in the United States of America. 449 
questioned, in order that their claim to a place in the English lan- 
guage might be discussed and settled. Several of the words have 
been obtained from British Reviews of American publications; and I 
may here remark how much it is to be regretted, that the reviewers 
have not pointed out all the instances, that have come under their no- 
tice, of our deviations from the English standard. This would be do- 
ing an essential service to the cause of literature, and be the most ef- 
fectual means of accomplishing what those scholars appear to have so 
much at heart—the preservation of the English language in its purity, 
wherever it is spoken. 
It has been asserted, that we have discovered a much stronger 
propensity than the English, to add new words to the language ; and 
the little animadversion, which, till within a few years, such new-coin- 
ed words have met with among us, seems to support that opinion. 
With us, every writer takes the liberty to contaminate the language 
with the barbarous terms of his own tasteless invention; but in 
a coe es eee ee aes ee, Ee ee a ata riers 
ever, has for some time past been declining. Our greatest dan- 
ger now is, that we shall continue to use antiquated words, which 
‘were brought to this country by our forefathers nearly two centuries 
ago—(some of which too were at that day provincial words in England) 
and, that we shall affix a new signification to words, which are still 
used in that country in their original sense. Words of these descrip- 
tions having long been a part of the language, we are not led to ex- 
amine critically the authority on which their different significations 
rest ; but those that are entirely new, like strangers on their first ap- 
pearance, immediately attract our attention, and induce us to inquire 
into their pretensions to the rank they claim. 4 
773 
