C INTRODUCTION. 



in German it means generally lazy, in- 

 active, and in some cases stinking (p. xc) ; 

 in older English, as in Chaucer and Shak- 

 spere, it meant plain, ugly, and this sense 

 lives provincially in Shropshire and per- 

 haps other districts. The number of words 

 in a language which are so firmly anchored 

 to their signification that a shock will not 

 dislocate them, is a very limited number, 

 and it consists only of those which are in 

 habitual use in relation to definite thoughts 

 or objects. In the state of nature, con- 

 stancy of usage is secured to words only 

 through the vigilance of a continuous 

 exercise. The names of plants if left to 

 chance are not so constantly used as to 

 fulfil this condition. This explains why 

 the vocabulary of plant-names, in its native 

 condition, contains little that is quite defi- 

 nite and stable. That list which is definite 

 did not grow by nature but has been 

 formed by human industry. A precise and 

 exact list was wanted for the advancement 

 of knowledge, and it has been formed by 

 a huge combination of laborious thought 

 which has taken long ages to reach its 



