13 
Prof. Holden. Three personal vocabularies estimated in the 
same manner may be thus stated : — 
J. J. Alley 37,000 words. 
W. E. A. Axon 35,250 „ 
E. S. Holden 33,500 „ 
It is clear, however, that such a test as that applied by 
Prof. Holden is too strict. In the first place there is no 
absolutely complete list of the words in the language from 
which to deduce such a percentage. The existing diction- 
aries vary greatly in the number of words they contain. 
It has recently been stated that the number in the best 
known is : 
Johnson’s Dictionary, Todd’s Edition 58,000 
Do. do. Latham’s Edition, estimated 63,000 
Webster’s Dictionary (American), Early Edition... 70,000 
The Imperial Dictionary, Former Edition 100,000 
Worcester’s Dictionary (American), and Supple- 
ment, recently published 11 6,000 
Webster’s Dictionary (American), and Supplement, 
recently published 118,000 
The Imperial Dictionary, New Edition 130,000 
Then there are many words which we do not use habi- 
tually, but with which we aire perfectly well acquainted, and 
which rise spontaneously to the lips when the fitting moment 
comes. There are also many words of a technical or special 
character which each individual possesses. The sportsman, 
not less than the chemist, has a language of his own. Then 
in the case of literary or scientific men their vocabularies 
must be largely increased by the knowledge of foreign 
languages, which is becoming increasingly common. For 
purposes of research a man must now have some acquaint- 
ance with French, Latin, German, and other languages. 
The extent to which the human memory is capable of 
retaining words finds its highest expression in the case of 
Mezzofanti, whose remarkable linguistic powers are well 
known. It is established on tolerably conclusive evidence 
that he could write and speak in fifty languages. What 
would be the extent of his vocabulary ? 
