying hold of a thing mentally, so as to understand 

 it clearly, at least in part Comprehend denotes tin- 

 embracing or understanding it in all its comi 

 extent. We may apprehend many truths which we do 

 not comprehend". 



As (for that). " I don't know as [that] I can 



Assurance (for fire insurance'. Webster and w 

 ter agree that this word is limited to life insurance. 



At (for by). " I bought it at auction " is correct Eng- 

 lish, but " It is to be sold at auction " is American only. 



At all. A needless expletive, as " I did not like the 

 play at all" 



Avocation (for vocation). Vocation is one's pursuit, 

 employment, business; a vocation refers to incidental 

 or pleasure pursuits. 



Acoustics takes a singular verb. Names of sciences. 

 such as mathematics, economics, polities. ph\>i 

 nasties, etc.. are now regarded as singular in number. 



Awful (tor very or for ugly. "The crowd present 

 was awfnllv boisterous." 



Bad. " 1 feel bad," not -I feel badly." 



Balance (for rest, remainder). Balance refers to the 

 ledger account, and does not properly convey the same 

 meaning as remainder. 



Banquet (for dinner, supper). A banquet is a public, 

 sumptuous feast. 



Beau, a word used by the uneducated instead of 

 escort. 



Been to (for been). ' Where have you been I 



Between (for among 1 . Between is only for two by 

 and twain. Carefully "avoid such expressions as Be- 

 tween every stitch." 



Blame it on (for accuse. A common vulgarism. 



Bountiful (for plentiful). Bountiful applies to |>er- 

 sons, not to things, and has no reference to quantity. 



Bourn (for place, instead of boundary). Frequently 

 misused. 



Bravery (for courage). Bravery is inlMirn. instim-- 

 tive. Courage is the product of "reason, calculation. 

 Men who are simply brave are careless, while the cour- 

 ageous man is always cautious. 



Bring (for fetch . Bring expresses motion toward, 

 not away. A boy is properly told to take his hooks to 

 school and to bring them home. A gardener may say to 

 his helper. "<;o and bring me yonder rake," "but" he 

 might better say. Fet< h me yonder rake." 



r,. iniid for determined). He is bound to g< 



Bursted (for burst). "The pipes bursted during the 

 cold weather." 



But (for that or if). "I have no doubt but he will 

 come to-night." 



But that (for that). " I should not wonder but that 

 was the case." 



By (for upon). " By [apon] returning it to this office 

 the finder will be rewarded."' 



Calculate (for expect). I calculate [expect] to go 

 to-morrow. 



Can (for may). The boy says, "Can I go down 

 street ?" when he means May I ? " It is a question 

 not of possibility but of permission. 



