*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 60126 ***
PENS AND TYPES
OR
HINTS AND HELPS
FOR
THOSE WHO WRITE, PRINT, READ, TEACH,
OR LEARN
A NEW AND IMPROVED EDITION
BY
BENJAMIN DREW
“A portion to Seven, and also to Eight”
BOSTON 1889
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS
10 MILK STREET NEXT “OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE”
NEW YORK CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM
718 AND 720 BROADWAY
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889,
BY BENJAMIN DREW,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
C. J. PETERS & SON,
TYPOGRAPHERS AND ELECTROTYPERS,
145 HIGH STREET, BOSTON.
To the Memory
OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON HOSMER, D.D.,
MY EARLY FRIEND AND INSTRUCTOR,
THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED
BY
THE AUTHOR.
PUBLISHERS’ ADVERTISEMENT.
Our first edition of “Pens and Types: or Hints and Helps for those who
Write, Print, or Read,” was especially prepared for the benefit of
persons connected with the press. It had, however, a wide circulation
among persons of all professions, and became a reference book in some
notable institutions of learning.
A distinguished lady teacher in a neighboring city writes us, “I found
the book [“Pens and Types”] of the greatest benefit, both in my work of
teaching, and in the writing I occasionally did for the press. It was
an invaluable aid to those who were trying to train the young in habits
of correctness and accuracy in the use of their mother tongue. Such a
work should never be out of print, and I am glad there is to be another
edition.” We might refer to many who have expressed similar opinions.
This second edition contains all that was valuable in the first,
besides several new chapters and additions, as set forth in the
author’s preface: and on account of its past reputation and the
merits of the added matter, we bespeak anew the favor of printers
and teachers,—of both which professions Mr. Drew may fairly be {p6}
considered a representative; and although he has, in his book, kept
his personality out of sight, even using the editorial “we,” his
fitness for a work of this kind will, we think, be made apparent by a
brief sketch of his career.
After a school life in which he paid much attention to Latin and Greek
classics, he learned the trade of printer. Soon after attaining his
majority, he was employed as teacher of a public school in his native
town, Plymouth, Mass., whence he was summoned to Boston, to take three
months’ charge of the Bowdoin School, during the illness and consequent
absence of Mr. James Robinson. Subsequently he became master in the
Otis School, which position he occupied during the whole period of its
continuance.
While residing in Boston, Mr. Drew was a correspondent of the “Post,”
under the signature of SHANDY; and he also contributed the articles
of DR. DIGG and ENSIGN STEBBINGS to Shillaber’s “Carpet Bag.” His
contributions were of a humorous character, and are well remembered by
many gray-bearded gentlemen of Boston and its environs. From this city,
Mr. Drew removed to Minnesota, where he was Principal of the Public
Schools of St. Paul.
After twenty years of teaching, Mr. Drew returned to the purlieus
of the printing-office, as proof-reader at the University Press,
Cambridge, and afterward with John Wilson & Son, and Alfred Mudge & Son.
Next he became proof-reader in the Government {p7} printing-office,
at Washington, where for more than nine years he remained, reading
press-proofs of the various Government publications, including many
volumes issued by the Smithsonian Institution, and giving valuable
assistance to the Civil Service Commissioners, in the technical
examination of proof-readers for the Government Departments. At the age
of seventy-six he retired from public employment, and prepared this
second edition for the press. May he live long, and enjoy the reward of
an industrious and useful life—and a huge remuneration from an enormous
sale of his Second Edition.
THE PUBLISHERS.
{p9}
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
As “man measures man the world over,” so it may be presumed that the
experience of a laborer in any one department of literature will,
in the general, tally with that of all others occupying a similar
position. This volume gives the results of a proof-reader’s experience,
and such suggestions derived therefrom as may, he hopes, be useful to
all who prepare reading-matter for the press, to all who assist in
printing and publishing it, and, finally, to the reading public.
But as a vein of imperfection runs through all human achievement;
and as the most carefully issued volume must contain errors,—so this
work, if critically examined, may perhaps be found to violate, in some
instances, its own rules; nay, the rules themselves may appear to be,
in some points, erroneous. Still, the inexperienced, we feel assured,
will find herein many things of immediate benefit; and those who need
no instruction may have their opinions and their wisdom re-enforced by
the examples used in illustration. So, believing that on the whole it
will {p10} be serviceable; that it contains “a portion” for “seven, and
also” for “eight,” we send this treatise to press. And if its perusal
shall incite some more competent person to produce a more valuable work
on the topics presented, we shall gladly withdraw, and leave him, so
far as we are concerned, the undisputed possession of the field.
{p11}
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
The extensive circulation of the first edition of “Pens and Types,”
attested by the worn condition of the stereotype plates, induces the
author to present to his friends and the public a new and improved
edition, embodying the results of a wider experience.
The most important portions of the first edition have been retained.
The chapter on Orthography has been enlarged by the addition of ONE
_correct and authorized spelling_ of the many hundreds of doubtful
words—words to which writer and printer _can give but one form_, while
lexicographers give two or more. For offices which adopt Webster as
the standard, Webster’s first column has been closely followed; and
for those which follow Worcester’s style, a list is added, adhering
to Worcester’s first column. Some words of the lexicographers’ second
columns are also placed in the lists (e. g. _draught_ as well as
_draft_), giving to each word its proper and distinct significations.
Moreover we have in the same chapter placed a list of all the
words ending in _able_ and _ible_ which {p12} are to be found in
ordinary English dictionaries,—whether words in common use or rare or
obsolete,—a feature which compositors and many others will know how to
appreciate.
A chapter on the Right Use of Capitals, with rules and examples; and
another on Old Style and its ligatures, with fac-similes from ancient
specimens of typography, give additional value to this edition.
The index at the end of the volume will enable the reader to find at
once any particular rule or direction contained in the body of the work.
Although originally intended for authors and printers, this volume
will, we are confident, be in many respects a valuable reference-book
for teachers and pupils in the public schools, and in seminaries of
learning generally.
{p13}
CONTENTS.
I. Writing for the Press • 15
II. Proof-reading • 33
III. Style • 59
IV. General Remarks on Subject-matter of Foregoing
Three Chapters • 66
V. Punctuation • 71
VI. Orthography • 125
VII. Capitalization • 171
VIII. Old Style • 195
IX. Technical Terms used in this Work • 202
X. Various Sizes of Letter • 205
INDEX • 207
PENS AND TYPES.
CHAPTER I.
WRITING FOR THE PRESS.
In an action recently brought against the proprietors of Lloyd’s paper,
in London, for damages for not inserting a newspaper advertisement
correctly, the verdict was for the defendant, by reason of the
illegibility of the writing.
“The illegibility of the writing” is the cause of the larger portion of
what are conveniently termed “errors of the press.” One can scarcely
take up a periodical publication without finding, from editor or
correspondent, an apology for some error in a previous issue, couched
somewhat in this style: “The types made us say, in our last, something
about the ‘Dogs of the Seine’, we certainly wrote ‘Days of the
League.’” We have no doubt that, in a large majority of cases of this
sort, if the question between “the types” and “the pen” were left to a
jury, they would, as in the case of Lloyd’s paper, decide in favor of
the types.
By dint of hard study, by comparison of letters in {p16} various
words, and by the sense of the context, the compositor generally
goes through his task creditably, in spite of the “illegibility of
the writing.” But sometimes, in despair, he puts into type that word
which most nearly resembles an unreadable word in the manuscript,
making nonsense of the passage because he can make nothing else of
it. We remember a great many instances of this sort, in our own
experience as a proof-reader,—instances which, according to custom,
might be attributed to “the types,” but which were really due to the
writers’ carelessness alone. Thus, in a medical work, it was stated
that “This case had been greatly aggravated by the _ossification_
of warm poultices to the face”; the author having intended to write
“application.”
Ames’s “Typographical Antiquities” has been made to figure as
“Typographical Ambiguities,”—owing to chirographical ambiguity.
“The reports in the ‘Times’ and other journals, never give the name
of the Lord Chandler.” “Chancellor” was, of course, intended by the
writer, but this was an “error of the press.”
In an investigation touching the field of a compound microscope,
a witness was made to say, “It would vary with the power of the
_lye-juice_ employed.” The reporter meant to write “eye-piece,” but he
succeeded in writing what the compositor set up.
The title of a book,—“A Treatise on the Steam-engine; with
_Theological_ Investigations on the Motive Power of Heat.” The latter
clause might seem appropriate to “Fox’s Book of Martyrs”; but the
{p17} transcriber of the title imagined he had written “Theoretical.”
A toast,—“The President of the —— County Agricultural Society,—May he
enjoy a _grim_ old age”: the word was corrected to “green,” before the
whole edition of the paper was worked off.
We have seen an advertisement of “_Mattlebran’s_ Universal
Geography,”—no doubt a very entertaining work.
In a treatise on botany, we have been told, “we first find those
that form the bud, then the _calx_, the _corrola_, the stamina and
_pistol_.” The writer should have spelled correctly, and dotted his
_i’s_.
A catalogue of hardware to be sold by auction had an item, “3 bbls.
English pocket-knives.” This was set from “commercial” writing, in
which “bbls.,” or something like it, was used as a contraction for
“bladed.”
“Nature intended man for a social being. Alone and isolated, man would
become _impatient_ and _peevish_.” No doubt this is true, but “the
types” were to blame again,—the author fancied that he had written
“impotent, and perish.”
The constitution of a certain corporation appeared with the following
article in the proof-sheet: “The Directors shall have power to
purchase, build, equip or charter all such steamboats, propellers,
or other vessels, as the engineers of the Corporation shall in their
judgment require.” Why the Directors should be placed at the mercy of
the _engineers_ seemed unaccountable. But a critical examination of
the {p18} manuscript revealed that the “engineers” were “exigencies.”
A “Bill of exceptions, having been examined, and found _unfavorable_ to
the truth, is allowed.” The Justice who signed the above, understood
the word which we have italicized to be “conformable.”
“They could not admit those parts of the testimony until they had
examined the plaintiff in regard to the _poets_,”—“facts” should have
been written instead of “poets”; but the “pen” made an error which the
compositor did not feel at liberty to correct.
We have read in a newspaper a description of a battle-field:—“It was
fearful to see: the men fell in ranks, and marched in _pantaloons_ to
their final account.” This was explained by an erasure and a blot on
the word “platoons.”
It is very easy to say that errors of the kind we have recited, are
owing to the ignorance or carelessness of the printers; but, on the
other hand, when printed copy is reset, such errors almost never
occur,—and the absence of errors is in direct ratio to the legibility
of the copy.
Men who write much, generally imagine that they write well; but their
imagination is often a vain one. The writer of the worst manuscript
we recollect to have met with, expressed surprise when told that
printers and proof-readers could not read his writing, and remarked
that he had often been complimented on the plainness and neatness
of his chirography. His memory was, no doubt, excellent,—the {p19}
compliments must have been bestowed in his juvenile days, when he was
imitating engraved copies.
While one is imitating a copy, he may, indeed, write legibly, nay, even
elegantly; for he has nothing to attend to, save the formation of the
letters. But when one is writing a report or a sermon or a poem, his
mind is busy with something besides chirography.
The fact is, that men seldom succeed well in doing more than one thing
at a time. The itinerant musician who imitates the various instruments
of a full band, may be detected in an occasional discord. Paley remarks
that we cannot easily swallow while we gape; and, if any one will try
the experiment, he will presently be satisfied that in this statement,
at least, Paley was physiologically and philosophically correct.
Thus, in the haste of composition, ideas crowding upon us faster than
the pen can give them permanence, we can bestow little thought on mere
chirography, writing becomes mechanical, or even automatic; and we pay
scarcely more attention to the forms that follow the pen, than we do to
the contractions and dilatations of the vocal organs when engaged in
conversation with an entertaining friend.
Let school training and practice be the same, yet such are the
differences of physical conformation that handwritings are as various
as the individuals that produce them; running through all degrees of
the scale, from an elegance transcending the engraver’s skill, down to
misshapen difficulties and puzzling deformity. {p20}
But however widely our handwriting may vary from Wrifford, Spencer, or
Dunton, it is generally legible to ourselves, and soon becomes familiar
to our friends and acquaintances. Hence comes the danger that we
shall cease to bestow any care upon it when others than ourselves and
acquaintances are concerned, and hence it is, that, with scarcely any
consciousness of our shortcomings, we are liable to impose on an utter
stranger the task of deciphering a piece of manuscript in which not
only the letters have no proper characterization, but which is smutched
with erasures, deformed by interlineations, and obscured by frequent
and needless abbreviations.
The loss of time spent in endeavoring to read such a document,
is reckoned among the “small things” of which “the law takes no
cognizance”; were it otherwise, many of us who fancy that our
manuscript is above reproach, would be astonished at the number of
bills collectible outstanding against us.
The opinion of the “statists,” spoken of in Hamlet, that it is “a
baseness to write fair,” seems prevalent even in our day. Most men, on
leaving school, instead of endeavoring to improve their chirography,
allow it to deteriorate, and seem to take pride in its deteriority, and
many learned men write as if afraid that legibility would be considered
a proof of intellectual weakness.
In all other cases of encroaching on the time and patience of
another,—as, for instance, our failure to fulfill an appointment, or
calling at an unseasonable hour, or seeking advice in an affair wholly
our {p21} own,—we feel bound to make due apology, nay, sometimes even
acknowledge a sense of shame; but who ever felt regret on hearing that
he had put some one to the trouble of studying, and guessing at, a
puzzling intricacy of cramped writing; his victim being obliged to seek
aid from dictionaries, gazetteers, directories, and even experts? We
never heard of a man’s suffering compunction on this score.
We say this, referring to ordinary business transactions between man
and man, where bad writing, except in rare and extreme cases, does not
involve pecuniary loss. But when we are writing for the press, our duty
to write legibly becomes imperative; indeed, a failure in this respect
trenches so closely upon a violation of the eighth commandment, that it
can seldom happen but from a want of thought as to the relation between
those who write and those who print.
Compositors usually work by the piece, and are paid a fixed rate per
thousand ems. If a line of type be divided by vertical lines into
equal squares, these squares show the number of ems in the line.
Suppose there are twenty such squares; then fifty lines would contain
one thousand ems. To set, correct, and distribute six thousand ems,
is considered a fair day’s work. With plain, legible copy, this can
ordinarily be done; and, at the close of the week, the compositor
receives full wages; all parties are satisfied, and no one is entitled
to complain.
But if, at the end of the week, notwithstanding the closest
application, the compositor has averaged {p22} but four thousand ems
per day, whereby he receives but two-thirds of the sum he is capable of
earning under favorable conditions, who is morally responsible to him
for the lacking third? We need not go far to ascertain: a glance at his
“copy” answers the question. He has been laboring upon bad manuscript.
To show the difficulties which have been in his way, we will put a
supposititious case,—closely paralleled, however, in the experience of
almost every compositor who has worked in a book-office.
He has been setting up a sermon of the Rev. Mr. Z. The society of
the reverend gentleman were so well pleased with the discourse, that
they requested a copy for the press. Mr. Z. should, of course, have
copied the whole manuscript fairly; for, the haste of composition
being past, he could have re-written it carefully, paying especial
attention to chirography, spelling out his abbreviations, reducing
dislocations, bringing interlineations into line,—in short, he should
have done to the compositor what he would that the compositor should
do unto him. But, instead of this, what did you do, Mr. Z.? Pen in
hand, you re-read the sermon, making erasures, striking out some
words and interlining others. You crowded new sentences, of two or
three lines each, between lines already closely written; and you
interlined these interlineations. You then wrote sundry additions on
loose pieces of paper, denoting them as “A,” “B,” “C,” etc., and then
placed the same capitals in the body of the work, without sufficiently
explaining that new matter was to be inserted; {p23} neither did you
make it appear whether the addenda were to constitute new paragraphs.
And in this amorphous condition you allowed the sermon to go to the
printing-office. It has, too, passed through several hands. Some of the
pieces belonging to “A” have got into “B,” and some of the “B” have
straggled into “C,”—and the printers cannot say where they do belong.
One compositor finds in his “take”[1] the abbreviation “Xn,” and,
after many inquiries, learns that _X_ is the Greek _Chi_, and so “Xn”
signifies “Christian.” Another hesitates at a phrase which, to his
eye, seems to read “a _parboiled_ skeptic”; but as modern methods
with heretics do not include heated applications, he asks those about
him what the word is; perhaps goes to the proof-reader with it,—such
things are done sometimes,—for the compositor expects ultimately to
conform to the proof-reader’s decision,—and thus he loses five or
ten minutes in learning that the word is _purblind_. Now, reverend
sir, the compositor’s time is his money, and if you rob him of his
time—the inference is obvious. Your better course, henceforth, will be
to copy your manuscript, or employ some one to copy it, in a careful,
painstaking manner, after all your emendations of the text have been
made.
[1] For this and all other technical terms used in this work, see
Chapter IX.
There is a proverb to the effect that lawyers are bad penmen, but
we think the proverb unjust. So far as our experience goes, the
handwriting of {p24} lawyers compares favorably with that of any other
class of persons, of whatever profession. It is certainly as legible
as the mercantile style; since the latter, although generally pretty
to look at, is often very difficult to read,—abounding in flourish
and ornament, which are too often but another name for obscurity.
Sometimes, too, one meets with clerkly invoices or catalogues,
containing remarkably fanciful capitals; we have seen good readers
scarcely able to decide whether a given initial were a W, an H, or
an N. We are pleased to learn, however, that one leading “Commercial
College” has introduced a marked improvement in this respect, and
now teaches its pupils a plain, legible hand, instead of a mass of
overloaded ornamentation made not so much to be read, as simply to be
admired.
But members of the bar, like most other persons, dislike the mechanical
labor of copying what they have once committed to paper. Their
arguments, and especially their briefs, are sometimes sent to the
printer in a confused, chaotic mass; in a shape, or, rather, with a
want of shape, which, if not resulting from inconsiderateness, would
be—we were on the point of saying—disgraceful. A manuscript of this
sort, covering but six or eight pages of letter-paper, sometimes
requires several hours’ labor in reading, correcting, and revising,
before a presentable proof can be obtained.
Legal documents are often interlarded with technical terms in law
Latin and old French. Of course such terms ought to be made as
plain as print. {p25} Usually the principal divisions of a brief are
indicated by large roman numerals in the middle of the line; the points
under these greater divisions, by roman numerals at the commencement
of paragraphs; smaller divisions, by arabic numerals; and if still
smaller divisions are required, these are denoted by letters in
parenthesis, as (a), (b), (c), etc. In the haste of writing, however,
it is sometimes found difficult, perhaps vexatious, to keep the run of
so nice distinctions, and arabic numerals are used throughout, while
no proper care is taken to distinguish the various divisions of the
subject-matter by varying indentions.[2] The faults of the manuscript
reappear in the proof. This leads to much loss of time “at the stone”;
and as such work is frequently hurried during the sessions of the
courts, the delay is exceedingly vexatious to all parties concerned. If
one-eighth of the time now spent in correcting, overrunning the matter,
and revising, were bestowed upon perfecting the copy, there would
seldom be any delay in a well-appointed printing-office.
[2] We do not mean “indentation” nor yet “inden’tion,” but
“indention,” as written in the text. The word is in the mouth of
every printer, proof-reader, author, and publisher: why should it not
be inserted in the dictionaries?
When transcripts of records of court are to be printed, care should
be taken that only the very documents that are intended for the press
be sent to the printing-office. For want of proper attention in this
matter, it not unfrequently happens that certificates of notaries,
extraneous documents, and duplicates are put in type, to be presently
canceled. {p26}
We have said something above, touching mercantile handwriting. Constant
practice with the pen gives facility and boldness of execution,—and
where these are combined with good taste, chirography approaches the
dignity of a fine art, and produces beautiful effects, and is seen to
be near of kin to drawing and painting. In signatures, especially,
flourish and ornamentation have a double use; they please the eye, and
they baffle the forger. But when lines stand as near each other as in
ordinary ruling, the flourish in one line interferes with the letters
of the next; and the elegance of a well-cut capital will scarcely
excuse its obtrusiveness, when it obliterates its more obscure but
equally useful neighbors.
Further, business men, deeply impressed with the value of time, learn
to delight in abbreviations. Types have been cast to meet some of
these, as the “commercial _a_” [@] and the “per cent” [%]; but the
compositor is sometimes put to his trumps to cut, from German and job
letter, imitations of abbreviations which never ought to be sent to
a printing-office as copy. We are not astonished that a merchant of
Boston once received from a Prussian correspondent a request, that if
he, the Bostonian, were to write again, it might be either in German or
in good, plain English. We adopt the spirit of this advice; and would
say to the banker, the broker, the merchant, and to their respective
clerks, that when they write for the press, they should drop ornament,
drop pedantic abbreviations, drop German, and write in _plain_
English. {p27}
We do not know that there is anything specially characteristic in copy
furnished by the medical faculty, unless it be that their relations of
“cases,” both in medicine and surgery, abound, no doubt necessarily, in
“words of learned length”; which, being unfamiliar to the laity, should
be written with conscionable care; every letter performing its proper
function, and duly articulated to its neighbors. But the scientific
terms of their art, as written by most physicians, are, to the average
printer, as illegible as the Greek from which a portion of such terms
is derived. Recipes are seldom got typographically correct, until they
have passed through three or four revisions. Even apothecaries, it is
said, sometimes put up morphine instead of magnesia; in which case,
unless the revising is done in a hurry with the stomach-pump, a jury
may have something to say about the “illegibility of the writing.” When
troublesome consequences arise from misapprehension of a Latin word,
or of its meaning, we hear much said in favor of writing recipes in
English.
But, whatever may be said to the contrary, there are weighty, and, we
think, irrefutable arguments for continuing the use of Latin and Greek
terms in medical writings,—even in recipes. Since it should be so, and
certainly _is_ so, we insist here, as elsewhere, that all technical
terms, proper names, or any words on which the context can throw but
little, if any, light, should be written not with ordinary, but with
_cardinary_ care,—which new word we hazard, that our meaning may make
a deeper impression. {p28}
In passing, we may remark that the mode of indicating names of remedies
comes under the head of “Style” (see Chapter III.), and varies in
different offices. Names of medicines are often abbreviated, and set
in italics; and when a generic word is used, it should be capitalized;
as, “Dr. I. administered _Rhus tox_.” In homeopathic works, the number
expressing a dilution or trituration is placed in superiors at the
right; as, “Ordered _Cuprum metallicum_^{100}.”
A few suggestions to those who write any kind of copy for the press,
will close this part of our subject.
Write on only one side of the paper.
If you wish to make an addition to a page, do not write it on the back
of the sheet; cut the leaf, and paste the new matter in, just where
it belongs, being careful not to cover up so much as a single letter
in doing so: we have known lines to be omitted by the compositor, in
consequence of careless pasting. The leaf having thus been lengthened,
you may, for the sake of convenience, fold the lower edge forward upon
the writing. This minute direction may seem idle; but when a portion of
the leaf has been folded backward, out of sight, the folded part may
very likely escape notice, and, to insert it, many pages of matter may
afterward require to be overrun: we have known such cases.
Abbreviate those words only, which you wish the printer to abbreviate.
Never erase with a lead pencil; for an erasure with lead leaves it
questionable whether or not the marked {p29} word is to go in. Use
ink, drawing the pen horizontally through the words or lines to be
omitted; and be careful that the marking leave off on exactly the right
word. If you afterward regret the cancellation, you may write “stet”
in the margin, and place dots under the canceled words; but as “stet”
may not be noticed, in the presence of obvious erasures, the better way
will be to re-write the passage, and paste it in the place you wish it
to occupy.
Take time to write plainly and legibly. In writing for the press, the
old adage holds good,—“The more haste, the worse speed”; and for every
hour you save by writing hurriedly, you will be called upon to pay for
several hours’ labor in making corrections. Write joinhand: mistakes
often arise from a long word being broken up, as it were, into two or
three words.
I and J are often mistaken for each other. Either imitate the printed
letters, or uniformly carry the loop of the J below the line.
It is often impossible to distinguish Jan. from June, in manuscript,
unless the context furnishes a clew.
Whatever may be the divisions of your work (as books, chapters,
sections, cantos, and the like), let your entire manuscript be paged
in the order of the natural series of numbers from 1 upward. If you
commence each division with 1,—as is sometimes done,—and two or three
divisions are given out as “takes” to compositors, it is obvious that
portions of one division may exchange places with those of another;
and, further, if leaves happen to become transposed, they can readily
be restored to their right {p30} places if no duplicate numbers have
been used in indicating the pages.
Make sure that the books, chapters, etc., are numbered consecutively.
The best proof-reader must confess to some unguarded moments; and it
would be very awkward, after having had two hundred and forty chapters
stereotyped, to find that two chapter V.’s have been cast, that every
subsequent chapter is numbered one less than it should have been, and
that compositor and proof-reader have exactly followed copy.
Examine your manuscript carefully with reference to the points. Avoid
the dash when any other point will answer your purpose. A manuscript
that is over-punctuated occasions more perplexity than one that is
scarcely pointed at all.
Before sending it to press, get your manuscript into a shape you can
abide by. Alterations made on the proof-sheet must be paid for; and,
further, matter that has undergone alterations seldom makes a handsome
page: some lines will appear crowded, others too widely spaced.
In writing a footnote¹ let it immediately follow
¹ In many works the footnotes, by a slight change of arrangement,
might advantageously become a portion of the text.
the line of text which contains the asterisk, or other reference-mark;
just as you see in the above example, and do not write it at the
bottom of the manuscript page. The person who makes up the matter will
transfer such note to its proper place.
If you feel obliged to strike out a word from the {p31} proof, endeavor
to insert another, in the same sentence, and in the same line if
possible, to fill the space. So, if you insert a word or words, see
whether you can strike out, nearly at the same place, as much as you
insert.
When writing for the press, never use a lead pencil. Let your copy be
made with black ink on good white paper. We have been pained to see
the checkered pages of a report to an extensive religious association,
which report had been in the first place wholly written with a lead
pencil: then words canceled, words interlined, various changes
made,—and all these alterations done with pen and ink. Of course,
sleeve and hand rubbing over the plumbago gave the whole a dingy and
blurred appearance. The effect of the ink sprinkled among the faded
pencilings was so much like that of mending an old garment with new
cloth, that the manuscript had an unchristian, nay, even heathenish
aspect. However, from this copy the report was printed,—let us
charitably hope that it did much good in the world.
If proof-sheets present peculiarities of spelling and language, such
for instance as appear in ancient works, and which are affected or
indulged in by some moderns, every word whose correctness he doubts and
is unable to verify, should be referred by the proof-reader to author
or editor. The latter, familiar with the terms used, may consider
some queries frivolous or puerile; but an author should appreciate
conscientiousness in the reader, and be glad to have {p32} all doubts
settled before his work reaches the eyes of reviewers.
That Dr. Johnson was guilty of harshness toward a proof-reader is
not to be wondered at; but it is a matter of wonder that his conduct
appears to have been approved by other editors. In J. T. Buckingham’s
edition of Shakspeare (1814) is, at page 915, a remarkable note,
apologizing for a few “trifling errors,” and adopting as an excuse a
quotation from an advertisement “from the first edition of Reed, 1793”:
He, whose business it is to offer this unusual apology, very well
remembers to have been sitting with Dr. Johnson, when an agent from
a neighboring press brought in a proof sheet of a republication,
requesting to know whether a particular word in it was not corrupted.
“So far from it, sir,” (replied the Doctor with some harshness,) “that
the word you suspect, and would displace, is conspicuously beautiful
where it stands, and is the only one that could do the duty expected
from it by Mr. Pope.”
Dr. Johnson’s assumption that the agent _would displace_ the
word, seems to have been wholly gratuitous. The employees of the
neighboring press did precisely what they should have done,—what every
conscientious proof-reader often feels obliged to do. If suspected
words were passed without questioning, there would be many errors of
the press which would justify some show of “harshness” toward the
neglectful “agent.”
{p33}
CHAPTER II.
PROOF-READING.
So long as authors the most accomplished are liable to err, so long
as compositors the most careful make occasional mistakes, so long as
dictionaries authorize various spellings, just so long must there be
individuals trained and training to detect errors, to rectify mistakes,
and to decide upon and settle all points which lexicographers leave in
doubt. Such individuals are known as Proof-readers.
Movable types, after having been used in printing newspaper or book,
etc., are distributed to their several compartments (boxes) for future
use. In distributing, the compositor, holding several lines in his left
hand, takes from the top line, between the thumb and forefinger of his
right hand, as many words or letters as he can conveniently manipulate,
and moving his hand over the case drops each letter into its proper
box. Suppose, for instance, he takes up the word “feasible”; he carries
his hand to the “f” box, and drops off the first letter; of course he
knows, without looking at the word again, that he is next to drop off
the “e”—and so, very quickly, his hand glides from box to box, each
receiving its proper letter. This process is repeated until the {p34}
types which composed the form are all, apparently, returned to the
compartments whence they were taken.
Suppose, however, that when ready to distribute “feasible,” his
attention is drawn momentarily to a neighbor who desires his opinion
as to a blotted word in his take, and that, on returning to his work
of distributing, he imagines, or seems to remember, that the word in
hand is “fencible,”—the “a” goes into the “n” box, and the “s” finds
itself at “c.” By and by, in setting type from this same case, the
compositor picks up the letters for “emancipate.” If he happens to take
up the two _wrong_ letters consecutively from the _right_ boxes, his
proof-sheet—unless he reads and corrects the matter in his stick—will
present the word “ema_a_sipate”—which the proof-reader will mark, for
the compositor to correct.
Or it may happen in distributing, that the “f” and “e” cohere, and are
both dropped into the “f” box. If the compositor’s mind is not intent
on the matter in hand, the error may not be noticed at once; in which
case the “a” gets into the “e” box, and some or all the other letters
of the word go wrong. The error must be discovered when the last letter
is reached; but to search for each misplaced type until it is found,
would probably take more time than would be required to correct the
errors which must otherwise appear in the proof.
But it is not in distributing only, that blunders occur. There are
many other sources of error, and will be so long as present methods
continue in vogue. {p35} The only wonder is, that so few errors escape
detection before the printer’s work is handed over to the reading
public. We have by us an octavo Shakspeare, each page of type from
which it was printed, having contained, as can be demonstrated, over
six thousand pieces of metal, the misplacing of any one of which would
have caused a blunder.
But the detection and marking of wrong letters forms a comparatively
small part of a proof-reader’s duty. He must be able to tell at sight
whether a lead is too thick or too thin, and to discriminate between a
three-em space and a four-em space. Many other important matters fall
within his province,—and these we shall endeavor to point out before
closing the present chapter.
Other things being equal, printers make the best proof-readers. We have
known two or three remarkably skillful readers, whose work could not
be surpassed, who never imposed a form, nor set a line of type. These,
however, were rare exceptions.
A practical printer who never heard of the digamma, and who has
never read anything but newspapers, will generally make a better
proof-reader than an educated man who is not practically acquainted
with the typographic art; for the printer has, year in and year out,
had a daily drill which makes him skillful in orthography, and he has
been compelled to give close attention to the grammatical points.
Further, his dealing with individual types enables him to see, without
searching, errors which men far more learned than he, do not readily
{p36} perceive; and his pen pounces on a wrong letter as instinctively
and unerringly as the bird darts on its insect prey.
Sterne has uttered a sneer at the husk and shell of learning; but the
best bread is made from the whole meal, and includes the “shorts” and
the “middlings” as well as the fine flour. If every lawyer, physician,
and clergyman were to spend six months at the “case” before entering
upon his profession, he would find, even in that short term of labor, a
useful fitting and preparation for such literary tasks as may afterward
devolve upon him.
Nearly all manuscript copy is indebted to the compositor and
proof-reader for the proper punctuation; and many errors in spelling,
made by men who probably know better, but write hastily, are silently
corrected in the printing-office. Contradictions, errors of fact,
anachronisms, imperfect sentences, solecisms, barbarisms, are
modestly pointed out to the author by the proof-reader’s “quære,” or
by a carefully worded suggestion; and, most usually, the proof is
returned without comment,—and none is needed,—corrected according to
the proof-reader’s intimations. Dickens, and a few other writers of
eminence, have acknowledged their indebtedness in such cases; but we
know one proof-reader—whose experience embraces an infinite variety of
subjects from bill-heads to Bibles—who can remember but three cases in
which his assistance, whether valuable or otherwise, was alluded to in
a kindly manner. On the other hand, the correction in the proof is
sometimes {p37} accompanied by some testy remark: as, “Does this suit
you?” or, “Will it do _now_?” The proof-reader is, however, or should
be, perfectly callous to all captious criticisms and foolish comments;
he need care nothing for “harshness” or other nonsense, provided his
work is well and thoroughly done. Let no nervous or touchy man meddle
with proof-reading.
For the especial benefit of our non-professional readers, we will
here point out the usual routine in regard to proofs. The editor or
publisher of a book or periodical sends to the printer such portions of
reading-matter or manuscript as he can, from time to time, conveniently
supply. This copy is passed to a head-workman, who divides it into a
number of parts, called “takes,” each part being a suitable quantity
for a compositor to _take_ at one time; and the name of each compositor
is penciled at the top of his take. The type when set up is called
“matter.”
When there is enough matter to fill a “galley” (a metallic or wooden
casing about two feet in length), an impression, or “proof,” is taken
on a strip of paper wide enough to receive in the margin the correction
of such errors as may be found. This proof, with the corresponding
copy, is carried to the proof-reader’s desk for examination and
correction.
The reader will have at hand a copy of such directions as may have
been furnished by author, editor, or publisher, to which he appends,
from time to time, memoranda of all eccentricities of orthography and
capitalization,—in short, all peculiarities of style, as they arise.
This he consults frequently while {p38} reading the proof-sheet, and,
for obvious reasons, with especial attention after any unusual delay
in the progress of the work. Directions and notes as to captions,
sizes of type, form of tables, etc., are of utility, especially when
several readers are employed on the same publication; but directions
can scarcely be framed so as to ensure[3] uniformity, except in
few particulars. We subjoin two or three samples of directions and
memoranda: our remarks in brackets.
[3] _Vide_ page 170, on the orthography of this word.
MEMORANDA FOR PROOF-READERS.
The form is regular octavo.
Text is long primer, single leaded.
Tables and lists, having rules and boxheads, nonpareil solid.
Headings of tables and lists, brevier italic, lower case.
There are no numbered chapters. The heading of each section, which
takes the place of chapter heading, is pica light-face celtic caps,
spaced.
Geological ages and epochs are capitalized; for example, “Devonian,”
“Trias,” “sub-Carboniferous” v. [page 176.]
Quoted extracts in regular text type (long primer), between quotation
marks.
Capitalize “the West,” “the South,” etc., but not “western New York,”
“central Pennsylvania,” etc.
Do not use “&c.” for “etc.”
“Prof.,” “Gen.,” etc., preceding initials or Christian name;
“Professor,” “General,” etc., when last name alone is used; for
example, “Prof. J. Smith,” “General Grant,” etc.
Full point after roman numerals.
“Saint Louis,” etc.; spell out “Saint.”
Names of periodicals, in italics.
Names of books, roman, in quotation marks.
“Panther creek”; but “Panther Creek district.” That is, capitalize
titles.
{p39}
The following sample relates to an octavo on Fishes:
Make “cod fishery” two words.
“Offshore,” “Inshore” [no hyphen].
“Sheepshead” [name of fish. Webster inserts an apostrophe and a
hyphen,—“Sheep’s-head”].
“Herring fisheries” [no hyphen].
“Herring-nets” [insert hyphen].
From a quarto on Fishes:
“Cod-fisherman” [hyphen].
“Cod fishery” [two words].
Engineer work:
Make footnotes of the “Remarks” column.
For “D. D.” in copy, spell “dry-dock.”
Use figures in all cases, for weights, distances, etc.
The following was for a Digest—Decisions:
Spell “travelling,” “employee,” and divide “ser-vice.” [“Travelling”
and “ser-vice” are Worcester style. Webster divides “serv-ice.”—In
regard to “employee,” neither Webster nor Worcester gives it place;
but, instead, the French “employé.” Webster has this note following
the French word: “The English form of this word, viz., _employee_,
though perfectly conformable to analogy, and therefore perfectly
legitimate, is not sanctioned by the usage of good writers.” Since
Webster’s note was written, some good writers, as in the book of
Decisions above mentioned, have used the English word, as many
printing-office employees can testify,—and “_employé_” may as well be
sent home, according to the immigration laws, as unable to sustain
itself in this country.[4]]
[4] Since the above remark was written, we have found “employee”
admitted as a correct English word, in Worcester’s “Supplement.”
Weather Reports:
The “upper Missouri valley” [small _v_].
The “Mississippi river” [small _r_].
{p40}
Geological Survey:
The “Missouri Valley” [cap. _V_].
The “Missouri River” [cap. _R_].
The proof-reader knows, that (as we have already remarked) every
printing-office has a style of its own; that, if left to itself, its
style would be practically uniform and always respectable,—and he soon
learns that some writers for the press have very firm opinions about
matters of little or no consequence, and are very tenacious, if not
pugnacious, in preferring _tweedledee_ to _tweedledum_; not because it
is written with more _e’s_, but because it is more correct—in their
opinion. However great may be a reader’s capacity for memorizing
trifling details, it is next to impossible to keep minute verbal
differences on different mental shelves. After the big book is bound,
one will be likely to find a mingling of styles; the big River of
one page becomes a little river on the next; “Pittsburg” here, reads
“Pittsburgh” there; and the dignified “National Park” of the first
chapter will dwindle to a mere “national park” in chapter the twelfth.
If not hurried by a press of work, as may sometimes be the case,
the reader will first glance at the proof as a whole. A variation
in the thickness of the leads, or a wrong indention, will, in this
_tout-ensemble_ survey, very quickly catch his eye. Then, still
supposing he has time, he will read the galley through silently,
correcting errors in spelling; marking turned or inverted letters;
improving the {p41} spacing, the punctuation; noting whether the heads
and subheads are in the required type; whether the capitalization is
uniform; whether—if the “slip” beneath his eye happen to be near the
end of a large volume—the word “ourang-outang” which he now meets
with, was not printed somewhere in the earlier part of the work as
“orang-outang,” or, in fact, whether, after some questioning, it
finally went to press as “orang-utan,”—which word he must now, to
preserve uniformity, hunt for and find among his old proofs, if,
peradventure, author or publisher, or other person, have not borrowed
them “for a few minutes,”—alas! never to be returned.
Having settled this, and all similar cases and other doubtful matters,
he hands the copy to an assistant, called a “copy-holder,” whose duty
it is to read the copy aloud, while he himself keeps his eye on the
print (but in newspaper offices, for the sake of greater celerity,
the proof-reader often reads aloud, while the copy-holder follows him
silently, intent on the copy: interrupting, however, whenever any
discrepancy is observed). If the reader desire the copy-holder to pause
while he makes a correction, he repeats the word where he wishes the
reading to stop; when ready to proceed he again pronounces the same
word, and the copy-holder reads on from that place.
The manner of marking, in the text, all errors noticed, is shown,
_infra_, in the “Specimen of First Proof.” The corrections to be made
are indicated, in the margin, by appropriate words or characters
from “Marks used in correcting Proofs”—also {p42} inserted below.
Writers for the press who themselves examine proof-sheets of their
works, should familiarize themselves with proof-reading technics. An
author who received for the first time some proof-sheets returned
them “clean”—apparently having detected no errors. He was afterward
disgusted on finding it necessary to print a leaf of “errata,” and
complained that his corrections had been entirely disregarded. On
re-examining the proofs he had returned, it was found that he _had_
corrected—with knife as well as pen. Where a comma was wanting, he had
used the pen, carefully and skillfully imitating the printed character;
and to convert semicolons into commas he had brought the knife into
play,—nicely scratching out the superfluous part of the point.
Sometimes a line, or it may be several lines, of type are by some
mishap out of perpendicular—slanting; so that only one side of each
letter-face shows a full impression on the proof. It is usual in
such case to draw several slanting marks across the faulty line or
lines, and make similar marks in the margin. It is quite common, also,
for readers to insert in the margin the words “off its feet,”—that
being the printing-office designation for sloping matter. One reader
abandoned writing these words, for two reasons: the first, that a
compositor, when correcting, inserted them in the text, making an
astonishing sentence; the second, that the marked passage,—a piece of
close, logical reasoning,—after being carefully scanned by the author,
was brought to the reader, with a very earnest request that he would
{p43} point out what justice there was in that bluff remark. It is
enough to draw what beginners in writing call “straight marks” across
the matter, and also in the margin. We append other—
MARKS USED IN CORRECTING PROOFS.
[Symbol] Insert an em-quadrat.
[Symbol] Dele, take out; expunge.
[Symbol] Insert space.
[Symbol] Less space.
[Symbol] Close up entirely.
[Symbol] [Symbol] Dele some type, and insert a space in lieu of what is
removed.
[Symbol] [Symbol] Dele some type, and close up.
[Symbol] Broken or battered type.
[Symbol] Plane down a letter. Push down a space or quadrat.
. . . . Placed under erased words, restores them.
Stet. Written in the margin, restores a canceled word or passage,
or such portions of erased text as have dots under them.
¶ Begin paragraph.
[Symbol] or [Symbol] Remove to left.
[Symbol] or [Symbol] Remove to right.
[Symbol] Carry higher up on page.
[Symbol] Carry down.
[Symbol] Four lines subscript, denote italic capitals.
[Symbol] Three lines subscript, denote capitals.
[Symbol] Two lines subscript, denote small capitals.
[Symbol] One line subscript, denotes italics.
w. f. Wrong font.
tr. Transpose. [Symbol] Period. [Symbol] Colon.
[Symbol] Apostrophe. =/ Hyphen. -/ En-dash. |—| Em-dash.
If there is an omission (an “out”) make a caret at the place of the
out, and if the out is short, write the omitted word or words in
margin; if long, write in margin “out—see copy,” and pin to the proof
the sheet of copy containing the omitted portion.
l. c. Lower-case. s. c. Small capitals.
Qu or Qy or ? calls attention to some doubtful word
or sentence.
Several other marks are used, which need no explanation.
{p44}
In order to show our readers the practical application of the above
marks, we will suppose the following paragraph from Guizot to be put in
type abounding in errors, and will then exhibit the corrections as made
by the proof-reader:
SPECIMEN OF FIRST PROOF.
[Illustration]
The above is very bad, even for a first proof,—but we have seen worse,
and have, perhaps, ourself been responsible for some not much better.
While the copy-holder is reading aloud the copy from which {p45} the
above was set up, the reader is busy marking errors, and making such
characters in the margin as will inform the compositors what is to be
done to make their work correct. At the conclusion of the reading, the
proof will present an appearance somewhat like this corrected—
SPECIMEN OF FIRST PROOF.
[Illustration]
If the proof in hand be a reprint, and the new edition is to conform to
the old, the copy-holder, while reading, pronounces aloud the points,
capitals, etc., {p46} as they occur in the copy—saving labor and time
by using well-understood abbreviations. Take, for instance, the second
stanza of Tennyson’s “Voyage”:
“Warm broke the breeze against the brow,
Dry sang the tackle, sang the sail:
The Lady’s-head upon the prow
Caught the shrill salt, and sheer’d the gale.
The broad seas swell’d to meet the keel,
And swept behind: so quick the run,
We felt the good ship shake and reel,
We seem’d to sail into the Sun!”
This stanza the copy-holder reads thus:
_Quote_ “Warm broke the breeze against the brow, (_com._)
Dry sang the tackle, (_com._) sang the sail: (_colon._)
The Lady’s-(_cap. pos. s_, _hyphen._)head upon the prow
Caught the shrill salt, (_com._) and sheer’(_pos._)d the gale.
(_full point._)
The broad seas swell’(_pos._)d to meet the keel, (_com._)
And swept behind: (_colon._) so quick the run, (_com._)
We felt the good ship shake and reel, (_com._)
We seem’(_pos._)d to sail into the Sun!” (_cap. exclam. close of
quote._)
If the work extend beyond a single galley, the slips of proof are
marked in regular sequence, A, B, C, etc., or 1, 2, 3, etc. Each slip
is marked at top “First Proof”: the names of the compositors, which
have been inscribed on their “takes,” are duly transferred to the
printed proof, which, with the errors plainly noted thereon, is then
given for correction to the same persons who set up the matter. Their
duty having been attended to, a “second proof” is taken: {p47} this
the reader compares carefully with the first, to ascertain whether the
requisite changes of type have been properly made; whether “doublets”
have been taken out, and “outs” put in. If any mark has escaped the
notice of the compositors, it is transferred to the second proof.
Close attention should be given to this process of “revising”; it is
not enough to see that a wrong letter has been taken out, and a right
one put in; in the line where a change has been made, all the words
should be compared, and also the line above and the line below a
correction,—since in correcting an error among movable types, some of
the types may move when they ought not, and get misplaced.
As what escapes the notice of one observer may be perceived by another,
this second proof is again “read by copy” by another proof-reader and
assistant, and a second time corrected and revised. The “third proof”
is now sent to the author, editor, or publisher, with so much copy as
may cover it, the copy-holder being careful, however, to retain the
“mark-off”; _i. e._, the sheet on which is marked off the place where
the next “first proof” is to begin. But when the work is of such sort
as not to require extraordinary care, the second proof is sent out, a
single reading by copy being deemed sufficient. If the work is read
twice by copy, only one reader should attend to the punctuation.
If, now, the copy have been hastily or carelessly prepared, or if the
author have gained new light since he prepared it, the outside party
having charge {p48} of the work (whom, for convenience, we will
designate as the “author”) will return his proofs, full of erasures,
additions, alterations, interlineations, and transpositions. With these
the original compositors have no concern; the changes required are made
by “the office,” and the time is charged to the person who contracted
for the printing of the work.
A second, third, or even more consecutive revises of the same slip are
sometimes sent to the author, to the intent that he may see for himself
that his corrections have been duly made, and to allow him further
opportunity to introduce such alterations as to him may seem desirable.
Usually, however, the work, after the correction of the author’s first
proof, is made up into pages; and when there are enough of these for
a “signature” or form of octavo, duodecimo, or whatever the number of
pages on the sheet may be, the proof-reader revises these pages by the
author’s latest returned proof, cuts off the slip at the line where the
last page ends, and sends the folded leaves, labeled “Second,” “Third,”
or “Fourth” proof, as the case may be, together with the corresponding
slips of the next previous proof, to the author, as before. The portion
of slip proof remaining—termed the “make-up”—should be inscribed with
the proper page, and the letter or figure which is to be the signature
of the next sheet, and given, for his guidance, to the person who makes
up the work; to be returned again to the proof-reader, with the other
slip proofs of the next sheet of made-up pages, when that is ready for
revision. {p49}
The author may be desirous of seeing a fifth, sixth, or, as the
algebraists say, any number, _n_, of proofs. When he expresses himself
as satisfied with his share of the correcting, the last author’s
proof is corrected, a “revise” taken, and the proof-reader gives this
last revise a final reading for the press. As any errors which escape
detection now, will show themselves in the book, this last reading
should be careful, deliberate, and painstaking. See to it, my young
beginner, that the “signature” is the letter or number next in sequence
to that on your previous press-proof. See to it, that the first page
of the sheet in hand connects in reading with the last page of the
previous one, and that the figures denoting the page form the next
cardinal number to that which you last sent to press. Having done this,
examine the “folios” (the “pagination,” as some say) throughout; read
the running titles; if there be a new chapter commenced, look back in
your previous proofs to make sure that said new chapter is “XIX.,” and
not “XVIII.”; see that the head-lines of the chapter are of the right
size, and in the right font of type; for, if the “minion” case happened
to be covered up, the compositor may have forgotten himself, and set
them up in “brevier”; if there is rule-work, see that the rules come
together properly, and are right side up; if there is Federal money,
see that the “$” is put at the beginning of the number following a
rule,[5] and of the number in the top line of every page; if points
are {p50} used as “leaders,” see that there are no commas or hyphens
among them. If the style require a comma before leaders, see that none
have been left out; if the style reject a comma, see that none have
been left in; in short, see to everything,—and then, on the corner of
the sheet, write the word “Press” as boldly as you can, but with the
moral certainty that some skulking blunder of author, compositor, or
corrector has eluded all your watchfulness.
[5] In the Government Printing Office the style omits the “$” in this
case,—the sign at top of table or page being considered sufficient.
The errors made by ourselves are those which occasion us the most pain.
Therefore be chary of changing anything in the author’s last proof.
If a sentence seem obscure, see whether the insertion of a comma will
make it clear. If you find “patonce,” do not change it to “potence,”
unless, from your knowledge of heraldry, you are aware of a good
reason for such an alteration. If you find _pro. ami_, look in the
dictionary before striking out the point after _pro._; peradventure
it is a contraction. If, finally, after puzzling over some intricate
sentence, you can make nothing of it, let it console you that the
following paragraph appears in Hävernick: “Accordingly it is only
from this passage that a conclusion can be drawn as to the historical
condition of the people, which is confirmed also by notices elsewhere”;
and let it content you to say, in the words of Colenso, “I am at a loss
to understand the meaning of the above paragraph.” So let the obscure
passage remain.
Still, however, should you find some gross error of dates, some obvious
solecism, or some wrong footing {p51} in a column of figures, and find
yourself unable to change the reading with absolute certainty of being
right, this proof, which you had hoped would be a final one, must be
returned to the author with the proper quære. When it comes back to
your sanctum, you may perhaps be pleased at finding on the margin a few
words complimentary of your carefulness; or perhaps a question couched
in this encomiastic style: “Why did not your stupid proof-reader find
this out before?”
Whether reading first or final proofs of Records of Court, you should
not change the spelling of words, nor supply omissions, nor strike
out a repeated word or words; for the printed record is assumed to
be an exact transcript of what is written, and there should be no
alterations,—neither uniformity nor correctness is to be sought at
the expense of departing from copy. Inserting the necessary points
where these have been neglected, is not considered a change of the
record,—as, for instance, an interrogation point after a direct
question to a witness; for, as “the punctuation is no part of the law,”
_a fortiori_ it is no part of the record. If the caption be “Deposition
of John Prat,” and the signature be “John Pratt,” and if in another
place you find the same individual designated as “John Pradt,” there
is no help for it. You have no authority to alter the record, and
must print it as it stands. So, too, in regard to dates. If you read
“1st Feb. 1889” on one page, “Feb. 1, 1889” on another, so let them
stand—the change of style is a trifle; and, if it be a fault, it is the
fault of the record, and not yours. {p52}
And here let us say a word about this matter of uniformity: very
important in some works, in others it is of no consequence whatever,
however much some readers may stickle for it. If, for example, a mass
of letters, from all parts of the country, recommending a patent
inkstand, or stating the prospects of the potato crop, are sent in to
be printed, the dates and addresses will vary in style, according to
the taste and knowledge of the several writers; and there is not the
slightest need of changing them to make them alike, as if all these
widely scattered writers had graduated from the same school. Let
such writings be printed as diversely as they come to hand. If one
writes _plough_, and another _plow_, what matters it, so far as your
proof-reading is concerned? If one writes “15th June,” and another
“June 15” or “June 15th,” so let it stand on the printed page. It
is idle to waste time in making things alike, that could not by any
possibility have been written alike. But you can make each letter
consistent with itself, which is all that uniformity requires. You need
not stretch one man out, and cut off the feet of another, to justify
all authors in your composing-stick. So much for exceptional cases.
As a general rule, study to preserve uniformity in every work. If “A.
M.” and “P. M.” are in capitals on one page, it will look very like
carelessness to have them appear “A.M.” and “P.M.” in small capitals,
on the next. With the exceptions above pointed out, your only safety
is to have but one style, and to adhere to it with the stiffness of a
martinet, {p53} in all contingencies, unless overruled by those who
have a right to dictate in the premises.
READING GREEK.
Greek words sometimes appear in copy, and are somewhat vexatious to
printers who never had the good fortune to study Greek at school—or
elsewhere. In a proof-sheet, we once met a word whose etymology was
given thus in the copy: “From Ἕλιος the sun, and φιλος a lover” (the
_epsilon_ was the author’s mistake). The compositor, not aware of a
Greek alphabet, set up the passage in those English letters which most
nearly resemble the Hellenic characters, and it appeared in this guise:
“From Ediog the sun, and pidog a lover.” We advise proof-readers,
and compositors and copy-holders as well, to acquire—if they do not
already possess—so much knowledge of Greek letters and characters
as will enable them to acquit themselves without discredit, though
“Ediog” and “pidog” condog (_v._ Wb.) to annoy them. A few hours’
attention to the alphabet and characters given below, and to the
annexed practical directions, will suffice to fix in the memory as much
knowledge of Greek as will serve for the mechanical following of the
copy,—mechanical following,—for, if you are setting up or reading a
reprint of the 450th page of Webster’s Dictionary, and meet with the
word ἐννενήκοντα you must put in the eleven letters as they stand: and
if copying Worcester’s 486th page, you find ἐννεήκοντα, put in {p54}
the ten letters. If you have any doubts, submit your query.
The Greek alphabet consists of twenty-four letters.
Alpha Α α a
Beta Β β b
Gamma Γ γ g
Delta Δ δ d
Epsilon Ε ε ĕ
Zeta Ζ ζ z
Eta Η η ē
Theta Θ ϑ θ th
Iota Ι ι i
Kappa Κ κ k
Lambda Λ λ l
Mu Μ μ m
Nu Ν ν n
Xi Ξ ξ x
Omicron Ο ο ŏ
Pi Π π p
Rho Ρ ϱ ρ r
Sigma Σ σ, final ς s
Tau Τ τ t
Upsilon Υ υ u
Phi Φ φ ph
Chi Χ χ ch
Psi Ψ ψ ps
Omega Ω ω ō
In reading Greek, mention each letter by its English equivalent.
Ε is read, “cap. short e”; ε, “short e”; Η is read, “cap. long e”; η,
“long e.”
Ο is read, “cap. short o”; ο, “short o”; Ω is read, “cap. long o”; ω,
“long o.” {p55}
There are three accents,—the acute (΄), the grave (`), and the
circumflex (῀).
ύ is read, “acute u”; ὶ is read, “grave i”; ᾶ is read, “circumflex a.”
Over every vowel or diphthong beginning a word is placed one of two
characters, called breathings, which, for the purpose of reading, we
may designate as the smooth (᾿) and the rough (῾).
ἀ is read, “smooth a”; ἱ is read, “rough i.”
When two marks appear over a letter, both should be mentioned by the
copy-holder.
ὔ is read, “smooth, acute u”; ὅ is read, “rough, acute, short o”; ὃ,
“rough, grave, short o”; ὦ, “circumflex, smooth, long o.”
The compositor and proof-reader should be careful that accented letters
are used according to the copy, as in many cases the difference of
accentuation serves also to mark the difference of signification. Thus,
νέος signifies _new_; νεὸς, _a field_: ἴον, _a violet_; ἰὸν, _going_.
ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ, are diphthongs; their second vowel (ι), being silent, is
placed underneath, or subscribed. These should be read thus: ᾳ, “a,
subscript”; ῃ, “long e, subscript”; ῳ, “long o, subscript.”
In Greek, only four points or stops are used: the comma (,); the note
of interrogation (;); the colon, or point at top (·); and the full stop
(.). These should be mentioned as they occur. {p56}
EXAMPLE FOR READING.
EPIGRAM ON THEMISTOCLES.
Αντὶ τάφου λιτοῖο θὲς Ἑλλάδα, θὲς δ’ ὲπι ταύταν
Δούρατα, βαρβαρικᾶς σύμβολα ναυφθορίας,
Καὶ τύμβῳ κρηπῖδα περίγραφε Περσικὸν Ἄρη
Καὶ Ξέρξην· τούτοις θάπτε Θεμιστοκλέα.
Στάλα δ’ ἁ Σαλαμὶς ἐπικείσεται, ἔργα λέγουσα
Τἀμά· τί με σμὶκροῖς τὸν μέγαν ἐντίτθετε;
The method of reading will, we think, be sufficiently exemplified if
we give but one line. We select the third, which should be read by the
copy-holder, as follows:
Cap. K, a, grave i; t, acute u, m, b, long o subscript; k, r, long e,
p, circumflex i, d, a; p, short e, r, acute i, g, r, a, ph, short e;
cap. P, short e, r, s, i, k, grave short o, n; cap. smooth acute A, r,
long e.
Words from dead and foreign languages, introduced into English text,
are printed in italics, until, being frequently met, they cease to be
strangers; then printers and proof-readers anglicify them as much as
possible, by printing them in roman; but some of these retain certain
accents which indicate their alien origin. The Spanish _cañon_ is
completely anglicized into “canyon” (_o_ as in _no_); our miners write
“arrastra” in roman, although the term has not yet found its way into
our most popular dictionaries; our dreadful accident-makers have set
afloat so many “canards,” that that word has become better English than
French; “papier-mache” usually appears in roman without the accent on
the final _e_; _employé_ {p57} has become a good “employee” in our
workshops; and at an early day, every “protégé” and “protégée,” already
roman, will throw off the foreign accents, and remain none the less
acute “protegees”; “éclat,” “régime,” and “résumé” still cling to their
acute _e’s_. Many words and phrases are hesitating whether to remain
foreigners, or to become naturalized. They have “taken out their first
papers,” as it were, having at times appeared in English garb.
It would be vastly convenient for every compositor and proof-reader
(every author, of course, reads proof) to have at hand two lists
of such Latin and foreign words as most frequently occur in books,
magazines, and newspapers,—the one containing the words to be set up in
italics, the other, words to “go in roman,” as the phrase is. We append
two such lists, as samples rather than as fixities to be followed,
although they represent very nearly, if not exactly, the present status
of the class of words we are considering. The roman list is destined to
be continually lengthening, while the italic, save as it receives new
accretions from foreign sources, must be correspondingly diminishing.
WORDS TO GO IN ITALICS.
_ante_
_ad captandum_
_ad libitum_
_ad quod damnum_
_aliunde_
_alma mater_
_amende honorable_
_amicus curiæ_
_artiste_
_avant coureur_
_beau monde_
_coram non judice_
_corpus delicti_
_coup d’état_
_coup de grâce_
_coup de main_
_de bonis non_
_de facto_
_de jure_
_del credere_
_de novo_
_dilettante_
_dilettanti_
_dramatis personæ_ {p58}
_duces tecum_
_en route_
_entrée_
_et al._
_ex officio_
_ex parte_
_ex post facto_
_ex rel._
_falsi crimen_
_feme covert_
_feme sole_
_femme couverte_
_femme sole_
_fleur de lis_
_functus officio_
_garçon_
_ignes fatui_
_ignis fatuus_
_in extenso_
_infra_
_in statu quo_
_inter alia_
_in toto_
_in transitu_
_juste milieu_
_malum in se_
_malum prohibitum_
_matériel_
_nem. con._
_n’importe_
_non constat_
_non obstante_
_nous verrons_
_passim_
_peculium_
_personnel_
_postea_
_postliminium_
_post mortem_
_prima facie_
_procès-verbal_
_pro forma_
_projet_
_pro tempore_
_rationale_
_res adjudicata_
_sans-culotte_
_sine die_
_soi disant_
_sotto voce_
_sub judice_
_supra_
_tabula rasa_
_terra incognita_
_tout ensemble_
_ultima ratio_
_ultima Thule_
_vide_
_vice versa_
_viva voce_
_vraisemblance_
WORDS TO GO IN ROMAN.
addenda
addendum
ad interim
ad valorem
alias
alibi
alumnus
alumnæ
alumni
animus
assumpsit
bagatelle
belles-lettres
bijou
billet-doux
bivouac
bizarre
bona fide
canaille
canard
capias
chargé d’ affaires
coterie
crevasse
data
datum
débris
dedimus
détour
devoir
diluvion
diluvium
éclat
emeute
ennui
entrepot
exequatur
exuviæ
fasces
faubourg
feuilleton
fiacre
fieri facias
habeas corpus
hacienda
hauteur
in banc
in situ
literati
literatim
Magna Charta
mandamus
menu
mittimus
nisi prius
nolle prosequi
oyer and terminer
papier-mache
per capita
per diem
posse comitatus
pro rata
protégé
quasi
régime
résumé
rôle
savant
seriatim
sobriquet
status
supersedeas
via
venire
venire facias
verbatim
{p59}
CHAPTER III.
STYLE.
Before beginning to read proof, a man usually prepares himself by
learning how to make the technical marks used in correcting; he then
reads a chapter on the use of capitals; takes up a grammar, and reviews
the rules of punctuation; and by reading, and conversing with readers,
gets such helps as give him a good degree of confidence. But at the
very threshold of his duties he is met by a little “dwarfish demon”
called “Style,” who addresses him somewhat after this fashion: “As
you see me now, so I have appeared ever since the first type was set
in this office. Everything here must be done as I say. You may mark
as you please, but don’t violate the commands of Style. I may seem
to disappear for a time, when there is a great rush of work, and you
may perhaps bring yourself to believe that Style is dead. But do not
deceive yourself,—Style never dies. When everything is going merrily,
and you are rejoicing at carrying out some pet plan of your own,
you will find me back again, tearing the forms to pieces, and again
asserting my irrevocable authority. Stick to my orders, and all will be
well. Don’t tell me of grammarians or lexicographers; say nothing of
better ways, or improvements or {p60} progress. I am Style, and my laws
are like those of the Medes and Persians.” And Style states his true
character.
Unfortunately for the proof-reader, Style seldom writes his laws; or,
if at any time written, their visible form presently perishes, and
they can only be got at, as one may learn the common law of England,
through past decisions. You, my young friend, may in vain consult
old proofs; works formerly read, at the desk you now occupy, by some
vanished predecessor. Your searching cannot help you much; for authors
being without the jurisdiction, are independent of the authority, of
Style,—they may allow him to dominate over their works, or they may
not. How, then, are you to distinguish, and select as models, those
which were read under the direct supervision of Style? In the course of
a few years you may come to know a portion of his laws; but the whole
code is past finding out.
To drop the personification, every office has a style—an arrangement
of details—peculiar to itself. In one, “Government” is spelled with a
capital; in a second, “government” is spelled with a lower-case “g”; in
this office, the four seasons are always “Spring, Summer, Autumn, and
Winter”; in that, they are “spring, summer,” etc., having capitals only
when personified: and so of a thousand other cases in capitalization.
In this office, before a quoted extract we put a colon and dash,
thus:—while, in the office across the way, the style is to put a
colon only: and, a little farther on, is an office which uses {p61}
only the dash—yet a fourth, round the corner, puts a comma and dash,
thus,—while a fifth undertakes to use all these and even additional
methods, as the period, the semicolon, and dash, selecting as the sense
or convenience or caprice may dictate.[6] Here, the style requires
a comma before _and_, in “pounds, shillings, and pence”; there, the
style is “pounds, shillings and pence.” “Viz,” in Mr. A.’s office, is
considered a contraction, and is printed “viz.”—with the period; in Mr.
B.’s office, it is not a contraction, and the period is not used; in
Mr. C.’s office, “viz” is put entirely under the ban, and compositors
and proof-readers are directed to substitute for it the word “namely,”
in all cases. As regards orthography, two styles—the Worcester and
Webster—have, in almost all offices, alternate sway; and—which
complicates matters still more—everywhere there is an “office style.”
Each “rules a moment; chaos umpire sits,” etc.
[6] For some varieties of style in introducing quotations, see
“Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey. By Arthur Penrhyn
Stanley, D.D. London: John Murray, 1868”; especially pp. 256, 257.
Suppose half-a-dozen works going through the press at the same time,
embracing three styles of orthography, and four or five styles in
capitalization; one style which requires turned commas at the beginning
only, of a quotation, and one which requires them at the beginning
of every line of an extract,—you see at once that a proof-reader, so
beset, must needs have his wits about him. For, notice, the first
“slip” which comes to hand is in the “Life of {p62} John Smith”; this
is in the Worcester style, and requires “traveller” and “jeweller” to
be spelled each with two _l’s_, and “impanelled” with two _l_’s. The
next galley-proof to be read is part of the “Life of James Smith”; this
is in the Webster style; and now the reader must change front, and
see to it that he spells “traveler” and “jeweler” with one _l_ each,
and “impaneled” with one _l_. Now as these works are in the same size
of type, and are very similar in appearance, it would not be strange
if now and then the styles were to “cross over”; but, observe, the
third slip, the “Life of William Smith,” is “office style,” requiring
“traveler” to be spelled with one _l_, and “jeweller” with two (very
absurd, but all styles have something absurd and arbitrary in them),
while “empanel” now repudiates an initial _i_. Further, the publishers
of the “Life of John” desire to have it in uniform style with their
“watch-pocket series,” in which names of ships were put between
quotation-marks; the author of the “Life of James” insists, that, in
his work, names of ships shall not be quoted, and shall be set in
roman; the “Life of William,” being in office style, requires names of
ships to be in italics.
Again, each of these works has, at the commencement of its several
chapters, a cast of initial letter differing from the style of the
other two,—the first a two-line plain letter, the second a black
letter, the third an open-face letter; and still further (there is no
“finally”), the “Life of John” has “backwards,” “forwards,” “towards,”
all with the final _s_; and the proof-reader has just received from the
outside reader {p63} of the “Life of James,” a sharp note, stating
that he has stricken the _s_ from “towards,” as many as ten times, and
coolly assuring the said proof-reader that there is no such word as
“towards” in the English language. Meanwhile, intermingled with the
above readings, are four Sunday-school books, A, B, C, and D. A and B
require the words “everything,” “anything,” and “cannot” to be divided
respectively into two words,—“every thing,” “any thing,” “can not”;
while C and D, with a general direction to follow Webster, want these
words printed in the usual manner,—closed up. A and C must have two
words of “’t is,” “it ’s,” “do n’t,” “could n’t,” “must n’t”; B and D
require the same, with the exception of “don’t,” which must be made one
word. A and D want an apostrophe in “won’t”; while B and C insist that
the change from “will not” is so great, that “wont” is virtually a new
word, wherefore they cannot conscientiously permit the apostrophe.
Among these literary foolishnesses and idle discriminations, are
inter-readings of pamphlets on the leather trade; the Swamptown
Directory, the copy being the pages of an old edition, pasted on
broadsides of paper, half the names stricken out, and new ones inserted
haphazard on the wide margin, their places in the text indicated
by lines crossing and recrossing each other, and occasionally lost
in a _plexus_ or ganglion; reports of the Panjandrum Grand Slump
Mining Company, the Glenmutchkin Railway Company, and the new and
improved Brown Paper {p64} Roofing Company; Proceedings of the
National Wool-Pulling Association, and of the Society for promoting
the Introduction of Water-Gas for Culinary and Illuminating Purposes;
likewise auction-bills, calendars, ball-cards, dunning-letters (some
of these to be returned through the post-office, the proof-reader’s
own feathers winging the shaft), glowing descriptions of Dyes,
Blackings, Polishes, and Varnishes; in short, proofs of the endless
variety of matters which constitute the daily pabulum of a book and job
office,—and, in all these, style has its requirements.
If all this be borne in mind, it will not seem surprising, especially
when we reflect that all individuals in their progress toward a perfect
civilization are not yet within sight of their goal,—it will not seem
surprising, if now and then an irate brother should rush into the
proof-reader’s presence, exclaiming, “What do you mean, sir? I thought
I knew something, but it appears I don’t! Here you have put ‘Hudson
street’ with a little _s_, and ‘Hudson River’ with a capital _R_:
what sort of work do you call that?” Should this occur, the schooled
reader has but to reply, “That, my dear sir, is the uniform style of
this office,—we _always_ ‘put things’ as you have stated,” and the
questioner is satisfied, and apologetically withdraws.
As no acknowledged literary Dictator has arisen since Johnson (if we
except Webster), and as we have no good grounds to expect one, let
us hope there may be a convention of the learned men of the United
States, with full powers to legislate upon, and {p65} finally settle,
all questions of syntax, orthography, punctuation, and style, and
authorized to punish literary dissenters, by banishment from the
Republic of Letters.
Were there a common and acknowledged authority to which printer,
publisher, proof-reader, and author could appeal, the eye, the pen,
and the press would be relieved of much useless labor, and the cost of
books would be correspondingly reduced. The Smithsonian Institution
would confer a lasting benefit on mankind by establishing a Board or
Bureau of scholars, which should publish a dictionary of all English
and Anglicized words, _without various spellings_, and also such other
words as might meet the want long felt, and which was expressed in
“The Spectator,” so long ago as Aug. 4, 1711,—where the author, having
spoken of certain perplexities which beset writers, adds: “[These] will
never be decided till we have something like an academy, that by the
best authorities and rules drawn from the analogy of languages, shall
settle all controversies between grammar and idiom.” When such works
from the Smithsonian Institution shall have appeared, and Congress
shall have adopted them as standards to which all Departmental work
shall conform, the diversities of spelling will disappear from the
publications of the Government. Those who would diffuse knowledge among
men should have sharp oversight of the vehicle in which knowledge is to
be conveyed,—to wit, LANGUAGE,—“the foundation for the whole faculty of
thinking.”
{p66}
CHAPTER IV.
GENERAL REMARKS: CONTAINING SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF, AND ADDITIONS TO,
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF THE FOREGOING THREE CHAPTERS.
If an author sends his manuscript to the printing-office without
any instructions or directions as to capitalization, punctuation,
etc., the printer will follow his own “office style,” and the work
will be, within certain limits, correctly done; that is, with as
near an approach to uniformity as it is possible for ordinary
fallible mortals to attain. But if the manuscript be accompanied with
numerous “Directions” to the printer, some of these will be forgotten
or overlooked, or become mixed in the minds of compositors and
proof-readers with some set of diametrically opposite “Directions,”—and
so the work will very likely abound in incongruities.
We have known two works to be in hand at the same time, one with
directions to “Capitalize freely,” the other, to “Use capitals
sparingly.” The “Directions” are sometimes quite minute, almost
microscopic; still, it is the duty of the proof-reader to follow them
into the very extremities of their littleness. One writer says, “Put
up ‘eastern,’ ‘western,’ etc., in such cases as this: ‘The purple finch
sometimes passes the cold season in Eastern {p67} Massachusetts, and
even in Northern New Hampshire’”; another directs, “Put compass-points
down, as ‘In northern Nevada.’” If the office style is “Hudson and
Connecticut Rivers,” a direction will be sent in thus: “In all my work,
print ‘Weber and Sevier rivers,’ ‘Phalan’s and Johanna lakes’—not
Lakes.” One author wants “VIII-inch gun and 64-pounder”; another looks
upon this as numerically and typographically erroneous, and insists
on an “8-inch gun and a LXIV-pounder”; still another prefers arabic
figures throughout, and prints an “8-inch gun and 64-pounder”; yet
another likes best the first of the above styles, but wishes a period
placed after the roman numerals, so it shall read, an “VIII.-inch gun”;
one more dislikes “double pointing,” and would retain the period, but
strike out the hyphen. “In my novel, spell ‘Marquise De Gabriac’ with a
big D, and ‘Madame de Sparre’ with a little ‘d.’”
With hundreds of Reports and reports from Institutions and
institutions, from Departments and departments, from Bureaus and
bureaus, trials at law, equity cases, interference cases, Revised
Statutes, and thousands of documents, all as anxious to attract the
public eye as ever Mr. Riddleberger was to catch the Speaker’s, and
rushing compositors and proof-readers and steam-presses with a dizzying
velocity which almost prohibits nicety of execution, it were far wiser
for authors and copyists to attend carefully to the legibility and
accuracy of their manuscripts, than to send to the printer blundering
haphazard pages, accompanied with directions running counter {p68} to
what the writers themselves have exhibited in their manuscripts.
We recollect that a printer once received a manuscript accompanied
with minute directions, extending even to syllabication. It was given
out to the compositors, and a rough manuscript it was; one found in
his take, “One Spanish Mc Krel” and “One caperamber,”—as he and the
others in his chapel read the words,—conundrums which after hard study
of characteristics and comparison of letters were, by an ingenious old
typographic Champollion, solved as “One Spanish mackerel” and “One
café-au-lait.”
If Gunther’s “Catalogue of Fishes, British Museum” is to be written,
it is proper to abbreviate it to “Gunther’s Cat. Fish., Brit. Mus.” An
author who undertook so to write it, jammed the Cat. close to the Fish,
and placed the first period above the line. He should not have been
surprised when he read in his proof-sheet, “Gunther’s Cat-Fish., Brit.
Mus.”,—which, although apparently according to copy, was not “according
to Gunther.”
The use of commas and other pause-marks is to bring out the sense,
and when capitals will subserve the same purpose it is well to use
them also,—whether one finds a printed Rule directing it or not. Thus
Stedman writes:
“In his verse, Emerson’s spiritual philosophy and laws of conduct
appear again, but transfigured. Always the idea of Soul, central and
pervading, of which Nature’s forms are but the created symbols. As in
his early discourse he recognized {p69} two entities, Nature and the
Soul, so to the last he believed Art to be simply the union of Nature
with man’s will—Thought symbolizing itself by Nature’s aid.”
Names of States and Territories, when following names of cities, towns,
and post-offices, are usually contracted; as:
Savannah, Ga.; Brunswick, Me.; San Diego, Cal.; New Orleans, La.;
Plymouth, Mass.
But in any other connection, names of States and Territories are
spelled in full; as:
Mendocino County, California. We crossed Nevada Territory. We visited
Luray Cave, Virginia.
In an office where the employees are accustomed to the above rules,
absolute uniformity would be attainable, if it were not for the
interference of specialists. If, from such office, a book is issued
in which you find “Richmond, Virginia,” and, farther on, “Richmond,
Va.,” you may be sure that a “direction” to “spell out, in all cases,
names of States and Territories” accompanied the manuscript; that one
reader, mindful, as it happened, of the important direction, spelled
“Virginia,” while another, from force of habit, followed the office
style, and made no change from the customary “Va.”; and you may further
conclude, that the author of the work, when examining the proof-sheets,
had himself become oblivious of the direction he had given.
We have known more than forty special directions {p70} to be sent to
a printing-office with the manuscript copy of one book. An author may
fancy that numerous minute rulings will ensure uniformity and beauty to
his book; but the chances of discrepancy and mistake are increased in
direct ratio to the number of such of his rulings as run counter to the
office style. His “more requires less,” but produces “more.”
{p71}
CHAPTER V.
PUNCTUATION.
Printers and proof-readers are to take for granted, that, in every
work which falls under their supervision, the proper agreement between
thought and expression has been effected by the author. He alone has
the right to change the words and their collocation; and, if fairly
punctuated, the manuscript should be closely followed, word for word,
and point for point.
Every person who writes for the press should punctuate his work
presentably; but—since the majority of writers are inattentive to
punctuation—custom and convenience, if not necessity, have thrown upon
the compositor and proof-reader the task of inserting in their proper
places the grammatical points, and such other points and marks as shall
assist a reader in obtaining a ready apprehension of the author’s
meaning. These are the period (.), the colon (:), the semicolon (;),
the comma (,), the note of interrogation (?), the note of exclamation
(!), the parenthesis ( ), and the dash (—).
Besides these principal characters, there are other marks and signs
used in writing and printing,—the hyphen (‐), the apostrophe (’), and
others; all which may be found in the concluding division of {p72}
this chapter, numbered VIII., and should be referred to as occasion
may require.
Books which treat of English grammar speak of four of the points
in common use—to wit, the period, the colon, the semicolon, and
the comma—as “grammatical” points; while the dash, the note of
interrogation, the note of exclamation, and the parenthesis are
classified as “rhetorical,”—being used to indicate various effects
produced in conversation by changes in the tone of the voice. But as
“English grammar is the art of speaking and writing [or printing] the
English language with propriety,” and as all points and marks in the
printer’s case are necessary to printing with propriety, it is not
essential in this work to make the distinctions alluded to above. Nor
shall we treat at length, if at all, of technical marks not in common
use; as, for instance, signs used in algebra and chemistry, and in
various arts and sciences. These can be referred to, should occasion
require, in handbooks, and in Webster’s Dictionary, pp. 1864–68, or in
Worcester’s, pp. 1773–75.
Our school-books used to tell us, that at the period we should stop
long enough to count four; at the colon, three; at the semicolon,
two; at the comma, one. But pauses vary in length, as readers and
speakers wish to affect or impress their hearers: hence reporters of
speeches and orations sometimes—finding ordinary points and marks
insufficient—insert, in brackets, some comment indicating that there
was a pause made which outreached the time {p73} allowed for an
ordinary period. We listened in April, 1861, to a speech by Wendell
Phillips, in which, at the close of one sentence, the orator paused
long enough to count ten or twelve; the reporters at that place
inserted in brackets the words “[An impressive pause].”[7] To denote
by distinctive characters every possible length of pause would require
an infinitude of signs, types, and cases. We must therefore do the
best we can with the few points now in use, leaving much to the taste
of authors, printers, and readers. Still, the immense advantage
modern students have over those of ancient times is made obvious
by a comparison of antique and modern writings,—for punctuation is
comparatively a modern affair, whose origin and changes it will be both
useful and interesting to trace,—and in doing this, we shall endeavor
to avoid the charge of prolixity, by condensing into brief space
information gained from a variety of sources.
[7] “There is only one thing those cannon shot in the harbor of
Charleston settle,—that there never can be a compromise. . . . During
these long and weary weeks we have waited to hear the Northern
conscience assert its purpose. It comes at last. [An impressive
pause.] Massachusetts blood has consecrated the pavements of
Baltimore, and those stones are now too sacred to be trodden by
slaves.”
The most ancient Greek manuscript known is among the papyri of the
Louvre. It is a work on astronomy, and is indorsed with deeds of 165
and 164 B.C. This has “a certain sort of separation of words.” In
a copy of Homer, written B.C., a wedge-shaped sign > is inserted
“between the beginnings of {p74} lines” to mark a new passage. But even
these marks were soon lost sight of; subsequent Greek and Latin writing
runs on continuously without distinction of words. In the fifth century
of our era, the fourth verse of the Second Epistle of John was thus
written:
τεκνωνσουπεριπατουν
τασεναληθειακαθωσεντο
ληνελαβομεναποτουπρς (The πρς a contraction for πατρος.)
In Greek MSS. this method continued until the fourteenth century.
HOWTHEANCIENTSREADTHEIRWORKSWRITTENIN
THISMANNERITISNOTEASYTOCONCEIVE
St. Jerome (A.D. 324–420) wrote a Latin version of the Bible—“the
foundation of the Vulgate”—“per _cola_ et _commata_”; not with colons
and commas as we understand those words, but by a stichometric
arrangement,—dividing the text into short sentences or lines, according
to the sense, chiefly with a view to a better understanding of the
meaning, and a better delivery in public reading. It is not until the
latter part of the seventh century that there is some separation of
words in Latin MSS. In the later Latin (eighth century) the full point
in various positions was introduced,—being placed on a level with the
top, bottom, or middle of the letters,—as the students of “Andrews and
Stoddard” are well aware. In still later MSS. in small letter, the full
point on the line or high was first used; then the comma and {p75}
semicolon; and the inverted semicolon (؛), whose power was stronger
than the comma.
In early Irish and English MSS., separation of words is quite
consistently followed; and in these the common mark of punctuation was
the full point, while to denote the final stop or period one or two
points with a comma (..,) were used.
Contractions were much used in ancient MSS. to save time and labor.
Some of these were denoted by a semicolon ; as b; = bus; q; = que; vi;
= videlicet,—this character, in cursive writing, readily became a _z_,
whence we have our viz = videlicet.
The Roman numerals in ancient texts were placed between full points;
e.g., .CXL., to prevent confusion.
Punctuation remained very uncertain until the end of the fifteenth
century, when the Manutii, three generations of printers,—the
elder (1450–1515) the most learned, skillful, and energetic of the
three,—increased the number of points, and made rules for their
application; and these were so generally adopted, that Aldus Manutius
and his son and grandson may be considered inventors of the present
system of punctuation, notwithstanding it has been changed, and perhaps
improved upon, since their time,—notably in the use of the colon.
But scholars differ so widely in some respects as to the insertion
of commas, as well as other points, that not many rules are as yet
absolutely fixed.
Modern writers tell us that “points are used to mark the _sense_
rather than the _pauses_.” We would {p76} substitute “as well as”
for “rather.” In writing from dictation we place points where the
_dictator_ makes pauses; and in reading we make pauses where the writer
has put the points. For example, note the difference in sense and
pause, according as the comma is placed before or after “to the end,”
in the following sentence:
I have advised the Attorney-General to read this letter to the end,
that he may see precisely how this matter will affect public interest.
I have advised the Attorney-General to read this letter, to the end
that he may see precisely how this matter will affect public interest.
Murray’s large octavo English Grammar and countless common-school
grammars, from Murray’s time to the present day, contain rules for
aiding students and writers to decide where points, and what points,
should be placed. These are of great utility, and every young person
should familiarize himself with them as found, briefly stated, in books
now in use. It should be borne in mind, however, that a close and
slavish adherence to stated forms, without ascertaining their bearings
in individual cases, tends to becloud the judgment, and may cause
an author’s meaning to be obscured, or even concealed, rather than
elucidated.
In books issued by different houses will be found great diversity in
the manner of pointing similar and even the same sentences; and some
part of what we have called “style” results from the effort of a {p77}
house to be consistent with itself, and to establish a uniformity
among its own issues.
The rules given in this chapter, and the observations accompanying
them, are mainly the results of our own training and experience as
compositor and proof-reader at different periods, covering in the
aggregate more than twenty years. To bring out by punctuation the
sense of difficult and involved sentences—which are of frequent
occurrence—requires close attention and careful study,—attention not
the less close, nor study the less careful, because prompted by the
necessity of immediate practical application.
As all rules suitable to guide human conduct lie folded up in the
golden rule, so all rules for pointing sentences are embraced in
this: Punctuate so as to bring out the author’s meaning. And by their
consonance with this great rule all special rules must be judged. Yet
in this, as in all other matters, men disagree in their judgments; and
we must be content in our diversities, until the academy desiderated by
the “Spectator” shall have become an actual institution, invested with
a _quasi_ grammatical infallibility.
For instance, as to placing a comma between a nominative phrase or
sentence and the predicate, the best authorities differ. Wilson’s rule
is,—
“No point or pause-mark is admissible between the subject or
nominative and the predicate, . . . .”
The “Practical Grammar,” by S. W. Clark, A.M., published by A. S.
Barnes & Co., New York, gives the following rule: {p78}
“A phrase or sentence used as the subject of a verb, requires a comma
between it and the verb.”
Of course the examples under the rule exhibit a corresponding
difference.
“To be totally indifferent to praise or censure is a real defect in
character.”—_Wilson._
“To do good to others, constitutes an important object of
existence.”—_Clark._
Ingersoll’s Grammar (Portland, 1828) and Kerl’s—which last is now
very extensively used—agree with Clark. Both have the same example as
Wilson, but pointed as follows:—
“To be totally indifferent to praise or censure, is a real defect in
character.”
Goold Brown (Grammar of Grammars) inserts the comma. Cobbett’s Grammar
omits it.
Take up the first dozen books that come to hand, and you will find
diversity of practice.
“The influences which Atterbury had fostered long lingered in the
precincts.”—_Stanley’s Westminster Abbey._
“The distinction between transcendental and transcendent, is observed
by our elder divines and philosophers.”—_Coleridge’s Biographia._
“The interruption of friendly relations between England and Spain was
the fault . . . of the Emperor.”—_Froude’s England._
The better method is to omit the comma, except in those cases where
its insertion would prevent ambiguity; as in the quotation above, from
Stanley, where there should have been a comma after “fostered”; {p79}
as it stands, the word “long” may qualify either the word before or
after it.
So, if you examine any number of volumes with reference to placing a
comma before _and_, _or_, or _nor_, when three or more words, in the
same category, are connected,—in some you will find “Faith, and hope,
and charity”; in others, “Faith and hope and charity.” We have just met
with the following lines in a well-known paper:
“Round and round the atoms fly,
Turf, and stone, and sea, and sky.”
Wilson’s example is (p. 38),—
“Let us freely drink in the soul of love and beauty and
wisdom from all nature and art and history.”
In view of these and similar differences of practice, and contradiction
of rules, one is tempted to say that it is of no moment whether the
commas are inserted or not. But, leaving “style” out of the question,
a proof-reader should endeavor to have a reason for every omission
he allows, and for every insertion he makes. We advise him, then, in
the first place to note which method seems required by the golden
rule of elucidating the meaning; then consider, further, if the
sentence already contains commas, whether inserting more would offend
the eye. Let him decide each case on its own merits; leaning, when
in doubt, in favor of such grammatical rule as he may have adopted.
But use judgment; for the most precise grammarians lay down pages of
exceptions; and Cobbett (Grammar, Letter XIV.) cannot be gainsaid when
{p80} he writes, “It is evident, that, in many cases, the use of the
comma must depend upon taste.”
When a phrase or clause, in its nature parenthetic, is quite closely
connected with the parts of the sentence in which it is placed, the
insertion of the comma before and after such phrase or clause “must
depend upon taste.” The former comma especially, may often be omitted
(see Obs. 10, under Rule 16, _post_). If the commas are inserted, we
have a specimen of what is called “close pointing”; if omitted, we have
“liberal pointing.”
Close pointing prevails in almost all publications except law-work,
and in all doubtful cases puts in the comma. Liberal pointing, on the
other hand, omits the points except when absolutely necessary to avoid
ambiguity.
A middle course, retaining the spirit rather than adhering to the
letter of the rules, will be found the safest. When, as will often
be the case, a passage occurs, the meaning of which varies with the
insertion or omission of a comma, while it would be grammatical either
way, the compositor should _follow the copy_; the proof-reader should
mark the passages with his quære; but if he first notices the fault
when reading the press-proof, he should suffer it to stand as the
author left it, letting all responsibility remain where it rightfully
belongs.
Abbreviated words, besides the period denoting their abbreviation,
require the same pointing as if they were spelled in full. Thus “Jno.
Smith, Esq., of Worcester; Abel Soane, M.D.; and James Doe, {p81}
LL.D.,—were appointed a comm. to take care of books, docs., etc.,
etc.,” has the same pointing as “John Smith, Esquire, of Worcester;
Abel Soane, Doctor of Medicine; and James Doe, Doctor of Laws,—were
appointed a committee to take care of books, documents, and so forth,
and so forth.” But in some classes of work, as Directories, Catalogues
of books, Genealogies, and where titles and abbreviations are of
frequent occurrence, double pointing may be partially avoided by
omitting the comma after a period which denotes an abbreviation.
Neatness requires the omission of the comma before leaders; thus,
John Roe . . . . . . . . New Orleans.
James Doe. . . . . . . . San Francisco.
is more pleasing to the eye than
John Roe, . . . . . . . . New Orleans.
James Doe, . . . . . . . San Francisco.
Preambles to resolutions and laws are usually begun with “Whereas.”
After this word a comma is sometimes heedlessly inserted, although the
introductory word is not followed by a parenthetic clause. We append
the most improved forms for punctuating and capitalizing preambles,
resolves, and provisos:
Whereas the present national interest in the matter of the American
fisheries has, &c.—_Cong. Record, July, 11, 1888._
Whereas, owing to the sudden demise of the secretary, no notice was
given of the receipts of the plans, etc.:
_Resolved_, That the whole matter be referred to a committee:
_Provided_, [or _Provided however_,] That the whole expense shall not
exceed, etc. {p82}
The semicolon should be placed before _as_, in an enumeration of
particulars following a general statement; thus:
Many proper names admit of convenient contractions; as Jno., Wm.,
Benj., Jas., Chas.
But when _as_ is not preceded by a general or formal statement, no
point is necessary unless _as_ is followed by a parenthetic clause; as:
Such names as John, Benjamin, William, admit of convenient
contractions.
Some fishes, as, for instance, the cod, delight in cold baths, and are
never found in water above 40° Fahr., unless in care of the cook.
But in liberal pointing, the commas before and after “for instance”
would be omitted.
In regard to the points or marks connected with “viz.,” “namely,”
and “to wit,” the punctuation varies according to the structure
of the sentences in which they occur; but this does not prevent a
publishing-house from having a style of its own. It is interesting to
note the varieties which different offices present. We annex a few
examples, which may be serviceable; to wit:
“Sussex Co., Del., July 5, 1776. We are sorry to say, that it is
our opinion that they (viz: the enemies of the war) are not better
affected than they were before the troops came.”—_Am. Archives_, 5th
series, Vol. 1, p. 10.
I never depended on him for any men, or for any participation in the
Georgia Campaign. Soon after, viz., May 8th, that department was
transferred, etc.—_Memoirs Gen. Sherman._ {p83}
There is one case in which it is never right to do this; viz., when
the opposite party, etc.—_Cavendish’s style._
The library is open every secular day throughout the year, except the
legal holidays, viz.,—Washington’s Birthday, Fast Day, Decoration Day,
Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.—_Brookline,
Mass., Pub. Lib. Report, 1887._
Seven of the bishops lived to be over 80—viz. Llandaff 84, Winchester
84, etc.—_Nineteenth Century, March, ’88._
Woburn has a population of about 12,000, grouped at four principal
centers: namely, Woburn Centre, about 8000, etc.—_Mass. Drainage Comm._
The Dawes bill deals with two subjects only, namely, the ownership of
land and citizenship.—_N. A. Review, March, ’88._
This, then, is the upshot of the second part of the law, namely: (1)
that all to whom land is patented become at once citizens of the
United States; (2) that all, etc.—_ib._
There are four seasons, namely: spring, summer, autumn, winter.
Four administrative areas are thus created: two primary areas—namely,
counties at large, and boroughs of 100,000 inhabitants and
upwards.—_Nineteenth Century Maga._
Annapolis, June 25, 1776. That four battalions be instantly raised
. . . . each company to consist of ninety men, to wit: one captain,
two lieutenants, etc.—_Am. Archives._
When _viz._ or _namely_ or _as follows_ ends a paragraph, the colon
is commonly inserted; but the dash or comma-dash or colon-dash may
sometimes be noticed,—it is a matter of office style. (See Punctuation,
Rule 8, _post_.)
But if, referring to a succeeding sentence or paragraph, the words “the
following” or “as follows” appear, the sentence in which they occur
should be closed with the colon or colon-dash, as in the following
examples: {p84}
The description given of the English Nonconformists in many pages
that stand for history, is as follows: That they started forth under
a well-settled order of constitution and discipline of the Church of
England, etc.—_Ellis’s Puritan Age._
Mr. Faulkner, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom were referred
the following bills, reported them severally without amendment, and
submitted reports thereon:
A bill (H. R. 10318) granting a pension to Mary C. Davis; and
A bill (H. R. 8400) to place the name of John J. Mitchell on the
pension-roll.—_Congressional Record, July 22, ’88._
The hyphen is used to connect the parts of a compound word; to show the
divisions of words into syllables; it is placed at the end of a line
when a word is not finished; and it is sometimes placed between vowels,
to show that they belong to different syllables (as “co-ordinate”). In
regard to its use in compound words great diversity exists; and the
proof-reader can have, as we believe, no fixed system which will apply
to all varieties of work. In specifications for bridges, buildings,
etc., the better way is to avoid compounding; for, in everything
of that kind, one will find so many “door-sills,” “newel-posts,”
“stair-balusters,” “pulley-stiles,” etc., that if he begin marking
in the hyphens he will scarcely make an end of it, and many hyphens
sadly deform a page: better put “door knobs,” “window frames,” “stair
nosings,” etc., omitting hyphens.
Here, too, the dictionaries can scarcely be said to assist, if they
do not even mislead. Worcester has “brickwork,” “brasswork,” without
hyphens; {p85} “wood-work,” “iron-work,” with them. “Greenhouse” is
closed up, while “school-house” is not; “wood-house” has a hyphen,
“almshouse” has none. (Wilson writes “schoolhouse.”) Webster has
“brick-work” with the hyphen, “woodwork” without it,—just reversing
Worcester. Again, Worcester writes, “humblebee” and “bumblebee”:
Webster, under B, has “bumble-bee, . . . . sometimes called
humble-bee”; and, under H, writes “humblebee, . . . . often called
bumblebee,” apparently forgetful of his previous hyphens.
To search for authority, then, in the matter of compounding words,
will avail next to nothing. In a volume containing “School Committees’
Reports,”—and certainly school committees ought to know many things,—we
find “blackboard” and “black-board”; and, on one page, “schoolbooks,”
“schoolkeeping,” “schoolmaster,” “school-houses,” “school-checks.”
“Semi-annual” is frequently printed with the hyphen, according to
Webster; but Worcester, omitting the hyphen, has “semiannual.”
Thus it appears, that, in regard to compounding (by which we mean
inserting the hyphen between the parts of a compound word), the
proof-reader is left to his own discretion, and can do very much as
he pleases. He should, however, adopt some method by which he can
approximate to uniformity in his own work; for as to agreeing with
anybody else, that is out of the question.
Perhaps as good a rule as can be laid down on this subject is to
close up the word when {p86} compounding changes the accentuation;
otherwise, insert the hyphen. Thus, “Quartermaster” has a different
accentuation from the two words “quarter master”; therefore make one
word of it, without the hyphen. “Head-assistant” is accented like
the two words “head assistant,”—therefore insert the hyphen. By this
rule “schoolhouse” and “blackboard” should be severally closed up;
“salt-mine” takes the hyphen,—“saltsea” (adjective) does not.
The word “tree,” with a prefix indicating the kind, should be
compounded; as “oak-tree,” “forest-tree,” “pine-tree,” etc. (Webster
has a hyphen in “whiffle-tree,” Worcester prints “whiffletree.”)
“Cast-iron” and “wrought-iron” are usually compounded, and should
always be so when used as adjectives; as “cast-iron pillars,”
“wrought-iron boilers.”
“Temple-street place” (or “Place,” according to style), “Suffolk-street
District,” “Pemberton-square School,” are quite correct; the hyphen is
too frequently omitted in such cases.
The words _ex officio_ do not require a hyphen, but some very reputable
offices insert it.
Hyphens are sometimes used to indicate grotesque pronunciation, as in
the following couplet from “Rejected Addresses”:
“In borrowed luster seemed to sham
The rose and red sweet Will-i-am.”
When two words connected by a conjunction are severally compound parts
of a following word, the hyphen is omitted; as: {p87}
We use cast and wrought iron pillars.
I have pruned my peach and apple trees.
Some authors follow the German style, inserting the hyphens; thus:
We use cast- and wrought-iron pillars.
I have pruned my peach- and apple-trees.
But this style is rare.
Precision requires that hyphens should be inserted in fractions
expressed in words; as “one-half,” “three-fifths,” etc.
How many oranges are seven and three fourths oranges?
There being no hyphen in the above example, the “seven” and “three”
are in the same category as “peach” and “apple” in the last previous
example. The answer is ten-fourths, or 2½.
If “seven” is meant to express a whole number, a hyphen should be
inserted after “three.”
A prolific source of trouble in correcting is wrong syllabication when
it is thought necessary to carry part of a word to the succeeding line.
Neither the English method of dividing on vowels, where this can be
conveniently done, nor the American method of dividing on syllables,
obtains exclusively in this country. Convenience, and the desire of
spacing in such a manner as to make the lines look well, frequently
determine the dividing letter; so that, in the same work, you may find
“pro-perty” and “prop-erty,” “trea-sure” and “treas-ure.” In a recent
English work, we note the following divisions: {p88} Pre-bendaries,
mea-sure, pre-decessors, supre-macy, the Re-formation, pro-perty,
theo-logy, bre-thren, pre-paration.
But the division on the syllable is the mode most generally practiced
in the United States, and we must, however reluctantly, adhere to it as
closely as possible, until a convention of publishers shall sanction
the adoption of the English usage. Our authorities close the first
syllable of “fa-ther” on the _a_, of “moth-er” on the _th_, so that,
practically, the latter word should not be divided at all; the English
printer, without hesitation, places the hyphen after the _a_ and the
_o_ respectively.
As to the word “discrepancy” there is a discrepancy. Webster accents
the second syllable, and divides “discrep-ancy”; while Worcester
accents the first syllable, and divides “discre-pancy.” In this,
printers and readers must be governed by the “style” of the work upon
which they are engaged.
One of the most frequently recurring errors noticed in reading first
proof is the placing of an _s_ at the end of a line when it should
have been carried over. Corres-pondence, des-cribe, des-cription,
Aus-tralian, are wrong, and are corrected daily; and their reappearance
proves that in this, as in weightier matters, “error is wrought by want
of thought.”
In newspapers, or any work which is to be read once and then cast
aside, the carrying over of an _ed_ or _ly_, or any other syllable of
two letters, may perhaps be tolerated; but in bookwork such a division
is inexcusable, except in side-notes, or when the {p89} measure is
very narrow. To avoid extremely wide or thin spacing, and to escape
the trouble and expense of overrunning pages already imposed, it must
be considered admissible, in certain cases, to carry over a consonant
preceding the final syllable _ed_; as, expec-ted, divi-ded. We state
this with some misgivings; but, as we have known it to be done by
excellent readers and skillful printers, even by John Wilson himself,
of blessed memory, we lay it down as allowable in extreme cases.
Theories are elastic,—are expansible and compressible; but types of
metal have set dimensions of extension, and, in some circumstances,
absolutely refuse to budge,—wherefore theories must gracefully yield,
and allow, it may be, a two-letter division even in wide measure. Types
are tyrannical, and will sometimes perpetrate solecisms under the plea
of necessity.
An author can sometimes much improve the appearance of a page, by
slight changes in the phraseology.
A good compositor studies to avoid divisions. Some printers, rather
than divide a word, will justify a line by separating the words with
two three-em spaces. But no arbitrary rule can be laid down in this
regard. A well-spaced page with several divided words looks much better
than a page unevenly spaced in which no divisions occur. The number of
hyphens occurring in succession at the end of the lines on any page,
should never exceed three.
In manuscript the dash occurs more frequently than any other mark of
punctuation, many writers {p90} using it as a substitute for every
other point. This habit very much retards the compositor in his task;
for, as we have already intimated, he feels obliged to study the sense
of his copy, and to waste his valuable time in considering how he shall
best supply those aids to meaning which the author has rejected, and
without which any work would be wholly unpresentable.
That the author of the paragraph quoted below pointed it with perfect
accuracy before sending it to press, does not admit of a doubt. For the
nonce, however, we will, with his leave, punctuate the passage in the
manner in which the compositor frequently finds passages pointed on his
“takes”; thus:
“It has been said—and—no doubt—truthfully—that the smartest boys
do not go to college. Yet—it is evident—to every one competent to
judge—that the ablest men have been at college.”
With so many dashes before him, it would not be strange if the
compositor were to retain some of them; and the proof might, perhaps,
appear as follows:
“It has been said—and no doubt truthfully—that the smartest boys do
not go to college. Yet it is evident to every one competent to judge,
that the ablest men have been at college.”
This is much improved; and, if we substitute commas for the dashes in
the first sentence, the punctuation may be considered unobjectionable.
Beginners at the “case” are often puzzled in regard to the insertion of
commas before the dashes which {p91} inclose a parenthetic clause. To
decide this point, it is enough to notice whether or not a comma would
be used, were the parenthetic clause omitted. This, we think, will be
readily understood by reference to the following examples:
“It was necessary not only that Christianity should assume a standard
absolutely perfect, but that it should apply a perfect law to those
complex and infinitely diversified cases which arise when law is
violated.”
Now, if a parenthetic clause is inserted before the word “but,” the
comma should be retained, and another placed at the end of the inserted
clause; thus:
“It was necessary, not only that Christianity should assume a standard
absolutely perfect,—which, however far from anything that man has ever
done, would be comparatively easy,—but that it should apply a perfect
law,” etc.
If there is no comma where the clause is to be inserted, dashes alone
should be used:
“In the completed volume of the third report, the countries wherein
education has received the most attention are treated of at length.”
If a parenthetic clause be inserted after “countries,”—where there is
no comma,—only dashes are required; thus:
“In the completed volume of the third report, the countries—Prussia,
for instance—wherein education has received the most attention are
treated of at length.”
A thin space should be placed before, and also after, a dash.
If a parenthesis is inserted in a part of a sentence {p92} where no
point is required, no point should be placed before or after the marks
of parenthesis.
“By living sparingly, and according to the dictates of reason, in less
than a year I found myself (some persons, perhaps, will not believe
it) entirely freed from all my complaints.”—_Cornaro._
As a general rule, if the parenthesis occur after a punctuated clause,
the point should be placed after the latter mark of parenthesis.
“Popham’s monument, by the intercession of his wife’s friends (who had
interest at Court), was left in St. John’s Chapel on condition either
of erasing the inscription, or turning it inwards.”
“Artist: Kneller (1723). Architects: Taylor (1788); Chambers (1796);
Wyatt (1813).”
“Antiquities of St. Peter’s, by J. Crull (usually signed J. C.).”
If a parenthesis which closes with a note of exclamation or
interrogation is inserted where a point occurs, that point should
precede the first mark of parenthesis.
“Where foresight and good morals exist, (and do they not here?) the
taxes do not stand in the way of an industrious man’s comforts.”
“He directed the letter to Gnat Smith, (spelling Nat with a G!) and
deposited it in a fire-alarm box.”
An exclamation point is often found preceding the first mark of
parenthesis.
“Ay, here now! (exclaimed the Critic,) here come Coleridge’s
metaphysics!”—_Biographia Literaria._
“I am, sir, sensible”—“Hear! Hear!” (they cheer him.) {p93}
When a parenthesis occurs within a parenthesis, brackets should be
substituted for the first and last parenthetic marks.
“As for the other party [I mean (do not misunderstand me) the original
inventor], he was absent from the country, at that time.”
“Brackets are generally used . . . to inclose an explanation, note, or
observation, standing by itself.”—_Parker’s Aids._
A short comment inserted in a paragraph by a reviewer is placed in
brackets.
“The sacks were badly eaten by rags [so in the affidavit], and the
almonds had run out.”
In transcripts of trials at law, brackets are used to inclose
statements of things done in court, which things would not appear in a
report of the verbal proceedings alone; as,—
“_Ans._ About a quarter past ten, he came into my shop, and picked out
a cane. . . . .
“_Gore._ Of what wood was it made?
“_Ans._ It was a good piece of hickory—heavy for hickory. . . . .
“[The stick was handed to the witness, who declared it to be the same
he had sold Mr. Charles Austin.]
“_Gore._ What sticks had he usually bought of you?”—_Trial of
Selfridge._
Whether the words in brackets should also be in italics is a matter of
style. In the following passage from the same report, italics are used:
{p94}
“_Gore._ [_Showing the fracture of the hat on the fore-part._] Is not
that the fore-part of the hat, as this leather [_that on the hinder
part_] marks the part of the hat that is worn behind?”
For inserting commas or other points after, before, or within brackets,
the same rules apply as in case of marks of parenthesis.
Whether when a noun singular terminates in _s_, its possessive case
requires an additional _s_ is yet an open question. We have no
hesitation in giving an affirmative answer, especially in the case of
proper names. If Mr. Adams were to manufacture ale, one might, perhaps,
from prohibitory considerations, advise him to advertise it as “Adams’
ale”; but should Mr. Adams have no fear of the law, he would avoid
all misunderstanding by calling it “Adams’s ale.” It may be objected
that the position of the apostrophe makes the matter sufficiently
clear without the additional _s_. Yes,—to the eye; but to the ear the
propriety of the additional _s_ becomes very apparent. “Jacob’s pillow”
and “Jacobs’s pillow” may be of very different materials. But, to avoid
too much sibilation, we read “for conscience’ sake,” “for goodness’
sake,” etc.
The apostrophe, with _s_ subjoined, is used to denote the plural of
letters and figures.
“The discipline which is imposed by proving that some _x_’s are
some _y_’s, and that other _x_’s are all _y_’s, will enable you to
pulverize any hot-headed deacon who may hereafter attempt to prove
that you had better be looking out for another pastorate.”—_Ad
Clerum._
“This 7 differs from the other 7’s.” {p95}
The apostrophe may be used in denoting the plural whenever its use will
assist in avoiding obscurity.
“The children called loudly for their pa’s and ma’s.”
For convenient reference we append a series of rules and examples,
which, we think, will be found useful by teachers and scholars, and our
friends of the press.
{p96}
RULES OF PUNCTUATION.
I. PERIOD, OR FULL POINT.
1. The period is used at the end of every complete sentence which is
not interrogative or exclamatory.
2. Sentences interrogative and exclamatory in form, sometimes take the
period.
Will you call at my office, say on Tuesday next, or whenever
you happen to be in town, and much oblige—
Yours truly, JOHN SMITH.
How much better it is, considering the saving of distance to
the pupils, that two small schoolhouses should be built, rather
than one large one.
3. The period is put after initials when used alone; also after
abbreviations.
J. Q. Adams. Supt. of R. R. A. M.
4. Place a period before decimals, and between pounds and shillings.
The French meter is 3.2808992 feet.
£24. 6_s._ 8_d._ 5.75 miles.
5. A period should always be put after roman numerals, except when used
in the paging of prefaces, etc.
George III. came to the throne in 1760.
OBSERVATION 1. In many modern works the period is omitted; as,—
William I made a mistake.
There being no comma after “William,” it is supposed to be obvious that
the mistake was made by William the First. The insertion or omission of
the period is becoming wholly a matter of printing-office style. {p97}
II. COLON.
6. A colon is put at the end of a clause complete in sense, when
something follows which tends to make the sense fuller or clearer.
(_See_ Rules 9 and 13.)
There is yet another sphere for the electric motor to fill: that of
street railway propulsion.—_N. A. Review; April, 1888._
In free states no man should take up arms, but with a view to defend
his country and its laws: he puts off the citizen when he enters
the camp; but it is because he is a citizen, and would continue to
be so, that he makes himself for a while a soldier.—_Blackstone’s
Commentaries, Book I., Ch. 13._
7. The last of several clauses that introduce a concluding remark or
sentiment should be followed by a colon, if the preceding clauses have
been punctuated with semicolons.
A pickpocket in every car; a cheat at every station; every third
switch on the road misplaced; the danger of being hurled from the
track, and then burned alive: these considerations prevent my
traveling on the railroad of which you speak.
OBS. 2. In examples like the above, a very common and perhaps better
method is to put a comma and dash in place of the colon. The colon is
neater, but more old-fashioned. (See second example under Rule 10.)
8. The colon is commonly used whenever an example, a quotation, or a
speech is introduced.
The Scriptures give us an amiable representation of the Deity in these
words: “God is love.”
OBS. 3. Modern writers, instead of the colon, mostly use the semicolon,
dash, or period. Our first example, under Rule 9,—with a colon
substituted for the semicolon,—might with propriety have been placed
under Rule 6. We prefer the semicolon, however; {p98} and if the
word _for_ were inserted in the example mentioned, the colon would be
inadmissible:
“Let there be no strife between theology and science; for there need
be none.”
In reprinting old works, the colon should be carefully retained, as
essential to a clear understanding of them.
The colon is generally placed after _as follows_, _the following_,
_in these words_, _thus_, or any other word or phrase which formally
introduces something; and when the matter introduced forms a distinct
paragraph, the colon may or may not be followed by a dash, as the style
of the author or office may require.
III. SEMICOLON.
9. When two or more clauses of a sentence are not so closely connected
as to admit the use of a comma, a semicolon is used.
Let there be no strife between theology and science; there need be
none.
Wisdom hath builded her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars;
she hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also
furnished her table.
10. When a number of particulars depend on an introductory or a
final clause, such particulars may be separated from each other by a
semicolon.
There are three difficulties in authorship: to write anything worth
the publishing; to get honest men to publish it; and to get sensible
men to read it.
To present a general view of the whole Vedic literature; to define its
extent; to divide it into well-distinguished classes of writings; to
portray the circumstances of their origin, and the stage of cultural
development which they represent; and to explain the method of their
preservation and transmission to us,—were some of the objects which
Müller had in view. {p99}
11. Loosely connected clauses of a sentence should be separated by
semicolons, if those clauses or any of them are subdivided by commas.
As the rays of the sun, notwithstanding their velocity, injure not
the eye by reason of their minuteness; so the attacks of envy,
notwithstanding their number, ought not to wound our virtue by reason
of their insignificance.
OBS. 4. In the first sentence of the following example, a comma between
the clauses is sufficient, because there are no points in the clauses;
but the second sentence may serve to illustrate Rules 11 and 12:
As there are some faults that have been termed faults on the right
side, so there are some errors that might be denominated errors on the
safe side. Thus, we seldom regret having been too mild, too cautious,
or too humble; but we often repent having been too violent, too
precipitate, or too proud.
12. When two clauses not closely dependent on each other, are connected
by _but_, _for_, _and_, or some similar connective, they are separated
by a semicolon.
I will not be revenged, and this I owe to my enemy; but I will
remember, and this I owe to myself.
A wise minister would rather preserve peace than gain a victory;
because he knows that even the most successful war leaves nations
generally more poor, always more profligate, than it found them.
Ingratitude in a superior is very often nothing more than the refusal
of some unreasonable request; and if the patron does too little, it is
not unfrequently because the dependent expects too much.
13. Phrases are often set off by a semicolon, viz.:
_a._ Explanatory phrases.
There remain to us moderns, only two roads to success; discovery and
conquest.
_b._ Participial and adjective phrases. {p100}
I have first considered whether it be worth while to say anything at
all, before I have taken any trouble to say it well; knowing that
words are but air, and that both are capable of much condensation.
These roads are what all roads should be; suitable for light
carriages, and for heavy-laden wagons.
_c._ Any phrase, especially if elliptical, or if divisible into smaller
portions by commas.
(OBS. 5. In speaking or in writing, we “almost always leave out some of
the words which are necessary to a full expression of our meaning. This
leaving out is called the ellipsis.”)
John Milton; born Dec. 9, 1608; completed Paradise Lost, 1665; died
Nov. 10, 1674.
IV. COMMA.
14. Repeated words or expressions; three or more serial terms; two
unconnected serial terms,—are separated from each other by the comma.
_a._ Repeated words or expressions.
Shut, shut the door.
I, I, I, I itself, I,
The inside and outside, the what and the why,
The when and the where, and the low and the high,
All I, I, I, I itself, I.
Give me back, give me back the wild freshness of morning.
_b._ Three or more serial terms.
Shakspeare, Butler, and Bacon have rendered it extremely difficult for
all who come after them to be sublime, witty, or profound.
The firm of Smith, Longman, Jones, Llewellyn, & Co.
But some printers, while observing the above rule in general,
except the names of firms and railroad companies; which, in their
publications, appear as follows: {p101}
The firm of Longman, Jones, Llewellyn & Co.
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé R. R. Co.
_c._ Two unconnected serial terms.
He had a keen, ready wit.
OBS. 6. The second example under _a_ (“The inside and outside, the what
and the why,”) furnishes an illustration of the mode of punctuating
terms joined in pairs.
OBS. 7. Style sometimes requires the omission of the comma before
_and_, _or_, _nor_, when one of these connectives precedes the last
term of a series: as “Shakspeare, Butler and Bacon have rendered it
extremely difficult for all who come after them to be sublime, witty
or profound.” But when the words are all in the same predicament,
the comma should be inserted; e. g.,—if you wish to state that three
certain persons are wise, you would point thus:
“Thomas, Richard, and John are wise.”
But if Richard and John are the Solons, and you wish to inform Thomas
of that fact, you would point thus:
“Thomas, Richard and John are wise.”
So, in the first example under _b_, if it is desired to qualify the
three adjectives by the phrase “in the highest degree,” the comma
after _witty_ must stand: “in the highest degree sublime, witty, or
profound.” But if that phrase is intended to apply to _sublime_ only,
the pointing should be thus: “in the highest degree sublime, witty or
profound.”
15. Phrases, clauses, and words, inverted, or otherwise not in their
natural position, generally require to be set off by a comma.
Into this illustrious society, my friend was joyfully received.
When we quarrel with ourselves, we are sure to be losers.
To satisfy you on that point, I will make a short argument.
He, like the world, his ready visits pays,
Where fortune smiles.
Roe, Richard. Doe, John.
{p102}
OBS. 8. The exceptions to this rule are numerous. If the first and last
words of a passage are related (_for him_ the summer wind _murmured_);
if the inverted phrase be brief, and can be read in close connection
with what follows (_in youth_ we have little sympathy with the
misfortunes of age); or if the principal clause is itself inverted (In
the center of the common rises a noble monument),—the comma is usually
omitted.
OBS. 9. In long lists of proper names, as Directories, etc., it is
usual to omit the comma, although the names are transposed, and to
print thus:
Smith James W.
Thomson Theophilus.
16. When the principal sentence is broken to receive an incidental or
parenthetic expression, a comma is placed at the break, and another at
the end of the inserted clause.
Rulers and magistrates should attempt to operate on the minds of their
respective subjects, if possible, by reward rather than punishment.
Some writers, in a vain attempt to be cutting and dry, give us only
that which is cut and dried.
It is known to every physician, that, whatever lazy people may say to
the contrary, early rising tends to longevity.
Go, then, where, wrapt in fear and gloom,
Fond hearts and true are sighing.
OBS. 10. The former comma is frequently omitted. Especially is this
the case when the previous part of the sentence has required commas.
Liberal pointing would omit the comma after “where,” in the above
example. And in the following sentence, from General Marcy’s “Ramblings
in the West,” note the omission of the comma after “and,” and from the
parenthetic clause “it was believed”:
This, with the destruction of our trains, consumed the greater part
of our winter supplies, and as they could not be replenished from
the Missouri River before the following June, General Johnston, the
commander, determined to send a detachment directly over the mountains
to New Mexico, from whence it was believed supplies could be obtained
earlier than from farther east. {p103}
Notice, also, the omission of the comma after “and” and “but,” in the
following paragraphs:
He left college; and forsaken by his friends, he took refuge with the
parliament party.—_Marsh, Eccl. Hist._
The written law is sufficient to decide this case; but inasmuch as the
irregularity in question is a fertile source of disputes, the case has
been deemed worthy of insertion.—_Cavendish._
(The most common parenthetic expressions are _at least_, _at most_,
_accordingly_, _as it were_, _beyond question_, _consequently_,
_doubtless_, _furthermore_, _generally speaking_, _in the mean time_,
_on the other hand_, etc.)
17. Words or phrases expressing contrast, or emphatically
distinguished, and terms having a common relation to some other term
that follows them, require the comma.
_a._ Contrast or notable difference.
His style is correct, yet familiar.
I asked for money, not advice.
’Twas fat, not fate, by which Napoleon fell.
Although Prince Hohenlohe was far more specific in pointing out what
ought to be avoided than in showing what ought to be done, yet there
could be no mistaking the course which the government was intending to
pursue.
They are charitable, not to benefit the poor, but to court the rich.
OBS. 11. Two contrasted words having a common dependence, and connected
by _but_, _though_, _yet_, or _as well as_, should not be separated;
as, There are springs of clear but brackish water.
_b._ Terms having a common relation to a succeeding term.
Ordered, That the Committee on Banking be, and they hereby are,
instructed to report a bill. {p104}
That officer was not in opposition to, but in close alliance with,
thieves.
OBS. 12. Some proof-readers, however, omit the second comma, when but
a single word follows the latter proposition; as, “Many states were in
alliance _with_, and under the protection _of_ Rome.” The better method
is to insert the point. “[Bonner was] an accomplished Italian, and
probably also a Spanish, scholar.”—_Froude._
18. Correlative terms, or expressions having a reciprocal relation, are
separated by a comma.
The farther we look back into those distant periods, all the objects
seem to become more obscure.
The more a man has, the more he wants.
As he that knows how to put proper words in proper places evinces the
truest knowledge of books, so he that knows how to put fit persons in
fit stations evinces the truest knowledge of men.
It is not so difficult a task to plant new truths, as to root out old
errors.
Where MacDonald sits, there is the head of the table.
Cincinnatus and Washington were greater in their retirement, than
Cæsar and Napoleon at the summit of their ambition; since it requires
less magnanimity to win the conquest, than to refuse the spoil.
OBS. 13. Sometimes when _that_, and generally when _as_ or _than_, _so
that_ or _such that_ is used, the connection is too close to admit the
comma.
Cromwell’s enemies say that he always fought with more sincerity than
he prayed.
Your house is larger than mine.
Paper is not so good as gold.
The old gentleman is so infirm that he can scarcely move.
He told such a story that we were all deceived by it. {p105}
19. Words used in direct address, and independent and absolute words,
with what belongs to them, are separated from the rest of the sentence
by commas.
_Q._ You say, Mr. Witness, that you were present?
_A._ Yes, sir.
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes.
My son, give me thy heart.
At length, having fought the good fight, he left the world in peace.
To confess the truth, I was in fault.
Richard Roe, his father being dead, succeeded to the estate.
Silence having been obtained, the speaker went on with his remarks.
20. The clauses of a compound sentence may be separated by a comma when
the connection is too close for the semicolon.
The winds roared in the woods, and the torrents tumbled from the hills.
Hasten to your homes, and there teach your children to detest the
deeds of tyranny.
It has, by some grammarians, been given as a rule, to use a comma to
set off every part of a compound sentence, which part has in it a verb
not in the infinitive mode.
OBS. 14. A dependent clause should be separated by a comma, unless
closely connected.
It argues a defect of method, when an author is obliged to write notes
upon his own works.
Unless we hurry to the beach, the tide will overtake us.
Whatever reception the present age may give this work, we rest
satisfied with our endeavors to deserve a kind one.
When the Tartars make a Lama, their first care is to place him in a
dark corner of the temple.
OBS. 15. If a clause beginning with _as_, _because_, _if_, _wherever_,
_how_, _lest_, _than_, _that_, _when_, _where_, _whether_, _while_,
_why_, or any {p106} adverb of time, place, or manner, follows a
clause with which it is closely connected in sense, it is not set off
by a comma: “He went away when the boat left.” “We love him because he
first loved us.” “He will pay if he is able.” “Tell me whether you will
return.”
OBS. 16. An infinitive phrase closely connected with what it modifies,
should not be set off by a comma; as, “We use language to express our
thoughts.” “Nouns do not vary their endings to denote certain cases.”
But if the infinitive phrase is preceded by _in order_, or if it is
remote from what it modifies, it should be set off by a comma. “He
collected a great many young elms from various parts of England, to
adorn his grounds.” “If dissimulation is ever to be pardoned, it is
that which men have recourse to, in order to obtain situations which
will enlarge their sphere of general usefulness.”
21. A word or phrase used in apposition, to explicate or illustrate a
previous word or phrase, should be set off by commas; but if the words
in apposition constitute a single phrase or a proper name, they should
not be separated.
_a._ Comma required.
Johnson, that mighty Caliban of literature, is held up to view in the
pages of Boswell.
The alligator, or cayman, is found in the Orinoco.
Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, was eminent for his zeal and
knowledge.
If the position of the terms in apposition is reversed, commas are
required.
The apostle of the Gentiles, Paul, was eminent for his zeal and
knowledge.
That old last century poet, Crowley, sings thus.
_b._ Comma not required.
Johnson the lexicographer completed his dictionary in seven years.
{p107}
We the undersigned agree to pay the sums set against our names
respectively.
Jeremy the prophet commanded them that were carried away to take of
the fire, as it hath been signified.
I Paul have written it with mine own hand.
The poet Chaucer lived in the reign of Richard II.
Sir John Walpole understood two grand secrets of state: the power of
principal, and the weakness of principle.
22. A simple sentence usually requires no point except the period at
the end of it.
Count Bismarck has preserved a pleasant intimacy with his old
preceptor.
OBS. 17. When the subject is a clause ending with a verb, or with a
noun that might be mistaken for the nominative, a comma should be
inserted before the predicate.
That winter campaigns are undertaken, shows a desire to kill the
Indians.
Captain Smith’s obedience to orders, issued in his promotion.
Every year that is added to the age of the world, serves to lengthen
the thread of its history.
He that gives a portion of his time and talent to the investigation of
mathematical truth, will come to all other questions with a decided
advantage over his opponents.
In the following sentence, a comma after “them” might not be improper
(for we once heard a reader place a pause after “attacked”),—but we
shall not attack one of General Sherman’s sentences, lest we “get the
worst of it.”
During this campaign hundreds if not thousands of miles of similar
intrenchments were built by both armies, and as a rule whichever party
attacked one of them got the worst of it.—_Memoirs Gen. W. T. Sherman._
OBS. 18. Whether a comma should be inserted after the verb _to be_,
when that verb is followed by an infinitive clause which might by
transposition be made the nominative, is a question on which the best
authorities differ.
_First Method._—The highest art of the mind of man is to possess
itself with tranquillity in the hour of danger. {p108}
_Second Method._—The highest art of the mind of man is, to possess
itself with tranquillity in the hour of danger.
We are of opinion that usage is in favor of the omission of the comma,
as in the following examples:
The proposed object of the Union Dictionary is to comprehend at once
all that is truly useful in Johnson, Sheridan, and Walker.—_Thomas
Browne._
The grandest of all conditions is to be at once healthy and wise and
good.—_D’Arcy Thompson._
OBS. 19. When the subject is an infinitive phrase, the better method is
not to separate it; as, “To be totally indifferent to praise or censure
is a real defect in character.” Still there is excellent authority
for inserting a comma, thus: “To be totally indifferent to praise or
censure, is a real defect in character.” In sentences of this kind we
advise the proof-reader to omit the comma unless the author is uniform
in the insertion of it.
OBS. 20. Some grammarians set off by a comma the predicate, when it
refers to separated nominatives preceding it; as, “The benches, chairs,
and tables, were thrown down.” And, again, we find this example given:
“Veracity, justice, and charity, are essential virtues.” So, in the
ordinances of the City of Boston, “if any person or persons shall roast
any cocoa,” without having complied with certain conditions, “he, she,
or they, shall forfeit and pay for every such offense,” etc.,—a comma
appearing after _they_, although a conjunction precedes it. But the
weight of authority is against separating the last noun or pronoun
of such compound subject from the verb when the conjunction is used.
The last quotation, above given, should read, “he, she, or they shall
forfeit,” etc.
23. A comma should be placed before or after a word or phrase, to
associate it with the group to which it belongs, if, without the comma,
the sentence would be equivocal; and generally, a comma may be inserted
wherever its use will prevent ambiguity.
This man, only cared to lay up money.
This man only, cared to lay up money.
Whoever lives opprobriously, must perish.
The first maxim among philosophers is, that merit only, makes
distinction. {p109}
The delight which I found in reading Pliny, first inspired me with the
idea of a work of this nature.—_Goldsmith._
My communication was offered and refused.
My communication was offered, and refused on account of its length.
OBS. 21. We recently met with this last sentence, pointed as follows:
“My communication was offered and refused, on account of its length”;
but it is not easy to see why the length of a communication should be
assigned as the reason for having offered it.
“Every favor a man receives in some measure sinks him below his
dignity.”—_Goldsmith._
OBS. 22. A comma should have been placed after _receives_.
24. No comma is put between two words or phrases in apposition,
following the verbs _think_, _name_, _make_, _consider_, and others of
a similar meaning.
They made him their ruler.
They called him captain.
They saluted him king.
I esteem you my friend.
Believing him an honest man, we elected him treasurer.
We constituted our Secretary a depositary of German books.
I consider him a gentleman.
OBS. 23. Of the terms in apposition, one is the subject, and the other
the predicate, of _to be_, understood (“They made him _to be_ their
ruler”). The rule might, therefore, be worded thus: When, of two terms
in apposition, one is predicated of the other, no comma is required.
25. In a compound sentence, the comma is often inserted where a verb is
omitted.
In literature, our taste will be discovered by that which we give; our
judgment, by that which we withhold.
Wit consists in finding out resemblances; judgment, in discerning
differences. {p110}
In the pursuit of intellectual pleasure lies every virtue; of sensual,
every vice.
Sheridan once observed of a certain speech, that all its facts were
invention, and all its wit, memory.
OBS. 24. But sometimes the comma is not inserted: especially when the
style is lively; when the clauses have a common relation to something
that follows; or when they are connected by a conjunction.
Could Johnson have had less prejudice, Addison more profundity, or
Dryden more time, they would have been well qualified for the arduous
office of a critic.
The Germans do not appear so vivacious, nor the Turks so energetic, as
to afford triumphant demonstrations in behalf of the sacred weed.
The boat was tight, the day fine, the bait tempting, and the fishes
hungry.
26. A short quotation, a remarkable expression, or a short observation
somewhat in manner of a quotation, is set off by the comma.
Plutarch calls lying, the vice of slaves.
It hurts a man’s pride to say, I do not know.
Cicero observed to a degenerate patrician, “I am the first of my
family, but you are the last of yours.”
An upright minister asks, what recommends a man; a corrupt minister,
who.
There is an old poet who has said, “No deity is absent, if prudence is
with thee.”
They tell me here, that people frequent the theater to be instructed
as well as amused.
The old proverb, “Too much freedery breeds despise,” is now rendered,
“Familiarity breeds contempt.”
OBS. 25. When the introductory clause is short, the comma may be
omitted; as “Charles Fox said that restorations are the most bloody of
all revolutions.”—“Madame de Staël admits that she discovered, as she
grew old, the men could not find out that wit in her at fifty, which
she possessed at twenty-five.” {p111}
27. Numbers are divided by the comma into periods of three figures each.
The distance of the sun from the earth is usually stated at 95,000,000
miles.
OBS. 26. In a number expressing the year of an era, the comma is not
used; as, July 4, 1876. In tabular work it is very neat and convenient
to omit the comma, as in the following example:
The number of letters in 1600 lbs. of Pica is as follows:
a 17000
b 3200
c 6000
d 8800
e 24000, etc.
OBS. 27. In some offices the style requires all numbers less than 1,000
to be expressed in words; 1,000 and upwards in figures. Some printers
insert the comma before hundreds, only when five figures or more occur.
28. Restrictive phrases or clauses are not set off by the comma.
He reviewed such regiments _as were armed with Enfield rifles_.
They flatter the vanities of those _with whom they have to do_.
Attend to the remarks _which the preacher is about to make_.
Bishop Watson most feelingly regrets the valuable time _he was obliged
to squander away_.
A false concord in words may be pardoned in him _who has produced a
true concord_ between such momentous things _as the purest faith and
the profoundest reason_.
“He is known by his company” is a proverb _that does not invariably
apply_.
Cattle _which live in herds_, are subject to various diseases. {p112}
OBS. 28. Adjective elements which are simply descriptive, and not
restrictive, should be set off by commas; thus:
Cattle, which live in herds, are subject to various diseases.
The first verse of the fourteenth chapter of Job, in the King James
Bible, reads:
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
The Douay Bible reads:
Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many
miseries.
The Protestant Episcopal Burial Service points correctly:
Man, that is born of a woman, hath but a short time to live, and is
full of misery.
V. THE NOTE OF INTERROGATION.
29. The note of Interrogation is placed at the end of a direct question.
Can gold gain friendship?
Is that the best answer you can give to the fourteenth
cross-interrogatory?
Is any among you afflicted?
Oh, lives there, Heaven, beneath thy dread expanse,
One hopeless, dark idolater of Chance?
OBS. 29. When several distinct questions occur in succession, the
practice of some writers is to separate them by commas or semicolons,
placing the question-mark at the close only; as:
“Where was Lane then; what was his situation?”—_Trial of Selfridge._
“Am I Dromio, am I your man, am I myself?”
This we regard as incorrect. Each several question should have the
interrogation point.
_Dro. S._ Do you know me, sir? am I Dromio? am I your man? am I
myself? {p113}
_Rosalind._ What did he when thou saw’st him? What said he? How looked
he? Wherein went he? What makes he here? Did he ask for me? Where
remains he? How parted he with thee? and when shalt thou see him again?
OBS. 30. If several questions in one sentence are joined by
connectives, each question takes the note of interrogation. “Have I not
all their letters to meet me in arms by the ninth of the next month?
and are they not, some of them, set forward already?”
OBS. 31. When a sentence contains several interrogative clauses,
having a common relation to, or dependence on, one term, a single
interrogation point is sufficient.
“Was I, _for this_, nigh wrecked upon the sea;
And twice by awkward wind from England’s bank
Drove back again unto my native clime?”
“By sensational preaching do you mean an incoherent raving about
things in general and nothing in particular; a perversion of every
text; an insult of common sense; a recital of anecdotes which are
untrue, and a use of illustrations which are unmeaning?”
Who will count the value to a man to be raised one remove higher above
the brute creation; to be able to look with the eye of intelligence,
instead of vacant ignorance, upon the world in which he lives; to
penetrate as far as mortals may into the mystery of his own existence,
and to be made capable of enjoying the rational delights of that
existence; to be protected by his knowledge from every species of
quackery, fanaticism, and imposture; and to know how to estimate and
use the gifts which a beneficent Creator has spread around him?—_Prof.
L. Stevens, Girard Coll._
“What can preserve _my life_, or what destroy?”
NOTE.—An assertion stating a question does not take the interrogation
point; as, “The question is, what lenses have the greatest magnifying
power.”
VI. THE NOTE OE EXCLAMATION.
30. The note of Exclamation is applied to expressions of sudden or
violent emotion; such as surprise, grief, joy, love, hatred, etc.
O piteous spectacle! O noble Cæsar! O woful day!
An old lady one day importuning Mahomet to know what {p114} she
ought to do, in order to gain Paradise,—“My good lady,” answered the
Prophet, “old women never get there.”—“What! never get to Paradise!”
returned the matron in a fury. “Never!” says he, “for they grow young
by the way!”
Why was this heart of mine formed with so much sensibility! or why was
not my fortune adapted to its impulse! Poor houseless creatures! The
world will give you reproaches, but will not give you relief.
Ah! well of old the Psalmist prayed
“Thy hand, not man’s, on me be laid!”
Earth frowns below, Heaven weeps above,
And man is hate, but God is love!
31. The exclamation point is used in invocations.
Father of all! in every age adored.
Gentle spirit of sweetest humor who erst did sit upon the easy pen of
my beloved Cervantes!
Oh, my brothers! oh, my sisters!
Would to God that ye were near!
32. Several exclamation points are sometimes used together, to express
ridicule, or to intensify surprise, etc.
Malherbe observed, that a good poet was of no more service to the
church or the state, than a good player at _ninepins_!!
VII. THE DASH.
33. The Dash is used where a sentence breaks off abruptly.
_Charles._ You must invent some ingenious subterfuge—some—some kind of—
_Project._ I understand; not a _suggestio falsi_, but a mild
_suppressio veri_. {p115}
_Charles._ Oh, is that what you call it? There is a shorter word—
_Project._ There is; but it is not professional.
I shall divide the subject into fifteen heads, and then I shall argue
thus—but, not to give you and myself the spleen, be contented at
present with an Indian tale.
34. The dash is used before and after a parenthetic clause, when not
closely enough connected to admit the comma.
But it remains—and the thought is not without its comforting
significance, however hardly it may bear on individual cases—that no
bestowal of bounty, no cultivation of the amenities of life, . . . can
wipe out the remembrance of even doubtful loyalty in the day of trial.
OBS. 32. If a parenthetic clause is inserted where a comma is required
in the principal sentence, a comma should be placed before each of the
dashes inclosing such clause. (_See_ last paragraph on p. 90).
I should like to undertake the Stonyshire side of that estate,—it’s in
a dismal condition,—and set improvements on foot.
35. Several clauses having a common dependence, are separated by a
comma and a dash from the clause on which they depend.
To think that we have mastered the whole problem of existence; that
we have discovered the secret of creation; that we have solved the
problem of evil, and abolished mystery from nature and religion and
life,—leads naturally to a precipitation of action, a summary dealing
with evils, etc. (_See_ Example and Obs. under Rule 7.)
36. The dash is used with the comma, the semicolon, and the colon,
which it lengthens, or renders more emphatic. {p116}
We read of “merry England”;—when England was not merry, things were
not going well with it. We hear of “the glory of hospitality,”
England’s pre-eminent boast,—by the rules of which all tables, from
the table of the twenty-shilling freeholder to the table in the
baron’s hall and abbey refectory, were open at the dinner-hour to all
comers.—_Froude._
_Matricaria_, _n._ A genus of plants, including the feverfew, or
wild camomile;—so called from the supposed value of some species as
remedies for certain disorders.—_Webster’s Dictionary._
They did it without being at all influenced by the Anabaptists of
the continent:—the examples of some of these had rather kept them
together.—_D’Aubigne._
37. When words are too closely connected to admit a strictly
grammatical point, the dash is used to denote a pause.
My hopes and fears
Start up alarmed, and o’er life’s narrow verge
Look down—on what? A fathomless abyss.
The king of France, with twice ten thousand men,
Marched up the hill, and then—marched down again.
38. When a word or phrase is repeated emphatically, or _echoed_, it is
preceded by the dash.
The immediate question is upon the rejection of the President’s
message. It has been moved to reject it,—to reject it, not after it
was considered, but before it was considered!
The world continues to attach a peculiar significance to certain
names,—a significance which at once recurs to one on hearing the
isolated name unapplied to any individual.
39. An equivalent expression, or an idea repeated in different words,
is properly set off by the comma and dash. {p117}
These are detached thoughts,—memoranda for future use.
Wolsey’s return to power was discussed openly as a probability,—a
result which Anne Boleyn never ceased to fear.
There are three kinds of power,—wealth, strength, and talent.
The value of our actions will be confirmed and established by those
two sure and sateless destroyers of all other things,—Time and Death.
The present time has one advantage over every other,—it is our own.
Those who submit to encroachments to-day are only preparing for
themselves greater evils for to-morrow,—humiliation or resistance.
OBS. 33. In a portion of the examples under this rule, the dash appears
to supply the place of _viz._, or _namely_.
40. A dash placed between two numbers indicates that the natural series
between those numbers is understood.
OBS. 34. If a writer refer to “pp. 90, 95,” he means those two pages
only; but if he cite “pp. 90–95,” the reference is to pages 90, 91, 92,
93, 94, and 95.—In dates of the same century, the figures denoting the
century are omitted in the second number: “He has the Farmer’s Almanac
for 1810–70,—sixty-one years.” (It will be observed, that, under this
rule, the short or _en_ dash is used.)
The style of the Government Printing Office, Washington, requires an
apostrophe to denote the elision of the centuries; as 1889–’90.
41. An Ellipsis of letters is denoted by a dash.
Ex-President J—ns—n.
King F—der—ck W——m.
42. When a sentence is abrupted (1) to form a heading, or (2) for
a signature, or (3) to admit a {p118} new paragraph, or for other
purposes, a dash is used at the break; as:
From the preceding tables we are now able to formulate in concise
language the—
GRAND RESULT.
1. The number of employees . . . is at least 1,250,000.—_Mass. Labor
Report._
It is useless for you to dissemble in the presence of—
Yours, etc. JOHN SMITH.
The greatest cowards in our regiment were the greatest rascals in it.
There was Sergeant Kumber and Ensign—
We’ll talk of them, said my father, another time.—_Sterne._
VIII. VARIOUS MARKS USED IN WRITING AND PRINTING.
The Hyphen is used to denote the division of a
word into syllables; as, _in-ter-dict_: it is placed at the
end of a line (usually at the close of a syllable),
when a word is not finished: and it connects the
parts of a compound word; as, “At Cambridge,
Cecil was present at the terrible and _never-to-be-for-
gotten_ battle between Cheke and Gardiner on the
pronunciation of the Greek epsilon, which convulsed
the academic world.” (_See_ p. 84, _et seq._)
The Apostrophe is used to abbreviate a word; as, _’tis_ for _it is_,
_tho’_ for _though_, _don’t_ for _do not_. It denotes the possessive
case; as, “John’s hat,” “three years’ service,” “one hour’s work,”
“two days’ notice,” “Smith & Co.’s shops,” “Brook’s book,” “Brooks’s
book.” It appears in names; as, O’Brien; M’[Mac]Mahon. {p119}
In French, no space is put after an apostrophe denoting elision; as,
“d’or”: in Italian, a space is inserted, as, “n’ arrivi.”
A turned comma sometimes denotes the _ac_ in _Mac_; as, _MʻDonough_.
Two commas (usually turned) are often used instead of _do._ (_ditto_).
Carving knives
Pocket ʻʻ
Case ʻʻ
Book of History.
,, ,, Chemistry.
,, ,, Algebra.
Quotation marks [“” or ‟”] are used to include a copied passage. If
the copied passage itself contains a quotation, the latter is denoted
by single marks [‘’ or ‛’]; as, “My father said in banter, ‘James, the
notes are not correct.’ The farmer dryly answered, ‘I dinna ken what
they may be _noo_; but they were a’ richt afore ye had your fingers in
amang ’em.’”
In some publications a little labor is saved by using single marks for
the principal quotations, and double if there happen to be inserted
ones; as in a recent novel by Mrs. Humphrey Ward:
‘To plunge into the Christian period without having first cleared the
mind as to what is meant in history and literature by “the critical
method” which in history may be defined,’ etc.
The same neat style is used in Max Müller’s Translation of Kant:
What Kant felt in his heart of hearts we know from some remarks found
after his death among his papers. ‘It is {p120} dishonorable,’ he
writes, ‘to retract or deny one’s real convictions, but silence in
a case like my own, is the duty of a subject; and though all we say
must be true, it is not our duty to declare publicly all that is
true.’—_Preface._
Brackets are used to inclose words omitted by a writer or copyist; as,
“Were you [on the] deck of the steamer at the [time] of the collision?”
(In the Holy Scriptures, supplied words are put in italics: “Because
_they sought it_ not by faith, but, as it were, by the works of the
law.”) Explanations inserted in text are usually inclosed in brackets;
as in the following instance, from “The Life of Dr. Goldsmith”: “You
see, my dear Dan, how long I have been talking about myself. [_Some
mention of private family affairs is here omitted._] My dear sir, these
things give me real uneasiness,” etc.
Marks of Parenthesis are used to inclose a sentence, or part of a
sentence, which is inserted in another sentence: “One Sunday morning,
when her daughter (afterwards Lady Elton) went into the kitchen, she
was surprised to find a new jack (recently ordered, and which was
constructed on the principle of going constantly without winding up)
wholly paralyzed and useless.”
The Index [☞] is used to draw attention to some particular passage.
Sometimes an Asterism [⁂] is used for the same purpose. Where there are
many footnotes on a page, the Index is a proper reference mark. {p121}
The Caret [‸] is used in writing, to denote the point where an
interlineation is to be inserted. It is sometimes used in printing
when the exact character of a manuscript is to be represented,—as in
“exhibits” in law work.
The Brace [Illustration: }] is used to connect a number of words with
one common term; and sometimes in poetry, to connect three lines which
rhyme together:
Moore’s Works,
Saurin’s Sermons, [Illustration: }] $1.75 each.
Lewis’s Plays,
Injustice, swift, erect, and unconfined,
Sweeps the wide earth, and tramples o’er mankind, [Illustration: }]
While prayers, to heal her wrongs, move slow behind.
Marks of Ellipsis or Omission are the dash; as, “Col. Sm—h”: or
asterisks; as, “Col. Sm**h”: or, neatest of all, points; as, “Col.
Sm . . h.”
Leaders are dots which lead the eye from something on the left of the
page, to some connected matter on the right:
Globe Insurance Co. . . . . . London, Eng.
Mutual Life In. Co. . . . . . Hartford, Conn.
Accents are the Grave [`], the Acute [´], and the Circumflex [^]: è is
read by the copy-holder _grave e_; é, _acute e_; ê, _circumflex e_.
Marks of Quantity are the Long, as over _o_ in “shōw”; the Short, or
Breve, as over _o_ in “nŏt”; and the Diæresis, which denotes that the
latter of {p122} two vowels is not in the same syllable as the former;
as, “zoölogy,” “Antinoüs.”
The Cedilla is a curve line under the letter _c_, to denote that it
has the sound of _s_; as in “garçon,” “façade.” It appears in words
from the French language. Worcester uses it also to denote the soft
sounds of _g_, _s_, and _x_; as in “mişle,” “ex̧aģģerate.” Webster
uses it only to denote the soft sound of _c_, as in “min-çing-ly.” We
remark here, by the way, that in dividing such words as “bra-cing,”
“min-cing,” “convin-cing,” etc., the _c_ should be carried over,
thereby preserving its proper sound. For a similar reason divide
“enga-ging,” “ra-ging,” etc., on the _a_. Whether “ma-gis-trate” should
follow this rule is a matter of style. There are offices which so
divide it, while others divide on the _g_. We prefer to syllable the
word as we have written it,—on the _a_.
The Spanish ñ has the sound of _n_ in _onion_; as, “Señor,” “cañon.”
Umlaut (pron. ōōmlowt), as defined by Webster, is the change or
modification of a vowel sound, peculiar to the Germanic languages; as
in German, _Mann_, man, _Männer_ or _Maenner_, men. The name _Roelker_
may also be written _Rölker_.
¶ denotes the beginning of a paragraph, as may be noticed in the Sacred
Scriptures. In proof-reading and in manuscript, it is used to denote
where a paragraph or break should be made. {p123}
§ denotes a section; §§, sections; as, Gen. Stat., Chap. IX., § 19, and
Chap. X., §§ 20 and 21.
Reference to notes at the bottom of the page (commonly termed
footnotes) is usually made by the asterisk, *, the obelisk, or dagger,
†; the double obelisk, or double dagger, ‡; the section, §; the
parallels, ‖; the paragraph, ¶; and the index, ☞;—but a neater mode is
to use superiors; as, ^{1, 2, 3,} or ^{a, b, c,} commencing with ^{1}
or ^{a} on each page where notes occur.
In concluding our chapter on punctuation, we venture to say to our
friends at the case, that, in our opinion, no system of pointing can be
of uniform and universal application. Men differ as much in style of
writing as in personal appearance, and we might as well expect the same
robe to fit all forms, as that one set of rules shall nicely apply to
the endless diversities of diction.
Other things being equal however, he who has paid most attention to
rule will punctuate with the nearest approximation to correctness.
With a clear understanding of an author’s meaning, the compositor
seldom need go far astray; and if, having done his best, he finds any
passage hopelessly involved, or the meaning too subtile to be grasped,
he has one safe resource,—and that is, to FOLLOW THE COPY closely
and mechanically. Could he have for reference a few pages preceding
a doubtful passage, the whole matter might become perfectly clear;
but, as that is out of the question, those pages being scattered as
{p124} “takes” in other hands, let the compositor adopt the safe
course,—FOLLOW COPY,—resting assured that no person whose opinion he
need value, could possibly think of finding fault with him for leaving
responsibility where it properly belongs.
{p125}
CHAPTER VI.
ORTHOGRAPHY.
Webster defines Orthography as “the art of writing words with the
proper letters, according to common usage”; Worcester, as “the art or
the mode of spelling words.” They agree in this: that there are some
words—two or three thousand, perhaps—whose orthography common usage
has not settled. Prefixed to either Dictionary is a list showing in
double column the most prevalent methods of spelling words of doubtful
orthography; thus:
Abettor Abetter
Escalade Scalade
Germane Germain, German
The first column in the Webster List “presents the orthography
recognized in the body of [the] Dictionary as the preferable one, or
that in general use.” But “when in this list the word in the first
column is followed by _or_, as ‘Abatis, _or_ Abattis,’ it is implied
that the second form is nearly, often quite, in as good use as the
first.” When the word in the first column differs in meaning from that
in the second, the word in the first is followed by _and_, as ‘Lunet,
_and Lunette_,’ both words being in use, but applied to different
things. {p126}
The orthography in the first column of the Worcester List “is deemed
to be well authorized, and in most cases preferable; but with respect
to the authority of that in the right-hand column, there is a great
diversity. Both orthographies of some of the words are right, the
words being differently spelled when used in different senses”; as,
“Draught, _or_ Draft,” “Subtle, _or_ Subtile,” etc. Sometimes _and_
is used as the connective; as, “Canvas, _and_ Canvass.” But these
double arrangements are of almost no service to the proof-reader or
compositor,—for the interchangeable words cannot _both_ be inserted
in his work. If he could use the various spellings, it would save the
trouble of weighing authorities: we should then have such sentences as
these:
The hostler _or_ ostler inveigled _or_ enveigled the horses into the
stockade _or_ stoccade. Meanwhile the infantry landed at the jettee
_or_ jetty _or_ jetta _or_ jutty, and at once constructed an abatis
_or_ abattis _or_ abbatis, as it behooved _or_ behoved them.
Of these various correct spellings, _one_ must be selected to the
exclusion of the rest. But there being no common usage, no academy
to instruct, and the copy not being uniform, who or what is to guide
the printers and proof-readers in making the selection? “For the last
eighty years [or more], printers have exercised a general control over
English orthography,”—and we, to carry the general control a little
farther, propose to set forth for general use one list from Webster’s
first column, exhibiting only _one_ single correct spelling, to be used
where the Webster style prevails; and a similar list from Worcester’s
{p127} first column, to be used where the Worcester style has the
precedence. Would there were a _Smithsonian Bureau of the English
Language_, to render _two_ lists unnecessary; and to give _one_ style
to Government work,—a style which should have the approval of Congress,
and to which all printing done by or for the various Departments of the
United States Government should be conformed.
THE WEBSTER LIST.
[From the column which, he says, “presents the orthography recognized
in the body of this Dictionary (Wb. Unabridged) as the preferable
one, or that in general use.” But since he places in his first column
various spellings of the same words,—e. g. under _A_, _Ædile_; under
_E_, _Edile_,—we have, in accordance with our plan, omitted that
spelling which we have observed to be neglected by readers who profess
to follow Webster. We have inserted in brackets some words from
the second column which have a different signification from their
congeners in the first; also in brackets, some words from the defining
columns, and such remarks and explanations as may be of service to
printers and others.]
A.
Abatis
Abettor
[One who abets another to commit a crime.]
Abreuvoir
Abridgment
[Accessary
As used in law.]
Accessory
[“In its other senses” (than in law); as, “the accessories of a
picture.”]
Account, -ant, etc.
Accouter, etc.
Acetimeter
Ache
Achieve
Acknowledgment
Addible
Adipocere
Admittable
Adopter (_Chem._)
Adulterer, -ess
Adz
Ægis
Æolian
Aghast
Agriculturist
Aid-de-camp
Ajutage
Alcaid
Alchemy
Alcoran
Alkahest
Allege
Alleluia
[If written _Halleluiah_ or _Hallelujah_, follow copy.]
Alloy
Alum
Almanac
Ambassador
Ambergris
Ambs-ace
Amend, -ment
Amice
Ammoniuret
Amortize, -ment
Amphitheater
Anapest
Ancient, -ly
Andiron
Angiotomy
Ankle
Annotto
Antechamber
Anterior
Anti-emetic
Antihypnotic
Apostasy
Aposteme
[If written _Imposthume_, follow copy.]
Apothegm
Appall
Appallment
[Appanage]
Appareled, -ing
Appraise, -ed, etc. {p128}
Apprise (_to notify_)
Apricot
Arbitrament
Arbor
Archæology
Ardor
Argol
Armor, -er, etc.
Arquebuse
Arrack
Artisan
Asafœtida
Asbestus
Ascendant
Ascendency
Askance
Askant
Assuage
Atheneum
[If written _Athenæum_, follow copy.]
Aught
Author, etc.
Autocracy
Autoptical
Awkward
Awm
Ax
Ay
[Expressing assent.]
Aye
[An affirmative vote.]
B.
Backshish
Bade (_v._)
Baldric
Balister
Balk
Baluster
Bandana
Bandoleer
Banderole
Banyan (_Bot._)
Bans
[Notice of proposed marriage.]
Barbacan
Barbecue
Barberry
Bark
Barouche
Barytone
Basin
Bass
Bass-viol
Bas-relief
Bastinade
Baton
Bateau
Battledoor
Bauble
Bazaar
Befall
Behavior
Behoove
Beldam
Belligerent
Benedict
Benumb
Bellfounder,
[And similar compounds.]
Bequeath
Bergamot
Berth (_Nav._)
[Bestrown
p. p. of Bestrew.]
Betel
Beveled, -ing
Bevile (_Her._)
Bezant
Biasing, -ed, -es, etc.
Bigoted
Bilge
Billiards
Billingsgate
Bin
Binnacle
Bister
Blende (_Min._)
Blessed (_a._)
Blithesome, -ly, etc.
Blomary
Blouse
Bodice
Boil (_n._)
Bombazet
Bombazine
Bonnyclabber
Bourgeois
Bourse
Bouse
Bousy
Boweled, -ing, etc.
Bowlder
Bowsprit
Brahmin
Brake (_Railways_)
Brazen
Brazier
Brier
Brooch
Bryony
Buccaneer
Buddhism
Buffet
Buhrstone
Bun
Buncombe
Bur
[If written _Burr_, follow copy.]
Burden, -some
Burin
Burned (_imp._)
Burganet
But-end
Butt
Byzantine
C.
Caboose
Cacique
Caddice {p129}
Cæsura
Cag
[If written _Keg_ follow copy.]
Caique
Caisson
Calash
Caldron
Calendar
Calends
Caliber
Calipash
Calipee
Calipers
Caliph
Calk
Calligraphy
Caloyer
Caltrap
Calyx
Camlet
Camomile
[If written _Chamomile_, follow copy.]
Camphene
Camphor
Candor
Canceled, -ing, etc.
Cannel-coal
Cannoneer
Canny
Cañon (_Sp._)
Canyon [_Eng._]
[The Eng. form is the better if writing or printing English.
_Cañon_ in an English book seems pedantic.]
Cantaloup
Cantalever
Carbine
Carbineer
Carapace
Carat
Caravansary
Carcass
[In the King James Bible, spelled _carcase_.]
Carnelian
Caroled, -ing, etc.
Cartography
Cask (_a vessel_)
Casque (_helmet_)
Cassava
Cassimere
[If written _Kerseymere_, follow copy.]
Caster
[One who casts; a cruet; a furniture-wheel.]
Castor
[A genus of animals; a hat; a drug; a heavy cloth.]
Catchup
Catechise, -er
Cauliflower
Causeway
Caviare
Caviler, -ed, etc.
Cayman
Ceil -ing, -ed
Center
Centered
Centimeter
Centiped
Ceroon
Cess-pool
Chalcedony
Chameleon
Chamois
Champaign
[Flat, open country.]
Champagne (_wine_)
Champerty
Channeled, -ing, etc.
Chant, -er, -ed, etc.
Chap
[Both Wb. and Wor. place _chăp_ in the first column, and _chop_
in the second. This preference of _chăp_ to _chop_ harmonizes
orthography and pronunciation in three instances: (1) when _chăp_
is _v. t._, signifying “to cleave or open longitudinally, through
the effect of heat, cold, dryness, etc.; as, ‘Heat _chăps_ the
russet plain’”; (2) when _v. i._, as “The hands chăp”; (3) when
_n._, as a cleft in the earth’s surface, or in the hands or feet.
_Chăp_ (a youth) was never in doubt; while _chaps_ (the jaws)
must continue to be pronounced with the _a_ as in _what_.]
Chase
Check (_n._)
Checker, -ed, etc.
Chemist
Chemistry
Cherif
Chestnut
Chevron
Chilioliter
Chiliometer
Chine
Chintz
Chiseled, -ing
Chock-full
Choir
Chorister
Choke
Choose
Chore
Cigar
Cimeter
Cipher
Clamor, -ous, etc.
Clangor
Clarionet
Clew
Clinch
Clinique
Clinometer
Cloak
Clodpoll {p130}
Clothe, -ed, etc.
Clough
Clyster
Cockswain
Cœliac
Cognizor, -zee
Coif
Coiffure
Colander
Comb
[Unwatered part of valley, etc.]
Comfrey
Complete
Complexion
[Comptroller, -ship
There is an officer of the U. S. Government whose official title is
“Comptroller of the Currency.” The word appears in Wb. 2d column.]
Confectionery
Connection
Contemporary
Contra-dance
Controller, -ship
Control
Cony
Cooly
Coomb (4 _bushels_)
Copaiva
Copier
Copse
Coquette (_n._)
Coranach
Corbel
Cosy
Cot (_a hut_)
Cot (_a bed_)
Cotillon
Councilor
[A member of a council.]
Counselor
[One who gives counsel.]
Count
Courtesan
Courtesy (_Law_)
Cozen, -age
Craunch
Cray-fish
Creak (_v._)
Creosote
Critique
Crosslet
Cruet
Croup
[Behind the saddle.]
Crupper
Cruse (_bottle_)
Cucurbit
Cudgeled, -er, -ing
Cue
[Twist of back hair.]
Cuerpo
Cuneiform
Curb (_of a well_)
Cursed (_imperf._)
Curtal-ax
Cutlass
Cyclopedia
Cymar
Cyst
Czar, -ina
D.
Dactyl
Damasken
Damson
Dandruff
Danegelt
Debarkation
Debonair, -ly, -ness
Decrepit
Defense, -less, etc.
Deflection
Deflour
Delf
Delphin
Deltoid
Demeanor
Demesne (_Law_)
Dentiroster
Dependent
Dependence
Deposit
Desert (_n._)
Deshabille
Dessert
Detecter
Detortion
Deuce
Develop, -ment
Dexterous
[But if written _Dextrous_ follow copy, to avoid subsequent change.]
Diæresis
Diarrhea
Diarrhetic
Dike
Diocese
Disheveled, -ing, etc.
Disk
Dispatch, -ed, -ing
Disseize, -in, -or
Distention
Distill
Distrainor
Diversely
Divest, -ed, etc.
[But in _Law_, _Devest_ is commonly used; in law work, follow
copy.]
Docket
Doctress
Dolor, -ous
Domicile
Doomsday-book
Dory
Dormer-window
Dote
Dotage
Doubloon
Dowry
Downfall {p131}
Dram
[A weight; a minute quantity; a potation.]
[Drachm
This word is in second column, connected to _Dram_ by _and_. Its
meaning seems to be properly limited, however, to an ancient Greek
coin, and a Greek weight (Drachma).]
Draff
Draft
[1. The act of drawing or pulling as by beasts of burden.
2. Drawing of men for a military corps.
3. An order for payment of money; a bill of exchange.
4. An allowance in weighing.
5. A drawing of lines for a plan; a figure described on paper;
delineation; sketch; plan delineated; an outline to be filled in or
completed for composition. In any other sense than these five, use
the original spelling, _Draught_.]
[Draught
(See _supra_.)]
Dragoman
Dribblet
Drier
Driveler, -ing, etc.
Drought
Dryly
Duchy
Duchess
Dueler, -ing, -ist
Dullness
Dungeon
Dunghill
Duress
Dye, etc. (_color_)
E.
Eavesdropper
Eccentric, -al, etc.
Economy
Ecstasy
Ecstatic
Ecumenic, -al
Edematous
Edile, -ship
Eloign, -ment
Emarginate
Embalm, -ed, etc.
Embalmer, -ment
Embank, -ed, etc.
Embargo
Embark, -ed, etc.
Embarkation
Embassy
Embassage
Embed, -ded, etc.
Embezzle
Emblaze
Emblazon, -ed, etc.
Embody, -ied, etc.
Embolden, -ed, etc.
Emborder, etc.
Embosom
[If written _Imbosom_, follow copy.]
Emboss, -ed, etc.
Embowel, -ed, -ing
Emboweler, -ment
Embower, -ed, etc.
Embrace, -ed, etc.
Embracer, -ment
Embrasure
Embrocation
Embroil, -ed, etc.
Emerods
[The Biblical spelling; in ordinary work, _Hemorrhoids_.]
Emir
Empale, -ed, etc.
Emperor
Empoison
Empower, -ed, etc.
Emprise
Empurple
Emu
Enameled, -ing, etc.
Enamor, -ed, -ing
Encage, -ed, etc.
Encamp, -ed, etc.
Enchant
Enchiseled, -ing
Encloister
Encounter, etc.
Encroach, etc.
Encumber, -ed, etc.
Encyclopedia
Endear
Endeavor, -ed, etc.
Endow, etc.
Endue
Endure, -ance
Enforce, -ed, etc.
Engage, -ed, etc.
Engender
Engorge, -ed, etc.
Engross
Enhance
Enigma
Enjoin, etc.
Enkindle, -ed, etc.
Enlarge, etc.
Enlist
Enroll
Enrollment
Enshrine
Enshroud
Ensphere
Enstamp
Entail (_Arch._)
Entangle, etc.
Enterprise
Enthrone, -ed, etc.
Entire, -ly, etc.
Entitle, -ed, etc.
Entrance, -ed, etc.
Entrap, -ped, etc.
Entreat, -ed, etc. {p132}
Entreaty
Entresol
Entwine, -ed, etc.
Envelop (_v._)
Envelope (_n._)
Envelopment
Envenom
Eolipile
Epaulet
Epauleted, -ing
Equaled, -ing
Equiangular
Equivoque
Era
Error, etc.
Escalade
Escapement
Escarp (_Fort._)
[But if written _Scarp_, follow copy.]
Eschalot
Escheat
Escritoire
Escutcheon
Estafet
Esthetics
Estoppel
Estrich
Etiology
Étui
[A French word, anglicized as _Etwee_; follow copy.]
Exactor
Expense
Exsiccate, -ed, -ing, etc.
Exsiccation
Exsuccous
Exudation
Exude, etc.
Eyrie
F.
Fæces
Fagot, -ed, -ing
Fairy
Fakir
Falchion
Falcon, -er, -ry
Fantasy
Fantastic
Farthingale
Fattener
Favor, -er, -ed, etc.
Fecal
Fecula
Feldspar
Felly
Feoffor
Fervor
Fetal
Feticide
Fetor
Fetus
Feud, -al, -atory
Feudalize, -ism
Fie
Filbert
Filibuster
Filigree
Fillibeg
[But if written _Filibeg_ or _Phillibeg_, follow copy.]
Finery (_a forge_)
Firman
Fishgig
Fives [_Veterinary_]
Flageolet
Flavor, -ed, etc.
Flier
Floatage (_Law_)
Flotsam
Flour (_of grain_)
Flower-de-luce
[If French is wanted,—_Fleur-de-lis_.]
Fluke (_Naut._)
Fluke (_Zoöl._)
Fogy
Font (_Typog._)
Forbade
Foray
Fosse
Foundery
[Very few writers so spell: if written _Foundry_, follow copy.]
Franc (_coin_)
Frantic
Frenzy
Frieze (_Arch._)
Frouzy
Frumenty
Frustum
Fueled, -ing
Fulfill, -ment
Fullness
Further
[Farther
When space or time is indicated.]
Furtherance
Furthermore
Furthest
[Farthest
When space or time is indicated.]
Fuse (_n._)
[In U. S. Govt. work _Fuze_ is the common usage, to distinguish it
from the verb to _Fuse_. Follow copy.]
Fusil (_gun_)
Fusileer
G.
Gabardine
Galiot
Garish
Gallias
[So spelled in the first column; but in the defining columns of the
Dictionary, the _s_ is doubled. Follow copy.]
Gamboled, -ing
Gamut {p133}
Gang (_Min._)
[If written _Gangue_, follow copy.]
Gantlet
[A military punishment.]
Gasteropod
Gargoyle (_Arch._)
Gauge
Gault
Gauntlet
[A large glove of mail.]
Gayety
Gayly
Gazelle
Genet
Gerfalcon
Germane
Germ
Ghibelline
Gibe
Gimbals
Gimlet
Girasole
Girt (_v._)
[Girth (_n._)]
Glair
Glamour
Glave
Gloze
Gnarled
Gore
Good-by
Good-humor
Gormand
Governor
Graft, -ed
Grandam
Granddaughter
Granite
Graveled, -ing
[The _l_ in graveling should not be doubled.]
Gray, -ish, etc.
Grenade
Grenadier
Greyhound
Grewsome
Griffin
Grisly
[If written _Grizzly_, follow copy.]
Groats
Grogram
Grommet
Grotesque, -ly
Groundsel
Groveler, -ing
Group (_v._)
Guaranty
[If written _Guarantee_, follow copy.]
Guelder-rose
Guelf
[If written _Guelph_, follow copy.]
Guerrilla
Guilder (_coin_)
Guillotine
Gulf
Gunwale
Gurnard
Gypsy
Gyrfalcon
Gyves
H.
Hackle
Hagbut
Haggard
Haggess
Ha-ha
Haik
Hake
Halberd
Halibut
Hallelujah
[But if written _Alleluia_, or _Halleluiah_, follow copy, to avoid
“correcting.”]
Halloo
Halidom
Halyard
Handicraft
Handiwork
Handsome
Handsel
Handseled
Harbor, -ed, etc.
Harebell
Harebrained
Harem
Haricot
Harrier
Harry
Haslet
Hasheesh
Hatti-sherif
Haulm
Haul
Haunch
Hautboy
Hawser
Headache
Hearse
Hectoliter
Hectometer
Hegira
Height, -en, etc.
Heinous, -ly, -ness
Hematite
Hematology
Hemistich
Hemorrhoids
Heretoch
Hermit, -age
Herpetology
Hexahedron
Hibernate
Hiccough
Hinderance
[If written _Hindrance_, follow copy. _See_ remark under _Foundery_,
_in loco_.]
Hindoo, -ism
Hip (_Pom._)
Hipped-roof {p134}
Hippogriff
Hippocras
Ho
Hoarhound
Hockey
Hodge-podge
Hoiden, -ish
Holiday
[If written _Holyday_, follow copy.]
Hollo
Holster
Hominy
Homeopathy
Homonym
Honeyed
Honor, -ed, etc.
Hoop (_v._)
Hoopoe
Hornblende
Horror
Hostelry
Hostler
Hough
Housewife
Howdah
Howlet
Hummock
Humor
Hurra
Hydrangea
Hypæthral
Hyperstene
Hypotenuse
Hyssop
I.
Icicle
Illness
Imbibe
Imbitter
Imbrue
Imbue, -ed, -ing
Immarginate
Impanel, -ed, -ing
[Wb. has also _Empaneled_, _-ing_, etc., in his first column under
_E_. One way is enough; but to avoid changes in author’s proof,
compositor had better follow copy.]
Imparlance
Impassion
Impeach
Imperiled
Implead
Imposthume
[See _Aposteme_.]
Impoverish
Imprint
Incase
Inclasp
Inclose, -ure, etc.
Increase
Incrust
Incumbrance
[But Wb. prefers _Encumber_ for the verb.]
Indefeasible
Indelible
Indict (_Law_)
Indictment
Indite, -er
Indocile
Indoctrinate
Indorse, -ed, -ing
Indorser, -ment
Induce, -ment
Inferior
Inferable
Inflection
Infold
Infoliate
Ingraft, -er, -ment
Ingrain
Ingulf
Inkle
Innuendo
Inquire, -er, -y, etc.
Inscribe
Inscroll
Insnare
Install
Installment
Instate
Instill
Instructor
Insure, -ed, -ing
Insurer, -ance
Intenable
Intercessor
Interior
Inthrall
Intrench
Intrust
Inure
Inurement
Inveigle
Inventor
Inwheel
Inwrap
Inwreathe
Isocheimal
Ixolite
J.
Jacobin
Jaconet
Jail, -er, etc.
Jalap
Jam (_Min._)
Janizary
Jasmine
Jaunt, -y, -ily
Jean
Jenneting
Jeremiad
Jetsam
Jetty
Jeweled
Jewelry
Jointress
Jonquil
Jostle
Jowl {p135}
Judgment
Jupon
Just
[A mock encounter on horseback.]
K.
Kaffer
Kale
Kayle
Keelhaul
Keelson
Keg
Kenneled, -ing
Khan
Kiln (_n._)
Kilogram
Kiloliter
Kilometer
Knob
Koran
Kyanite
L.
Labeled, -ing
Labor, -ed, -ing, etc.
Lachrymal
Lac (_coin_)
Lackey
Lacquer (_n._)
Lacquer, -ed, -ing
Lagoon
Lambdoidal
Landau
Landscape
Lantern
Lanyard
Lapsided
Larum
Launch
Leaven
Lecher, -y, -ous
Lecturn
Ledgement
[_Sic_; the retention of _e_ after _g_ seems somewhat remarkable.]
Ledger
Leger-line
Leggin
Lemming
Lettuce
Leveled, -ing, -er
Libeled, -ing, etc.
License
Lickerish
Licorice
Lief
Lilac
Linguiform
Linnæan
Linseed
Linstock
Liter
Lithontriptic
Llama (_Zoöl._)
Loadstar, -stone
Loath (_a._)
Lode (_Min._)
Lodgment
Logogriph
Longiroster
Louver
Lower
Luff
Lunet
[A little moon, or satellite. Obsolete.]
Lunette
[A detached bastion, etc.]
Lunge
Lustring
Lye
M.
Macaw
Maccaboy
Maggoty
Maim
[Mayhem, _Law_.]
Mal (_prefix_)
[Here, in Wb., first column, appears “Mall,” followed by “_or_ Maul”;
but, since _Maul_ also appears in first column, both as noun and
verb, we omit _Mall_, as not preferable to _Maul_.]
Malkin
Mamaluke
Mamma
Mandatary (_n._)
Manikin
Maneuver
Mantel (_Arch._)
Mantel-piece
Marc (_coin_)
Magaron
Marquee
Marque (_letter of_)
Marquess
[Till of late, _marquis_ was the usual spelling, but it is now to
a great extent superseded by _marquess_, except in the foreign
title.—_Smart._]
Marshal
Marshaled, -ing
Martin (_Ornith._)
Martinet (_Naut._)
Martingale
Marveled, -ing, etc.
Mark
Maslin
Mastic
Matrice
[If written _Matrix_, follow copy.]
Mattress
Mauger
Maul (_n._ and _v._)
Mayhem (_Law_)
Meager, -ly, etc.
Merchandise {p136}
Meter
Mileage
Milleped
Milligram
Milliliter
Millimeter
Milrea
Misbehavior
Miscall
Misdemeanor
Misspell
Misspend
Misspent
Misstate
Mistletoe
Miter, -ed
Mizzen
Mizzle
Moccasin
Mode (_Gram._)
Mocha-stone
Modeled, -ing
Modillion
Mohammedan
Mohawk
Molasses
Mold
Molt
Moneyed
Mongrel
Moresque
Morris
Mortgageor (_Law_)
Mortgager
Mosque
Mosquito
Mullein
Multiped
Mummery
Murder, etc.
Murky
Murrhine
Muscadel
Muscle (_a shell fish_)
[If written _Mussel_, follow copy.]
Musket
Mustache
N.
Nankeen
Narwal
Naught
Negotiate, -or, etc.
Neighbor, -ing, etc.
Net (_a._)
Neb (_Orn._)
Niter
Nobless
[If written _Noblesse_, follow copy.]
Nomads
Nombles
Nonesuch
Novitiate
Nylghau
O.
Oaf
Ocher
Octahedron
Octostyle
Odalisque
Odor
Offense
Olio
Omber
Omer
Oolong
Opaque
Opobalsam
Orach
Orang-outang
Orchestra
Oriel
Oriflamb
Orison
Osier
Osprey
Otolite
Ottar (_of roses_)
Outrageous
Oxide
Oyes
P.
Packet
Painim
Palanquin
Palestra
Palet
Palmiped
Panada
Pander
Pandore
Pandour
Panel (_Law_)
Paneled, -ing
Pantograph
Papoose
Paralyze
Parceled, -ing
Parcenary
Parlor
Parol (_a._)
Parquet
Parsnip
Parrakeet
Partible
Partisan
Pasha
Pashalic
Pask
Patrol (_n._)
Paver
Pawl
[Peaked
We insert this word as of the first column, because _Picked_ (in Wb.
first col.) has definitions not applicable to _Peaked_.]
Pean
Peart {p137}
Pedicel
Peddler
Pedobaptist
Pemmican
Penciled, -ing
Pennant
Pentahedral
Peony
Periled, -ing
Peroxide
Persimmon
Persistence
Pewit (_Orn._)
Phantasm
Phantom
Phenomenon
Phenix
Phial
[But if written _Vial_, follow copy.]
Philter, -ed
Phthisic
Piaster
Picked
Picket
Pie
Piebald
Piepoudre
Pimento
Pimpernel
Pinchers
Pistoled, -ing
Placard
Plaice (_Ichth._)
Plain
[Plane, in some senses.]
Plane-sailing
Plaster
Plait (_v._)
Plat (_n._)
Plethron
Pliers
Plow
Plumber
Plumiped
Pluviometer
Point-device
Poise
Polacca
Pole-ax
Poltroon
Polyhedron, -drous
Polyglot (_n._)
Polyp
Pommel
Pommeled, -ing
Ponton
Pony
Poniard
Porgy (_Ichth._)
Porpoise
Portray
Porteress
Possessor
Postilion
Potato
Potsherd
Powter (_Orn._)
Pozzolana
Practice (_v._)
Præmunire
Prænomen
Predial
Premise
Pretense
Pretermit
Pretor
Profane
Protector
Programme
Protoxide
Prunella
Pumpkin
Puppet
Purblind
Purr
Purslane
Putrefy
Pygmy
Pyx
Q.
Quadroon
Quarantine
Quarrel (_an arrow_)
Quarreled, -ing
Quartet
Quaterfoil
Quay, -age
Questor
Quinsy
Quintain
Quintet
Quoin
R.
Rabbet (_Carp._)
Rabbi
Raccoon
Raddock (_Orn._)
Ramadan
Rancor, -ous, -ly
Ransom
Rare (_adj._)
Rarefy
Raspberry
Rattan
Raveled, -ing
Raven (_plunder_)
Raze, -ed, -ing
Rasure
Real (_coin_)
Rearward
Recall
Recompense
Reconnoiter
Redoubt
Referable
Reflection
Reglet
Reindeer
Re-enforce
Re-install, -ment
Relic
Remiped {p138}
Renard
Rencounter
Rennet
Replier
Reposit
Resin
Rosin
[The resin left, after distilling off the volatile oils from the
different species of turpentine.]
Resistance, etc.
Restive, -ly, -ness
Retch (_to vomit_)
Reveled, -ing, -er
Reverie
Ribbon
Reversible
Rigor, -ous, etc.
Risk
Rivaled, -ing
Riveted, -ing
Roc (_Orn._)
Rodomontade
Rondeau
Ronyon
Roquelaure
Rotunda
Route
Ruble (_coin_)
Ruche
Rummage
Rumor, etc.
Rye
S.
Sabian
Saber, -ed, etc.
Sackbut
Sainfoin
Salam
Salep
Salic
Saltpeter
Samester
Sandaled
Sandarac
Sandever
Sanskrit
Sapajo
Sapodilla
Sarcenet
Sat
Satchel
Satinet
Sauer-kraut
Savanna
Savior
[Saviour
We insert this as of first column, it being in universal use when
referring to Christ.]
Savor
Scallop, -ed, -ing
Scath
Scepter, -ed
Scherif
[Preferring this form to _Cherif_, we insert it here. Both spellings
appear in Wb. first column.]
Schist
Schorl
Sciagraphy
Scion
Scirrhosity
Scirrhus
Scissors
Sconce
Scot-free
Scow
Scrawny
Scythe
Seamstress
Sear
Secretaryship
Sedlitz
Seethe
Seignior
Seigniorage, -ory.
Seine
Seizin
Seleniuret
Sellender
Selvage
Sentinel
Sentry
Sepawn
Sepulcher
Sequin
Sergeant
Set (_n._)
Sevennight
Shad
Shah
Shawm
Shampoo
Shard
Sheathe (_v._)
Sheik
Sherbet
Sherry
Shill-I-shall-I
[But if written _Shilly-shally_, follow copy.]
Shore (_n._)
Shorl
Shoveled, -er, -ing
Show
Shrillness
Shriveled, -ing
Shuttlecock
Shyly, -ness
Sibyl
Sidewise
Silicious
Sillabub
Simoom
Siphon
Siren
Sirloin
Sirup
Sizar
Skein
Skeptic
Skillful, -ly, -ness
Skill-less
Skull (_cranium_) {p139}
Slabber
Sleight
Slyly, -ness
Smallness
Smolder
Smooth (_v._ and _a._)
Snapped (_imp._)
Sniveler, -ing
Socage
Socle
Solan-goose (_n._)
Solder, etc.
Soliped
Solvable
Somber
Somersault
Sonneteer
Soothe (_v._)
[Sorel]
Sorrel
Souchong
Spa
Spelt (_n._)
Specter
Spew
Spinach
Spinel
Spiritous
[_Spirituous_ is the more common form. Follow copy.]
Spite
Splendor
Sponge
Sprite
Spirt
Spunk
Staddle
Stanch
Stationery (_n._)
Steadfast
Steelyard
Stillness
Stockade
Story (_a floor_)
Strait (_n._)
Strengthener
Strew
Strop (_n._)
Stupefy
Sty
Style
Styptic
Subpœna
Subtile (_thin_)
Subtle (_artful_)
Successor
Succor
Suite
Suitor
Sulphureted
Sumac
Superior
Suretyship
Surname
Surprise, etc.
Survivor, -ship
Swainmote
Swale (_v._)
Swap
Swart (_adj._)
Swathe (_bandage_)
Swiple
Swob, -ber, etc.
[But if written _Swab_, _Swabber_, etc., follow copy.]
Swollen
Syenite
Symploce
Synonym
Syphilis
T.
Tabard
Tabbinet
Tabor, etc.
Taffeta
[If written _Taffety_, follow copy.]
Taffrail
Tailage
Talc
Tallness
Tambour
Tambourine
Tarantula
Tarpaulin
Tasseled, -ing
Tasses
Taut (_Nav._)
Tawny
Tease
Teasel
Teetotal
Tenable
Tenor
Tenuirosters
Terror
Tetrahedron
Tetrastich
Theater
Thole
Thorp
Thralldom
Thrash
Threshold
Throe (_n._)
Ticking (_n._)
Tidbit
Tie (_n._ and _v._)
Tier
Tierce
Tiger
Tincal
Tithe
Toll (_v. t._)
Tollbooth
Ton (_the weight_)
[Tun (_the cask_)]
Tonnage
Tormentor
Tourmaline
Toweling
Trammeled, -ing
Tranquilize
Transferable
Transference {p140}
Transship, -ment
Trapan (_a snare_)
Traveler, -ed, -ing
Traverse
Travesty
Treadle
Trebuchet
Treenail
Trestle
Trigger
Trevet
Tricolor
Trihedral
Trod
Trousers
Troweled
Truckle-bed
Tryst
Tumbrel
Tumor
Tunneled, -ing
Turquois
Turnip
Turnsole
Tutenag
Tweedle
Twibil
Tymbal
Tyro
U.
Umber
Unbiased
Unboweled
[And others of the same class.]
Unroll
Until
V.
Vaivode
[If written _Waiwode_ or _Wayvode_, follow copy.]
Valise
Valor, -ous, -ously
Vantbrace
Vapor
Vat
Veil
Vedette
Vender
[But _Vendor_, as correlative of _Vendee_.]
Venomous
Veranda
Verderer
Verdigris
Vermin
Verst
Vertebra
Vervain
Vicious, -ly, -ness
Victualed, -er, -ing
Vigor, -ous, etc.
Villain
[But in feudal law, often spelled _Villein_, follow copy.]
Villainy, -ous
Vise
Visitor
Visor
Vitiate
Vizier
Volcano
W.
Wadsett
Wagon
Waive
Wale (_n._)
Walrus
Warranter
[In law, _Warrantor_.]
Warrior
Warwhoop
Waucht
Waul (_as a cat_)
Wear (_v. Naut._)
Wear (_n._)
Weasand
Welsh
Whang
Whelk (_n._)
Whippletree
Whippoorwill
Whisky
Whoop
Whooping-cough
[If written _Hooping-cough_, be careful to follow copy. We have known
some trouble to be caused by a change of the initial in alphabetical
tabular work from hospitals, ships, etc.]
Whortleberry
Widgeon
Willful, -ly, -ness
Windlass
Wintery
[If written _Wintry_, follow copy.]
Wiry
Witch-elm
Witch-hazel
Withe
Wivern
Wizard
Wizen
Woe
Woful
Wondrous
Woodbine
Woolen, -ette.
Worshiper, -ed, etc.
Wrack (_to rack_)
Wye
[If written Y, follow copy.]
Y.
Yataghan
Yaup
Yawl (_n._)
Yelk
Yttria, -um
Z.
Zaffer
Zinc
Zinciferous
Zonnar
Zymometer
{p141}
THE WORCESTER LIST.
[The following vocabulary exhibits the orthography apparently deemed
preferable by Worcester. It will, we believe, be found very convenient
in offices where the Worcester style is in favor,—as the preceding
list will prove to be where the Webster style is in vogue. Any remarks
which we have inserted, and a few additional words, are in brackets.]
A.
Aam
Abatis
Abbey
Abetter
[In a good sense; nearly or quite obsolete.]
Abettor
[_Law._ One who abets an unlawful act.]
Abnormal
Abreuvoir
Abridgment
Accessary
[When used in _Law_.]
Accessory (_Art._)
Accountant
Acetimeter
Ache
Achieve
Acknowledgment
Acronycal
Addible
Adipocere
Adjudgment
Admittible
Adopter
[One who adopts, or assumes as one’s own.]
[Adapter
Tube used in Chemistry.]
Adscititious
Adulteress
Advertise
Advoutry
Advowee
Advowson
Adze
Æolic
Affector
Affeer
Affiliate
Affiliation
Afraid
Aghast
Agriculturist
Aide-de-camp
Aisle (_church_)
Ajutage
Alchemical
Alchemist
Alchemy
Alcoran
Alexipharmic
Alkahest
Alkali
Allege
Allocution
Alloy
Almacantar
Almanac
Almonry
Alnager
Alum
Amassment
Ambassador
Ambergris
Ambs-ace
Amercement
Amiability
Amice
Amortise
Anademe
Ananas
Anapest
Anapestic
Anbury
Ancestral
Ancient
Ancientry
Andiron
Anemone
Angiography
Angiology
Angiotomy
Ankle
Annotto
Antechamber
Antelope
Antiemetic
Apanage
Apostasy
Aposteme
[If written _Imposthume_, follow copy.]
Apothegm
Appall
Appalment
Appraise
Appraisement
Appraiser
Apprise
Appurtenance
Apricot
Arbitrament
Archæological
Archæology
Archduchess
Archil
Argol
Arquebuse
Arrack
Artisan
Arvel {p142}
Asbestos
Ascendency
Ascendent
Askance
Askant
Askew
Assafœtida
Assize
Assizer
Assuage
Athenæum
Auger
[Augur
A soothsayer.]
Aught
Autocracy
Avoirdupois
Awkward
Awn
Axe
B.
Baccalaureate
Bachelor
Bade, _from_ bid
Balance
Baldrick
Balk
Ballister
Baluster
Bandanna
Bandoleer
Bandore
Bandrol
Banian
Banns
Barbacan
Barbecue
Barberry
Bark
Barouche
Baryta
Barytone
Basin
Bass (_Mus._)
Bass-viol
Bastinado
Bateau
Battledoor
Bawble
Bazaar
Beadle
Beaver
Befall
Behoove
Bellflower
Belligerent
Bellman
Bellmetal
Bellwether
Benumb
Bequeath
Bergamot
Bergander
Berth (_in ship_)
Bestrew
[Bestrewn
p. p. of Bestrew.]
Betel
Bevel
Bezant
Biassed
Biestings
Bigoted
Bilge
Billiards
Billingsgate
Binnacle
Bistre
Bivouac
Bizantine
Blanch
Blende (_Min._)
Blithely
Blitheness
Blithesome
Blomary
Blouse
Bodice
Boil (_a tumor_)
Bolt
Bombard
Bombast
Bombazette
Bombazine
Borage
Bourgeois
Bourn
Bourse
Bouse
Bousy
Bowlder
Bowsprit
Brakeman
Bramin
Brawl
Brazen
Brazier
Brazil
Brier
Brokerage
Bronze
Brooch
Brunette
Bryony
Buccaneer
Buffalo
Buhrstone
Bulimy
Bumblebee
Bunn
Bunyon
Burden
Burdensome
Burganet
Burin
Burlesque
Burr
Buzz
By (_n._)
C.
Cabob
Cacique
Cæsura
Calcareous
Caldron {p143}
Calendar
Calends
Caliber (_Gun_)
[Calibre
Generally so spelled when used in a figurative sense; as “a mind
of inferior calibre”; and in this sense retains the French pron.
Ka·le·bur.]
Calipers
Caliph
Calk
Calligraphy
Calotte
Caloyer
Caltrop
Calyx
Cameo
Camlet
Camomile
[If written _Chamomile_, follow copy.]
Camphor
Cannel (_-coal_)
Cannoneer
Canoe
Cantilever
Canvas
[Canvass]
Capriole
Car
Carabine
Carabineer
Carat
Caravansary
Caravel
Caraway
[Carcase
Scripture.]
Carcass
Carle
Carnelian
Carolytic
Cartel
Cartridge
Cassada
Cassimere
[If spelled _Kerseymere_, follow copy.]
Cassowary
[Cast]
Caste, _class_
Castellan
Caster
[One who casts; a cruet; a furniture-wheel.]
[Castor
A genus of animals; a hat; a drug.]
Castlery
Castrel
Catchpoll
Catchup
Catechise
Catherine
Cauliflower
Causeway
Cavazion (_Arch._)
Caviare
Caw
Cayman
Cedilla
Ceiling
Celt
Celtic
Centiped
Cess
Chalcedony
Chaldron
Chalice
Chameleon
Chamois
Champaign
[Flat, open country,—Deut. 11 : 30.]
[Champagne, _wine_]
Champerty
Chant
Chap
[See remark on this word, in Wb. List, _ante_.]
Chaps
Char
[A small job.
So spelled in England, and in Departments at Washington, where
“charwomen” are employed. But—
Chore
Is the common orthography in the United States,—and if so written,
follow copy.]
Chase
Chastely
Chasteness
Check
Checker
Cheer
Chemical
Chemist
Chemistry
Chestnut
Chiliahedron
Chillness
Chimb
Chintz
Chloride
Choir
Choke
Choose
Chorister
Chyle
Chylifactive
Cider
Cigar
Cimeter
Cipher
Clam (_v._)
Clarinet
Cleat
Clew
Clinch
Cloak
Clodpoll
Cloff
Clothe
Clothes {p144}
Cluck
Clyster
Cobbler
Cocoa
Coddle
Cœliac
Coif
Coiffure
Coke
Colander
Colic
College
Colliery
Colter
Comfrey
Commandery
Commissariat
Compatible
Complete
Concordat
Confectionery
Confidant (_n._)
Congealable
Connection
Connective
Consecrator
Contemporary
Contra-dance
Contributory
Control
Controllable
Controller
[Comptroller
2d column. _See_ Wb. list.]
Conversable
Cony
Cony-burrow
Coomb (4 _bushels_)
Copier
Coping
Copse
Coquette (_n._)
Coranach
Corbel
Cordovan
Corpse
Correlative
Cosey
Cot
Cotillon
Counsellor
[One who gives advice.]
[Councillor
A member of a council.]
Courant
Courtesan
Courtesy
[Curtesy (_Law_)]
Covin
Covinous
Cozen
Cozenage
Craunch
Crawfish
Creak (_v._)
Crier
Croslet
Crowd
Crowfoot
Cruet
Crumb
Crusade
Cruse (_cruet_)
Crystal
Cucurbit
Cue
Cuerpo
Cuish
Cuneiform
Cupel
Curb
Curb-stone
Curtain
Cutlass
Cyclopædia
Cyst
Cysted
Czar
D.
Dactyl
Daily
Daisied
Damaskeen (_v._)
Damson
Dandruff
Danegelt
Daub
Dawdle
Dearn
Debarkation
Debonair
Decoy
Decrepit
Defence
Defier
Deflection
Deflour
Delft
Delphine
Deltoid
Demesne
Demarcation
Democrat
Denizen
Dependant (_n._)
Dependence
Dependent (_a._)
Deposit
Desert (_n._)
Desolater
Despatch
[_Dispatch_ also appears in Wor. 1st column. Follow copy.]
Dessert (_n._)
Detecter
Detorsion
Detractor
Develop
Development
Devest
Dexterous
[If written _Dextrous_ follow copy.]
Diadron {p145}
Diæresis
Diarrhœa
Dike
Dime
Diocese
Disburden
Discount
Disfranchise
Disfranchisement
Dishabille
Disinthrall
Disk
Disseize
Disseizin
Disseizor
Dissolvable
Distention
Distil
Distrainor
Diversely
Divest
Docket
Doctress
Dodecahedron
Doggerel
Domicile
Doomsday-book
Dory
Dote
Doubloon
Dowry
Downfall
Drachm
[Properly limited to the Greek coin or weight.]
Dram
[A denomination in apothecaries’ and avoirdupois weight; a small
quantity; a potation.]
Dragoman
Draught
[This, the original and proper orthography, should be retained in all
senses other than the five mentioned under _Draft_.]
Draft
[1. Act of drawing or pulling.
2. A body of men drawn for or from a military organization.
3. An order by which one person draws on another for money; also the
money so drawn.
4. An allowance in weighing.
5. The drawing of lines for a plan; the plan so drawn.]
Dreadnaught
Driblet
Drier
Drought
Dryly
Dryness
Duchess
Duchy
Dulness
Dungeon
Dunghill
Duress
Dye (_color_)
Dyeing (_coloring_)
E.
Eavesdropper
Eccentric
Echelon
Economics
Ecstasy
Ecstatic
Ecumenical
Edile
Eke
Embalm
Embank
Embankment
Embargo
Embark
Embarkation
Embase
Embassy
Embed
Embedded
Embezzle
Embezzlement
Emblazon
Embody
Embolden
Emborder
Embosk
Embosom
Emboss
Embowel
Embower
Embrasure
Empale
Empanel
[This orthography is recommended. (Wb. has _Empaneled_ in first
column.) There are so many _correct_ ways of spelling this word, that
a man who would get it wrong should be very ingenious.]
Empoison
Empower
Empress
Encage
Encenia
Enchant
Enchase
Encircle
Encroach
Encumber
Encumbrance
Encyclopædia
Endamage
Endear
Endow
Endue
Enfeeble
Enfeoff
Enfranchise
Engender
Engorge {p146}
Enhance
Enigma
Enjoin
Enlard
Enlarge
Enlighten
Enlist
Enlumine
Enroll
Enrolment
Enshrine
Entail
Entangle
Enterprise
Enthrone
Enthymeme
Entice
Entire
Entirety
Entitle
Entomb
Entrance (_v._)
Entrap
Entreat
Envelop (_v._)
Envelopment
Eolipile
Epaulet
Epigraph
Equerry
Equiangular
Equivoke
Era
Eremite
Escalade
Eschalot
Escritoire
Escutcheon
Estafette
[Esthetic]
Esthetics
Estoppel
Etiology
Exactor
Expense
Exsanguious
Exsect
Exsiccate
Exsiccation
Exsiccative
Exsuccous
Extrinsical
Exudation
Exude
Eyry
F.
Fæces
Fagot
Fairy
Fakir
Falchion
Falcon
Fantasy
Farther
Farthest
[Present tendency is, to employ _farther_ and _farthest_ in
indicating space or time; in other senses, _further_ and _furthest_.]
Farthingale
Fattener
Fearnaught
Fecal
Felly
Felon
Felspar
Ferrule
[Ferule
This word is in second column; but as its signification is wholly
distinct from _ferrule_, it should have place here.]
Feud
Feudal
Feudality
Feudatory
Feuillemorte
Fie
Filanders
Filbert
Filigrane
Filigree
Fillibeg
Filly
Finery (_a forge_)
Firman
Fizgig
Flageolet
Fleam
Flier
Flotage
Flotsam
Flour (_meal_)
Fleur-de-lis
Flugelman
Fluke
Fluoride
Fœtus
Forestall
Foretell
Forray
Forte (_strong side_)
Fosse
Foundery
[But if written _Foundry_, follow copy.]
Franc (_coin_)
Frenetic
Frenzy
Frieze
Frigate
Frit
Frizzle
Frowzy
Frumentaceous
Frumenty
Frustum
Fuel
Fulfil
Fulfilment
Fulness
Furlough
Further
Furthest
[See _Farthest_.] {p147}
Fusee
Fusileer
Fuze (_n._)
G.
Gabardine
Galiot
Gallipot
Galoche
Gamut
Gangue (_in ore_)
Gantlet
[A military punishment.]
Garish
Garreteer
Gauge
Gauger
Gault
Gauntlet (_glove_)
Gayety
Gayly
Gazelle
Gear
Gelatine
Genet
Gerfalcon
Germ
Ghastly
Ghibelline
Ghyll (_ravine_)
Gibberish
Gibe
Giglot
Gimlet
Gimmal
Girasole
Girth
Glair
Glave
Glazier
Glede
Gloar
Gloze
Glue
Gluey
Gnarled
Gneiss
Good-by
Gore
Gourmand
Gormandize
Governante
Graft
Grandam
Granddaughter
Granite
Grasshopper
Gray
Greeze (_a step_)
Grenade
Grenadier
Greyhound
Griffin
Grizzled
Grocer
Grogram
Grotesque
Groundsill
Group
Guarantee
Guild
Guilder (_coin_)
Guillotine
Gulf
Gunwale
Gurnet
Gypsy
Gyre
Gyve
H.
Haggard
Haggess
Ha-ha
Hake
Halberd
Hale (_healthy_)
Halibut
Halyards
Halloo
Hame
Handicraftsman
Handiwork
Hards
Harebell
Harebrained
Harem
Harrier
Harslet
Hatchel
Haul (_to drag_)
Haum
Haunch
Haust (_cough_)
Hautboy
Havoc
Hawser
Hazel
Headache
Hearse
Heartache
Height
Heighten
Heinous
Hemistich
Hemorrhoids
Heptamerede
Herpetology
Hexahedron
Hibernate
Hibernation
Hiccough
Hinderance
[If written _Hindrance_, follow copy. In one of the largest
printing-offices in the world, an effort was made a few years since
to get the _e_ into Dext_e_rous, Found_e_ry, and Hind_e_rance (style
of _Wb._ and _Wor._); but so much trouble ensued,—presumably from
outside orthographers,—that compositors and proof-readers were
erelong instructed to leave the _e_ out. Follow copy.] {p148}
Hip (_v_).
Hip (_n_).
Hippocras
Hodge-podge
Hoiden
Holiday
Holster
Hominy
Homonyme
Hone
Honeyed
Hoot
Horde
Horehound
Hornblende
Hostler
Household
Housewife
Howlet
Hub
Hurrah
Hydrangea
Hypothenuse
I.
Icicle
Illness
Imbitter
Imbound
Imbox
Imbrue
Impair
Imparlance
Impassion
Implead
Imposthume
[“This seems . . . to have been written erroneously for
_aposteme_.”—_Johnson._ Follow copy, whether spelled _aposteme_,
_apostume_, _impostem_, _imposthume_, or _impostume_,—any other
orthography might possibly be incorrect.]
Impoverish
Incase
Inclasp
Incloister
Inclose
Inclosure
Incondensable
Increase
Incrust
Indefeasible
Indelible
Indict
Indictment
Indite
Inditer
Indocile
Indorsable
Indorse
Indorsement
Indorser
Inferrible
Inflection
Infold
Infoliate
Ingraft
Ingraftment
Ingrain
Ingulf
Innuendo
Inquire
Inquirer
Inquiry
Insnare
Install
Instalment
Instil
Instructor
Insurance
Insure
Insurer
Intenable
Interlace
Interplead
Interpleader
Inthrall
Intrinsical
Intrust
Intwine
Inure
Inurement
Invalid (_n._)
Inveigle
Inventor
Inwheel
Inwrap
Inwreathe
Isle
J.
Jackal
Jacobin
Jag
Jagghery
Jail
Jailer
Jalap
Jamb (_n._)
Janizary
Janty
Jasmine
Jaunt
Jelly
Jenneting
Jetty
Jewellery
[Thus in 1st column, as “the more regularly formed word”; but
_jewelry_ is the more common. Follow copy.]
Jiffy
Jingle
Jointress
Jole
[If written _jowl_, follow copy.]
Jonquille
Judgment
Julep
Junket
Just (_n._)
Justle
[If written _jostle_, compositor and proof-reader had better follow
copy, to save the trouble and expense of _correcting_.] {p149}
K.
Kale
Kamsin
Kayle
Keelhaul
Keelson
Keg
Khan
Knapsack
Knell
L.
Lackey
Lacquer
Lair
Lambdoidal
Lance
Landscape
Landsman
Lantern
Lanyard
Launch
Laundress
Laureate
Lavender
Lea (_a plain_)
Leach
Leaven
Ledger
Lettuce
License
Lickerish
Licorice
Lief
Lilac
Lily
Linguiform
Liniment
[An embrocation.]
[Linament
(Lint, etc.)]
Lintstock
Litharge
Llama (_animal_)
Loadstar
Loadstone
Loath (_a._)
Loathe (_v._)
Lode (_a vein_)
Lodgement
Lower
Luff
Luke
Lustring
Lye (_from ashes_)
M.
Maggoty
Maim
[Mayhem (_Law_)]
Maize
Maleadministration
Malecontent
Malefeasance
Malepractice
Maltreat
Malkin
Mall
Malanders
Mameluke
Mandarin
Mandatary
Mandrel
Manifestable
Manikin
Manœuvre
Mantle
Mark
Marque (_license_)
Marquee
Marquis
Marshal
Marten
Martingale
Mask
Maslin
Mastic
Matins
Mattress
Meagre
Mediæval
Meliorate
[If written _ameliorate_, follow copy.]
Menagerie
Merchandise
Mere (_a pool_)
Metre
Mew
Mewl
Mileage
Milleped
Millrea
Miscall
Misspell
Misspend
Misy (_Min._)
Mistletoe
Mitre
Mizzen
Moccason
Mocha-stone
Modillion
Molasses
Moneyed
Mongrel
Monodrame
Mood
Moresque
Morion
Mortgageor
Mosque
Mosquito
Mould
Moult
Mulch
Mullin
Multiped
Mummery
Murder
Murderous
Murky
Murrhine
Muscle
[Animal tissue.] {p150}
[Mussel
(A shell-fish.)]
Musket
Mustache
Myth
N.
Nankeen
Naught
Negotiate
Net (_a._, _clear_)
Nib
Nobless
Nombles
Novitiate
Nozle
Nuisance
O.
Oblique
Octahedron
Offence
Offuscate
Olio
Omer
Opaque
Orach
Orison
Osier
Osmazome
Osprey
Ottar
[If written _Attar_, follow copy.]
Outrageous
Oxidate
Oxidation
Oxide
Oxidize
Oyes
P.
Pacha
Packet
Painim
Palanquin
Palette
Palmiped
Pandore
Panel
Pansy
Pantagraph
Pappoose
Parallelopiped
Paralyze
Parcenary
Parol (_a._)
Paroquet
Parral
Parsnip
Partisan
Patin
Patrol
Paver
Pawl
Pedler
Pedlery
Peep
Penance
Penniless
Pentahedral
Pentahedron
Pentile
Peony
Perch
Persimmon
Persistence
Pewit
Phantasm
Phantom
Phenomenon
Phial
[If written _Vial_, follow copy.]
Philter
Phlegm
Phœnix
Phthisic
[Piked
Ending in a point.]
Picked
[Spruce; smartly or foppishly dressed.]
Picket
[Piquet
A game at cards.]
Picturesque
Pie
Piebald
Pimento
Pincers
Placard
Plain
[A level, open field.]
[Plane
So written in science and the arts.]
Plane-sailing
Plaster
Plat
Plethora
Pleurisy
Pliers
Plough
Ploughman
Ploughshare
Plumber
Plumiped
Pluviameter
Poise
Poltroon
Polyanthus
Polyhedral
Polyhedron
Pomade
Pommel
Pontoon
Pony
Porpoise
Portray
Portress
Postilion
Potato
Pottage
Practise (_v._) {p151}
Præmunire
Premise
Pretence
Preterite
Pretor
Prison-base
Probate
Profane
Protector
Prothonotaryship
Prunello
Pumpkin
[Puisne (_Law_)
Thus written as a technical word.]
Puny
Pupillary
Purblind
Purlin
Purr
Purslain
Pursy
Putrefy
Pygmean
Pygmy
Pyx
Q.
Quarantine
Quartet
Quatercousin
Quay (_a mole_)
Quinsy
Quintain
Quintal
Quitter
Quoit
R.
Raccoon
Raillery
Ransom
Rarefy
Raspberry
Ratafia
Rattan
Raven (_prey_)
Raze
Razure
Real (_coin_)
Rear
Rearmouse
Rearward
Recall
Recognizable
Recognizance
Recognize
Recognizee
Recognizor
Recompense
Reconnoitre
Redoubt
Redoubtable
Reenforcement
Referable
Reflection
Reflective
Reglet
Reindeer
Reinstall
Relic
Renard
[If written _Reynard_, follow copy.]
Rennet
Replier
Reposit
Resin
[This is the scientific term for the “inspissated exudations
of certain families of plants.”]
Rosin
[The name of the commonest resin in use, “when employed in
a solid state for ordinary purposes.”]
Resistance
Respite
Restiff
[If written _restive_, follow copy.]
Restiffness
[If written _restiveness_, follow copy.]
Retch (_to vomit_)
Reverie
[If written _revery_, follow copy.]
Reversible
Rhomb
[Rhumb (_Nav._)]
Ribbon
Rider
Rinse
Risk
Riveted
Robbin
[Robin (_Orn._)]
Rodomontade
Roquelaure
Route (_course_)
Rummage
Runnet
Rye
S.
Sabianism
Sag
Saic
Sainfoin
Salic
Saltcellar
Sandarach
Sandiver
Sanitary
Sarcenet
Sat
Satchel
Satinet
Savin
Saviour
[When the Redeemer is meant, the _u_ should be retained. Worcester’s
note under this word says that _error_, _favor_, and _honor_ are
derived directly from {p152} the Latin, whereas there is no
classical Latin word corresponding to the Greek _saviour_ = σωτήρ.]
[Savior
This orthography is proper when a sacred meaning is not attached to
the word.]
Scallop
Scath
Scenery
Sceptic
Sceptical
Scepticism
Schist
Schistose
Scholium
Schorl
Sciagraphy
Sciomachy
Scion
Scirrhosity
Scirrhous [_a._]
Scirrhus [_n._]
Scissors
Sconce
Scotfree
Scow
Screen
Scrofula
Scythe
Seamstress
Sear
Searce
Secretaryship
Seethe
Seignior
Seine (_a net_)
Seizin
Sellenders
Selvage
Sentinel
Sentry
Sequin
Sergeant
Sergeantry
Sesspool
[If written _cesspool_, follow copy.]
Sevennight
Shad
Shard
Shark (_v._)
[But _shirk_ is more common, follow copy.]
Shawm
Sheathe (_v._)
Sheer (_pure_)
Sheik
Shemitic
Sherbet
Sherry
Shorling
Show
Showbread
Shrillness
Shroud
Shuttlecock
Shyly
Shyness
Sienite
Silicious
Sill
Sillabub
Simar
Siphon
Siren
Sirloin
Sirocco
Sirup
Sit (_to incubate_)
Site
Sizar
Size (_glue_)
Skate
Skein
Skilful
Skulk
Skull
Slabber
Slake (_to quench_)
Sleight (_n._)
Sley (_a reed_)
Sluice
Slyly
Slyness
Smallness
Smirk
Smooth (_v._)
Soap
Socage
Socle
Solan
Solder
Soldier
Soliped
Solitaire
Solvable
Somerset
Sonneteer
Soothe (_v._)
Sorrel
Souse
Spa
Spicknel
Spinach
Spinel
Splice
Sponge
Spongy
Spright
Sprightful
Spunk
Spurt
Stable
Staddle
Stanch
Stationery (_n._)
Steadfast
Steelyard
Sterile
Stillness
Stockade
Strait (_n._)
Strap
Strengthener
Strew
Stupefy {p153}
Sty
Style
Subtile (_thin_)
Subtle (_sly_)
Subtract
Subtraction
Suit
Suitor
Sulky (_n._)
Sulphuretted
Sumach
Suretyship
Surname
Surprise
Surreptitious
Survivor
Survivorship
Swale
Sward
Swath (_n._)
Sweepstakes
Swipple
Swop
[If written _swap_, follow copy.]
Sycamore
Sylvan
Synonyme
Syphilis
Systematize
T.
Tabard
Taffety
Taffrail
Taillage
Talc (_a stone_)
Tallness
Talmud
Tambour
Tambourine
Tarpauling
Tartan
Tassel
Tawny
Tease
Teazle
Tenable
Terrier
Tether
Tetrastich
Theodolite
Thraldom
Thrash
Threshold
Throe (_a pang_)
Thyine (_wood_)
Thyme
Ticking
Tidbit
Tie
Tier (_a row_)
Tierce
Tiger
Tincal
Tint
Tiny
Tippler
Tithe
Toilet
Toll (_to allure_)
Tollbooth
Ton
[Tun
(_Tun_ is the usual orthography when a large cask or wine measure
[252 gallons] is meant; _Ton_ when a weight of 20 cwt., the space in
a ship, or a measure of timber is meant.—_Brande._)]
Tonnage
Tormentor
Touchy
Tourmaline
Trance
Tranquillity
Tranquillize
Transferable
Transferrence
Treadle
Treenail
Trellis
Trentals
Trestle
Trevet
Trousers
Truckle-bed
Tumbrel
Turkey
Turkois
Turnip
Turnsole
Tutenag
Tweedle
Twibil
Tymbal
Tyro
U.
Umbles
Unbias
Unbiassed
Unbigoted
Unroll
Until
V.
Vaivode
Vales (_money_)
Valise
Vantbrace
Vat (_a vessel_)
Vaudevil
Vavasor
Veil (_cover_)
Vender
[Vendor (_Law_)]
Veneer
Venomous
Verdigris
Vermilion
Vermin
Verst
Vertebre
[If written _Vertebra_, follow copy.] {p154}
Vervain
Vice (_a screw_)
Vicious
Villain
Villanous
Villany
Visitatorial
Visitor
Visor
Vitiate
Vizier
Volcano
W.
Wagon
Waif
Waive (_to defer_)
Wale
Walrus
Warranter
[Warrantor (_Law_)]
War-whoop
Waul
Wear (_v._)
Wear (_n._)
Weasand
Welsh
Whang
Whelk
Whippletree
Whippoorwill
Whiskey
Whitleather
Whoop
Whooping-cough
Widgeon
Wilful
Windlass
Wintry
Wiry
Witch-elm
With (_n._)
Withal
Wizard
Woe
Woful
Wondrous
Woodbine
Woodchuck
Woollen
Wreathe (_v._)
Wreck
Wriggle
Y.
Yawl
Yearn
Yeast
Yelk
Yerk
Yew
Z.
Zaffre
Zinc
Zymology
There is a large class of words ending either in _able_ or _ible_,
amounting to more than sixteen hundred. For these we know of no
general rule which can be given, that would readily indicate the
proper termination. In practice, writers and printers, with rare
exceptions, are obliged at times to depend on something besides memory
to secure correctness; and if the dictionary is not at hand, the wrong
termination may—as in fact it often does—get into print. So excellent
a work as “The American First Class Book” prints an extract from
Webster’s Plymouth oration thus:
If any practices exist, contrary to the principles of justice and
humanity, within the reach of our laws or our influence, we are
inexcus_i_ble if we do not exert ourselves to restrain and abolish
them. {p155}
And in a periodical which is sent broadcast over the United States,
occurs the following paragraph (April 24, 1888), copied from a report
made by Henry Clay in 1838:
That authors and inventors have, according to the practice among
civilized nations, a property in the respective productions of their
genius is incontest_i_ble, etc.
We append below, for convenient reference, a catalogue of the words
referred to, including (1) those in present use; (2) those that are
rare; and (3) the obsolete. The latter often occur in reprints, and
are sometimes resuscitated or galvanized for a present purpose,—as,
for instance, in a recent popular novel, of wide circulation, there
occurs three or more times, the word “ineluctable,” denoted by Webster
as obsolete. We may have omitted some words that should have been
inserted, but believe we have accomplished our object within very
negligible limits of error.
A word in parenthesis indicates a various mode of spelling the word
immediately preceding.
WORDS ENDING IN _ABLE_.
Abatable
Abdicable
Abolishable
Abominable
Abrogable
Absolvable
Absorbable
Abusable
Accentuable
Acceptable
Acclimatable
Accomplishable
Accordable
Accostable
Accountable
Accusable
Achievable
Acidifiable
Acquirable
Actable
Actionable
Adaptable
Addable
(Addible)
Adjustable
Administrable
Admirable
Admittable
(Admittible)
Adoptable
Adorable
Advantageable
Advisable
Affable
Affilliable
Affirmable
Aggrandizable
Agitable
Agreeable
Alienable
Alkalifiable
Allegeable
Allowable
Alterable
Amassable {p156}
Ameliorable
Amenable
Amendable
Amiable
Amicable
Amusable
Analyzable
Anchorable
Annihilable
Answerable
Appealable
Appeasable
Appliable
Applicable
Appointable
Appreciable
Approachable
Appropriable
Approvable
Arable
Arbitrable
Arguable
Argumentable
Ascertainable
Ascribable
Aspectable
Assailable
Assaultable
Assessable
Assignable
Assimilable
Associable
Atonable
Attachable
Attackable
Attainable
Attemptable
Attractable
Attributable
Augmentable
Authorizable
Available
Avoidable
Avouchable
Avowable
Bailable
Bankable
Batable
Bearable
Beggable
Believable
Bendable
Bequeathable
Bewailable
Blamable
Boardable
Boatable
Bounceable
Breakable
Breathable
Calcinable
Calculable
Capable
Carriable
Causable
Censurable
Challengeable
Changeable
Chargeable
Charitable
Chastisable
Cheatable
Circulable
Circumnavigable
Circumscribable
Citable
Civilizable
Claimable
Classifiable
Cleansable
Cleavable
Clergyable
Climbable
Coagulable
Cogitable
Cognizable
Collatable
Colorable
Combatable
Comfortable
Commandable
Commeasurable
Commemorable
Commendable
Commensurable
Commonable
Communicable
Commutable
Companionable
Comparable
Compassable
Compellable
Compliable
Comportable
Compoundable
Computable
Concealable
Conceivable
Concordable
Condemnable
Condensable
Conferrable
Confinable
Confirmable
Confiscable
Conformable
Confusable
Confutable
Congeable
Congealable
Conjecturable
Conquerable
Conscionable
Conservable
Considerable
Consolable
Constrainable
Consumable
Containable
Contaminable
Conterminable
Contestable
Continuable
Contradictable
Contributable
Contrivable
Controllable
Conversable {p157}
Conveyable
Countable
Countermandable
Covetable
Creatable
Creditable
Criticisable
Crummable
Crystallizable
Culpable
Cultivable
Cultivatable
Culturable
Curable
Customable
Damageable
Debatable
Deceivable
Decidable
Decipherable
Declarable
Declinable
Decomposable
Decompoundable
Decreeable
Definable
Deflagrable
Delectable
Deliverable
Deludable
Demandable
Demisable
Demonstrable
Deniable
Denominable
Denotable
Deplorable
Deposable
Deprecable
Deprivable
Derivable
Describable
Designable
Desirable
Despicable
Detectable
Determinable
Detestable
Devisable
Diggable
Dilatable
Diminishable
Disagreeable
Disallowable
Disciplinable
Discommendable
Disconformable
Discountable
Discourageable
Discoverable
Discreditable
Disenable
Dishonorable
Disintegrable
Dispensable
Displaceable
Disposable
Disproportionable
Disprovable
Dispunishable
Disputable
Disreputable
Disserviceable
Dissociable
Dissolvable
Distillable
Distinguishable
Distrainable
Distributable
Diversifiable
Dividable
Divorceable
(Divorcible)
Doubtable
Dowable
Drainable
Dramatizable
Drawable
Drinkable
Dupable
Durable
Dutiable
Eatable
Effable
Effaceable
Electrifiable
Electrolyzable
Emendable
Employable
Endable
Endurable
Enforceable
(Enforcible)
Englishable
Enjoyable
Enticeable
Enunciable
Enviable
Equable
Equitable
Eradicable
Erasable
Erectable
Escapable
Escheatable
Estimable
Evaporable
Examinable
Exceptionable
Exchangeable
Excisable
Excitable
Excommunicable
Exculpable
Excusable
Execrable
Exemplifiable
Exercisable
(Exercisible)
Exhalable
Exorable
Expectable
Expellable
Expiable
Expirable
Explainable
Explicable
Exportable {p158}
Extinguishable
Extirpable
Extractable
(Extractible)
Extricable
Exuviable
Falsifiable
Farmable
Fashionable
Fathomable
Favorable
Fellable
Fermentable
Figurable
Finable
Fixable
Fordable
Foreknowable
Forfeitable
Forgivable
Formidable
Fortifiable
Framable
Friable
Fundable
Furbishable
Gainable
Gaugeable
Gelable
Generable
Generalizable
Governable
Grantable
Graspable
Guardable
Guerdonable
Guessable
Guidable
Habitable
Hammerable
Handleable
Hatable
Hazardable
Healable
Heriotable
Heritable
Homageable
Honorable
Hospitable
Husbandable
Hybridizable
Identifiable
Illapsable
Illaudable
Illimitable
Illuminable
Illustrable
Imaginable
Imitable
Immalleable
Immeasurable
Immedicable
Immemorable
Immensurable
Immersable
(Immersible)
Immitigable
Immovable
Immutable
Impalpable
Impassable
Impassionable
Impeachable
Impeccable
Impenetrable
Imperforable
Imperishable
Impermeable
Imperturbable
Imperviable
Implacable
Impliable
Imponderable
Importable
Imposable
Impracticable
Impregnable
Impressionable
Impreventable
Improbable
Improvable
Impugnable
Imputable
Inaffable
Inalienable
Inamovable
Inappealable
Inapplicable
Inappreciable
Inapproachable
Inarable
Incalculable
Incapable
Incensurable
Incinerable
Inclinable
Incoagulable
Incogitable
Incognizable
Incommensurable
Incommunicable
Incommutable
Incomparable
Incompensable
Incompliable
Incomputable
Inconcealable
Inconceivable
Incondensable
Incongealable
Inconsiderable
Inconsolable
Inconsumable
Incontestable
Incontrollable
Increasable
Incrystallizable
Inculpable
Incurable
Indecimable
Indecipherable
Indeclinable
Indecomposable
Indefatigable
Indefinable
Indelectable
Indemonstrable
Indeprecable {p159}
Indeprivable
Indescribable
Indesirable
Indeterminable
Indictable
Indiminishable
Indisciplinable
Indiscoverable
Indispensable
Indisputable
Indissolvable
Indistinguishable
Indomitable
Indorsable
Indubitable
Ineffable
Ineffaceable
Inequitable
Ineradicable
Inestimable
Inevitable
Inexcitable
Inexcusable
Inexecutable
Inexorable
Inexpiable
Inexplicable
Inexplorable
Inexpugnable
Inexsuperable
Inexterminable
Inextinguishable
Inextirpable
Inextricable
Inferable
(Inferrible)
Inflammable
Inflatable
Ingelable
Ingenerable
Inhabitable
Inheritable
Inhospitable
Inimaginable
Inimitable
Inirritable
Innavigable
Innumerable
Inobservable
Inoculable
Inoxidizable
Inquirable
Insanable
Insatiable
Insaturable
Inscribable
Inscrutable
Insecable
Inseparable
Inseverable
Insolvable
Inspirable
Instable
Insufferable
Insultable
Insuperable
Insupportable
Insupposable
Insurable
Insurmountable
Intastable
Intenable
Interchangeable
Intercommunicable
Interminable
Interpolable
Interpretable
Intestable
Intolerable
Intractable
Intransmutable
Invaluable
Invariable
Investigable
Inviolable
Invitrifiable
Invulnerable
Irrebuttable
Irreclaimable
Irrecognizable
Irreconcilable
Irrecordable
Irrecoverable
Irrecusable
Irredeemable
Irrefragable
Irrefutable
Irrejectable
Irrelievable
Irremeable
Irremediable
Irremovable
Irremunerable
Irreparable
Irrepealable
Irrepleviable
Irreplevisable
Irrepresentable
Irreproachable
Irreprovable
Irresolvable
Irrespirable
Irresuscitable
Irretraceable
Irretrievable
Irreturnable
Irrevealable
Irrevocable
Irrevokable
Irritable
Isolable
Issuable
Judicable
Justiciable
Justifiable
Knittable
Knowable
Lacerable
Lamentable
Laminable
Lapsable
Laudable
Laughable
Learnable
Leasable
Lendable
Leviable
Levigable {p160}
Liable
Licensable
Liftable
Likable
Limitable
Liquable
Liquefiable
Litigable
Loanable
Lodgeable
Losable
Lovable
Magnifiable
Mailable
Mainpernable
Maintainable
Malleable
Manageable
Manifestable
(Manifestible)
Marketable
Marriageable
Masticable
Measurable
Medicable
Memorable
Mendable
Mensurable
Mentionable
Merchantable
Miserable
Misinterpretable
Mistakable
Mitigable
Mixable
Modifiable
Moldable
Mollifiable
Mootable
Mountable
Movable
Multipliable
Multiplicable
Mutable
Namable
Navigable
Negotiable
Nonexcommunicable
Notable
Noticeable
Nourishable
Numerable
Objectionable
Obligable
Observable
Obtainable
Offerable
Opposable
Ordainable
Orderable
Organizable
Originable
Overcapable
Oxidable
Oxidizable
Oxygenizable
Palatable
Palpable
Pardonable
Partable
(Partible)
Passable
Pasturable
Patentable
Pawnable
Payable
Peaceable
Peccable
Penetrable
Perceivable
Perdurable
Performable
Perishable
Permeable
Permutable
Perpetuable
Personable
Perspirable
Persuadable
Picturable
Pierceable
Pitiable
Placable
Plantable
Pleadable
Pleasurable
Pliable
Plowable
Poisonable
Polarizable
Polishable
Polysyllable
Ponderable
Portable
Potable
Powerable
Practicable
Precipitable
Predeterminable
Predicable
Preferable
Preparable
Presentable
Preservable
Prestable
Presumable
Preventable
Probable
Procurable
Profitable
Prognosticable
Prolongable
Pronounceable
Propagable
Proportionable
Proratable
Prosecutable
Protrudable
Provable
Provokable
Publishable
Pulverable
Pulverizable
Punishable
Purchasable
Pursuable
Quadrable
Qualifiable {p161}
Quenchable
Questionable
Quotable
Raisable
Ratable
(Rateable)
Reachable
Readable
Realizable
Reasonable
Rebukable
Recallable
Receivable
Reclaimable
Recognizable
Recommendable
Reconcilable
Recoverable
Rectifiable
Redeemable
Redemandable
Redoubtable
Reexaminable
Referable
(Referrible)
Refusable
Refutable
Regrettable
Reissuable
Rejectable
Relaxable
Releasable
Reliable
Relievable
Relishable
Remarkable
Remediable
Removable
Remunerable
Renderable
Renewable
Rentable
Reobtainable
Repairable
Reparable
Repayable
Repealable
Repleviable
Representable
Reproachable
Reprovable
Repudiable
Reputable
Rescindable
Rescuable
Resolvable
Respectable
Respirable
Restorable
Restrainable
Resumable
Resuscitable
Retainable
Retractable
(Retractible)
Retrievable
Returnable
Revealable
Revengeable
Reviewable
Revivable
Revocable
Rewardable
Rollable
Ruinable
Rulable
Sailable
Salable
Salifiable
Salvable
Sanable
Saponifiable
Satisfiable
Saturable
Savable
Scalable
Searchable
Seasonable
Securable
Seizable
Separable
Sequestrable
Servable
Serviceable
Shapable
Shiftable
Sizable
Sociable
Solvable
Sortable
Soundable
Spoilable
Squeezable
Statable
Statutable
Suable
Subconformable
Sublimable
Subscribable
Succorable
Sufferable
Suitable
Superserviceable
Supportable
Supposable
Surmountable
Surpassable
Sustainable
Tamable
Tannable
Tastable
Taxable
Teachable
Tellable
Temperable
Temptable
Tenable
Tenantable
Terminable
Testable
Tillable
Tithable
Tolerable
Tollable
Torturable
Touchable
Traceable
Tractable {p162}
Trainable
Transferable
(Transferrible)
Transformable
Translatable
Transmeatable
Transmutable
Transpirable
Transportable
Transposable
Traversable
Treasonable
Treatable
Triable
Triturable
Tunable
Ulcerable
Unacceptable
Unaccountable
Unadvisable
Unagreeable
Unaidable
Unamiable
Unanswerable
Unappealable
Unapproachable
Unaskable
Unavoidable
Uncharitable
Uncleanable
Uncomeatable
Uncomfortable
Uncommunicable
Unconformable
Unconscionable
Uncontrollable
Uncustomable
Undauntable
Undeniable
Undivinable
Unexceptionable
Unextinguishable
Unfashionable
Unfathomable
Unfavorable
Unforgetable
Ungovernable
Unimpeachable
Unitable
Unknowable
Unmalleable
Unmerchantable
Unmeritable
Unmistakable
Unpassable
Unpeaceable
Unpeerable
Unprofitable
Unquestionable
Unreasonable
Unreconcilable
Unreliable
Unrebukable
Unreckonable
Unreprovable
Unsalable
Unsearchable
Unseasonable
Unsociable
Unspeakable
Unstable
Unsuitable
Unutterable
Unwarrantable
Unwedgeable
Usable
Utterable
Valuable
Vanquishable
Vaporable
Vaporizable
Variable
Veerable
Vegetable
Venerable
Verifiable
Veritable
Viable
Vindicable
Violable
Visitable
Vitrifiable
Voidable
Volatilizable
Voyageable
Vulnerable
Warrantable
Washable
Wearable
Weighable
Weldable
Wieldable
Workable
WORDS ENDING IN “ABLE”; RARE.
Accomptable (_or obs._)
Accommodable
Accustomable
Baptizable
Burnable
Borable
Carriageable
Catchable
Commiserable
Complainable
Defendable
Despisable
Destroyable
Discontinuable
Dissipable
Donable
Dubitable
Educable
Effluviable
Emulable
Entreatable
Equiparable
Errable
Esteemable {p163}
Executable
Expugnable
Frustrable
Gatherable
Gettable
Hereditable
Illaqueable
Imageable
Impalatable
Imperceivable
Impersuadable
Incicurable
Inequable
Innominable
Manducable
Marriable
Matchable
Medicinable
Meltable
Mockable
Pacificable
Pregnable
Quittable
Razorable
Recuperable
Refragable
Regardable
Regulable
Rememberable
Replantable
Replevisable
Repugnable
Scrutable
Smokable
Speakable
Strangleable
Subduable
Superable
Suspectable
Tractable
Thinkable
Transpassable
Unalienable
Unculpable
Understandable
Unforeseeable
Unhabitable
Unlimitable
Unmakable
Unmeasurable
Unmovable
Unscrutable
Untractable
Unvoyageable
Walkable
Weariable
Wishable
Worshipable
Woundable
Yieldable
WORDS ENDING IN “ABLE”; OBSOLETE.
Abhominable
Acetable
Accompanable
Accomptable (_or rare_.)
Acquaintable
Animable
Aptable
Battable
Behoovable
Bowable
Chanceable
Colliquable
Circumstantiable
Combinable
Companable
Companiable
Compassionable
Compensable
Conciliable
Consortable
Conspectable
Conusable
Convenable
Counselable
Covenable
Creable
Defatigable
Delightable
Dependable
Depredable
Destinable
Devitable
Disable
Disadvantageable
Discomfortable
Discordable
Discriminable
Disfavorable
Dispraisable
Disprofitable
Doctrinable
Domable
Dreadable
Earable
Effrayable
Endamageable
Eterminable
Exceedable
Excoriable
Excreable
Excruciable
Exoptable
Exuperable
Fatigable
Fittable
Flammable
Foilable
Frequentable
Grievable
Guildable
Gustable
Illacerable
Illeviable
Immatchable
Immixable
Impacable
Impardonable
Imperscrutable
Impetrable {p164}
Impierceable
Improfitable
Improportionable
Inaidable
Inalterable
Inamiable
Incessable
Incharitable
Incomformable
Inconscionable
Incremable
Individable
Indomable
Indomptable
Ineluctable
Inenarrable
Inerrable
Inexhalable
Inexplainable
Inexuperable
Infashionable
Infatigable
Informidable
Ingustable
Injudicable
Inopinable
Insociable
Insuitable
Intricable
Inutterable
Irrecuperable
Irreputable
Iterable
Jaculable
Justiceable
Lachrymable
Leisurable
Makable
Maniable
Markable
Mercable
Merciable
Meritable
Mingleable
Mirable
Miscarriageable
Moderable
Modificable
Moltable
Narrable
Oathable
Objectable
Occasionable
Operable
Opinable
Optable
Ordinable
Overturnable
Painable
Parable
Parallelable
Perceable
Perflable
Perspicable
Postable
Praisable
Replevisable
Resemblable
Rowable
Sacrificable
Screable
Scribable
Semblable
Spirable
Strainable
Suspicable
Trafficable
Transmeable
Troublable
Unappliable
Unapplicable
Uncapable
Unconceivable
Uncontestable
Uncounselable
Uncovenable
Uncreditable
Uncurable
Undefatigable
Undepartable
Undertakable
Undestroyable
Undeterminable
Undisputable
Undoubtable
Undubitable
Undwellable
Unequalable
Unevitable
Unexcusable
Unextricable
Unfailable
Unframable
Unhospitable
Unimitable
Unmasterable
Unnumerable
Unpenetrable
Unperishable
Unplacable
Unpracticable
Unprizable
Unquarrelable
Unremovable
Unreproachable
Unreputable
Unsatiable
Unseparable
Unshakable
Unsightable
Unsucceedable
Unsufferable
Unsupportable
Unswayable
Untellable
Untriumphable
Untrowable
Unvaluable
Unvariable
Unvulnerable
Vailable
Vengeable
Veniable
Versable
Vituperable
Volitable
Wainable
Warhable
{p165}
WORDS ENDING IN _IBLE_.
Abhorrible
Accendible
Accessible
Addible
(Addable)
Adducible
Admissible
Adustible
Apprehensible
Ascendible
Audible
Bipartible
Circumscriptible
Classible
Coctible
Coercible
Cognoscible
Cohesible
Collectible
Combustible
Compactible
Compatible
Comprehensible
Compressible
Concrescible
Conducible
Conductible
Confluxible
Contemptible
Contractible
Controvertible
Conversible
Convertible
Convincible
Correctible
Corrigible
Corrodible
Corrosible
Corruptible
Credible
Decoctible
Deducible
Deductible
Defeasible
Defectible
Defensible
Descendible
Destructible
Diffusible
Digestible
Discernible
Dissectible
Distensible
Distractible
Divertible
Divestible
Divisible
Divorcible
(Divorceable)
Docible
Edible
Educible
Effectible
Effervescible
Eligible
Eludible
Enforcible
(Enforceable)
Evincible
Exercisible
(Exercisable)
Exhaustible
Expansible
Expressible
Extendible
Extensible
Extractible
(Extractable)
Fallible
Feasible
Fencible
Fermentescible
Flexible
Fluxible
Forcible
Frangible
Fungible
Fusible
Gullible
Horrible
Ignitible
Illegible
Immersible
(Immersable)
Immiscible
Impartible
Impassible
Impedible
Imperceptible
Impersuasible
Implausible
Impossible
Imprescriptible
Impressible
Imputrescible
Inaccessible
Inadmissible
Inapprehensible
Inaudible
Incircumscriptible
Incoercible
Incombustible
Incommiscible
Incompatible
Incomprehensible
Incompressible
Inconcussible
Incontrovertible
Inconvertible
Inconvincible
Incorrigible
Incorrodible
Incorruptible
Incredible
Indefeasible
Indefectible
Indefensible
Indelible
Indeprehensible {p166}
Indestructible
Indigestible
Indiscernible
Indiscerptible
Indivisible
Indocible
Inducible
Ineffervescible
Ineligible
Ineludible
Inevasible
Inexhaustible
Inexpansible
Inexpressible
Infallible
Infeasible
Inferrible
(Inferable)
Inflexible
Infrangible
Infusible
Inscriptible
Insensible
Instructible
Insuppressible
Insusceptible
Intactible
Intangible
Intelligible
Interconvertible
Intervisible
Invendible
Inventible
Invertible
Invincible
Invisible
Irascible
Irreducible
Irrefrangible
Irremissible
Irreprehensible
Irrepressible
Irresistible
Irresponsible
Irreversible
Legible
Manifestible
(Manifestable)
Marcescible
Miscible
Negligible
Nexible
Omissible
Ostensible
Partible
(Partable)
Passible
Perceptible
Perfectible
Permiscible
Permissible
Persuasible
Pervertible
Plausible
Possible
Prehensible
Prescriptible
Producible
Productible
Putrescible
Quadrible
Receptible
Redemptible
Redressible
Reducible
Re-eligible
Referrible
(Referable)
Reflectible
Reflexible
Refrangible
Remissible
Renascible
Rend-ible (from _rend_)
Ren-dible (from _render_)
Reprehensible
Resistible
Responsible
Retractible
(Retractable)
Reversible
Revertible
Risible
Seducible
Sensible
Sponsible
Subdivisible
Subvertible
Supersensible
Suppressible
Susceptible
Suspensible
Tangible
Terrible
Transferrible
(Tranferable)
Transfusible
Transmissible
Transmittible
Tripartible
Vendible
Vincible
Visible
Vitrescible
WORDS ENDING IN “IBLE”; RARE.
Affectible
Cessible
Committible
Compossible
Convictible
Cullible
Discerpible
Discerptible
Evadible
Evasible
Exigible
Impatible {p167}
Impermissible
Incognoscible
Infractible
Insubmergible
Suasible
Tensible
Traducible
Transvertible
Unadmissible
Unadmittible
Unexhaustible
Unexpressible
Unflexible
Unfusible
Unrepressible
Unresponsible
WORDS ENDING IN “IBLE”; OBSOLETE.
Agible
Appetible
Alible
Comestible
Comminuible
Competible
Comptible
Conceptible
Conclusible
Congestible
Deceptible
Decerptible
Depectible
Depertible
Deprehensible
Erigible
Exemptible
Expetible
Fensible
Fulcible
Ignoscible
Immarcescible
Imperdible
Impertransible
Inamissible
Incompossible
Inconceptible
Inconsumptible
Indefeisible
Indicible
Indiscerpible
Indistinctible
Inextinguible
Intransgressible
Inquisible
Intenible
Irremittible
Miscible
Obedible
Odible
Offensible
Patible
Regible
Sejungible
Sepelible
Suadible
Suasible
Subjicible
Unaccessible
Uncorrigible
Uncorruptible
Uncredible
Undefeasible
Uneligible
Unfallible
Unfrangible
Unpossible
Unresistible
Unsensible
Untangible
Unvisible
NOUNS ENDING IN _O_.
Errors sometimes occur in forming the plural of nouns in _o_. We
frequently see _frescoes_, _mottos_,—both wrong. The general rule is,
If the final _o_ has a vowel before it, form the plural by adding _s_:
as “cameo, cameos”; if a consonant precede the final _o_, add _es_; as
“archipelago, archipelagoes.” Such exceptions to the general rule as
are most frequently met with, and a few that are rare, we here subjoin:
{p168}
Albino Albinos
Armadillo Armadillos
Busto Bustos
Canto Cantos
Catso Catsos
Cento Centos
Dido Didos
Domino Dominos
Duo Duos
Duodecimo Duodecimos
Embryo Embryos
Exaltado Exaltados
Folio Folios
Fresco Frescos
Gaucho Gauchos
Grotto Grottos
Halo Halos
Inamorato Inamoratos
Internuncio Internuncios
Junto Juntos
Lasso Lassos
Limbo Limbos
Memento Mementos
Merino Merinos
Mestizo Mestizos
Nuncio Nuncios
Octavo Octavos
Octodecimo Octodecimos
Piano Pianos
Portico Porticoes, _Wb._ or Porticos, _Wor._
Portfolio Portfolios
Proviso Provisos
Punctilio Punctilios
Quarto Quartos
Rotundo Rotundos
Salvo Salvos
Sextodecimo Sextodecimos
Sirocco Siroccos
Solo Solos
Trio Trios
Two Twos
Tyro Tyros
Virtuoso Virtuosos
Zero Zeros
But “albugo” has _pl._ “albugines”; and to “imago” we should probably
have to write _pl._ “imagines.” There are many nouns ending in _o_, for
whose plurals we have not found any authority beyond the general rule.
With the exceptions given above, the rule may be safely followed. The
plural of “portico” is a matter of style: and there is some authority
for “quartoes.”
WORDS ENDING IN _ISE_.
Words ending with the sound of _ize_ are variously spelled _ise_ or
_ize_. Of this class the correct spelling of the following words is
_ise_; nearly if not quite all others take _ize_. {p169}
Advertise
Advise
Affranchise
Apprise
Catechise
Chastise
Circumcise
Comprise
Compromise
Criticise
Demise
Despise
Devise
Disfranchise
Disguise
Divertise
Emprise
Enfranchise
Enterprise
Exercise
Exorcise
Franchise
Merchandise
Misprise
Premise
Reprise
Revise
Supervise
Surmise
Surprise
_EI_ AND _IE_.
Many persons find it difficult or impossible to recollect the relative
position of _e_ and _i_, in such words as _receive_, _believe_, etc. If
they will bear in mind the following rule, it may save them the trouble
of referring to a dictionary for this point.
When the derivative noun ends in _tion_, the verb is spelled with _ei_:
thus,—
Conception Conceive
Deception Deceive
Reception Receive
But when the noun does not end in _tion_, the verb is spelled with
_ie_: as,—
Belief Believe
WORDS ENDING IN “CION.”
Disregarding the dissyllable _scion_, we think there are but three
words in use having this termination, viz.: Coercion, Ostracion,
Suspicion. Two obsolete words are Internecion and Pernicion. {p170}
ENSURE, INSURE, ETC.
The language has been sometimes enriched by retaining the several
forms of a “doubtful” word, as in the case of _draft_ and _draught_,
each form having limitations of meaning peculiar to itself. _Ensure_
and _Insure_ we propose to consider distinct words rather than various
spellings of the same words. So, also, of _Enure_ and _Inure_.
Ensure.
[To make sure, certain, or safe; “How to ensure peace for any term of
years.” To _insure_ is to contract, for a consideration, to secure
against loss; as to insure houses, ships, lives.]
Insure.
[To underwrite; “to covenant, for a consideration, to indemnify for
loss of anything specified”; as, to insure houses against fire, etc.]
Enure.
[“To serve to the use or benefit of”; as, a gift of land enures to
the benefit of the grantee.
“The argument was made [a century ago] as now, that its [a protective
policy’s] benefits _enured_ to particular classes or sections.”—_B.
Harrison’s Inaugural Address._]
Inure
[To accustom; as, a man inures his body to heat and cold; a soldier
to blood inured.]
{p171}
CHAPTER VII.
CAPITALIZATION.
To persons who have paid no special, technical attention to the
subject, capitalization appears a very simple matter. The rules are
few and easily understood; but as to the “application of them” there
is some perplexity and much diversity among authors, printers, and
proof-readers. Practically, the main difficulty seems to arise from the
want of a plain line of demarkation between common nouns and proper
nouns! Some write and print “Pacific Ocean” as the proper name of a
certain collection of water; others, “Pacific ocean,”—ocean being a
common noun. We may, perhaps, recur to this abstruse matter farther on;
but at present we will lay down such rules as we have used in our own
labors, and which we deem to be correct. It will be very convenient
for us, and therefore we hope excusable, to adopt two phrases from the
expressive terminology of the printing-office, where some words are
said to be “put up,” and others to be “put down”; e. g.:
“When Music, heavenly maid, was young.”
Here “Music” is said to be “put up,” because it begins with a capital
“M,” and “maid” is “put down,” because it begins with a small “m.”
{p172}
“Abelard taught Eloisa music.”
Here “Abelard,” “Eloisa” are “put up,” and “music” is “put down.”
This premised, understood, and forgiven, we are ready for the—
RULES FOR THE RIGHT USE OF CAPITALS.
Rule 1. The initial letter of every sentence should be a capital.
Yours received. Glad to hear from you. Will answer next week.
Capitals, Y, G, W, as per Rule 1.
And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can
bear.—_Genesis 4 : 13._
Capitals, A and M; for here are two sentences, although one is included
in the other.
Cain said that his punishment was greater than he could bear.
Capital C, by Rule 1; but the included words of Cain being brought in
obliquely, no capital is required.
Cicero said, “There is no moment without some duty”; and who doubts
the wisdom of Cicero?
C and T are put up, by Rule 1.
On the first day of January, Artemus Ward made this remark: Now is a
good time to _resoloot_.
O and N are put up, by Rule 1.
Few truisms are truer than this paradox of Aristotle,—To mankind in
general, the parts are greater than the whole.
F and T are put up, by Rule 1.
It has been said, that the included sentence should not be capitalized
unless immediately preceded by a colon: but the {p173} above examples
show, that a sentence _directly introduced_ must be capitalized,
whatever point precedes it,—comma, comma-dash, colon, or any other
pause-mark.
He asked why he was arrested, and we replied that he was arrested on
suspicion.
Initial capital H, by Rule 1.
He asked, “Why am I arrested?” and we replied, “On suspicion.”
Here are three initial capitals, and properly; for the reply, fully
expressed, would be, “You are arrested on suspicion.”
So, also, captions, head-lines, side-heads, etc., being imperfect
sentences, fall under Rule 1. The same is true of particulars depending
from a general heading; as—
Property destroyed by the late fire:
Seventy reams elephant paper;
Tables, chairs, desks;
Old-fashioned hall-clock;
Johnson’s Dictionary, 1st ed.
We have remarked above, on the passage from Genesis, that a sentence
introduced obliquely requires no capital. In the following example,
_whether Sparta should be inclosed with walls_ is an indirect question,
and is not capitalized; while the answer, being direct, takes a capital.
To the question whether Sparta should be inclosed with walls, Lycurgus
made this answer: “That city is well fortified which has a wall of men
instead of brick.”
Kerl’s rule (Grammar, p. 41) is “Within a sentence, the first word of
any important beginning may commence with a capital letter.” This rule
is probably as precise as can be framed to meet his first example,
“_Resolved_, That our Senators be requested, etc.” His second example,
“One truth is clear: Whatever is, is right,” falls within his rule,
and our Rule 1. (_See_ page 81, for capitalizing, etc., preambles,
resolutions, provisos, etc.) {p174}
When a sentence is introduced obliquely, a capital is not required,
even if the passage introduced have quotation marks, and make perfect
sense without the introductory prefix, as in the following example:
It is remarked by Parton, that “a man who retains to the age of
seventy-nine the vigor of manhood and the liveliness of a boy, cannot,
at any period of his life, have egregiously violated the laws of his
being.”
2. The first letter in every line of poetry should be a capital.
When on the larboard quarter they descry
A liquid column towering shoot on high,
The guns were primed; the vessel northward veers,
Till her black battery on the column bears.
_Falconer’s Shipwreck._
Thereat the champions both stood still a space,
To weeten what that dreadful clamor meant:
Lo! where they spied with speedy whirling pace
One in a charet of strange furniment,
Towards them driving like a storm outsent.
The charet deckèd was in wondrous wise
With gold and many a gorgeous ornament,
After the Persian monarch’s antique guise,
Such as the maker’s self could best by art devise.
_Spenser’s Faerie Queene._
But in reprinting ancient hymns, etc., follow the ancient style,—as in
the following from the Bible printed in London by Robert Barker, in
1615:
Here is the Spring where waters flow,
to quench our heat of sinne:
Here is the Tree where trueth doth grow,
to leade our liues therein:
This is the Iudge that stints the strife
when mens deuices faile:
Here is the Bread that feeds the life
that death can not assaile.
{p175}
3. Principal words in the titles of books, of important documents,
of proclamations, of edicts, of conventions, and words of especial
distinction in monographs, should be put up.
Who is the author of “The Mill on the Floss”?
The English barons obtained _Magna Charta_, or the Great Charter, from
King John, A.D. 1215.
When the Edict of Nantes was revoked by Louis XIV., above 50,000
Huguenots fled from France.
The father of Watts the hymnist, suffered much after the withdrawal of
the Declaration of Indulgence.
Every State having chess clubs in its cities should organize a State
Chess Association, and these associations should send delegates to the
Annual Convention of the National Association.—_Phil. Ledger._
The President of the United States, the Sovereign of England, and the
Governors of the several States of our Union, issue proclamations.
Despots issue edicts,—sometimes called by the more general name of
“decrees,” as in Ezra 6 : 1, 3. From Esther 1 : 19–22 we learn that a
“royal commandment” was sent into all the king’s provinces, “that
every man should bear rule in his own house.” If any of our readers
have occasion to put in type, or read the proof of, the title of an
edict or decree, they will, of course, make it agree with the rule. Of
proclamations we have several every year. Frequently all the letters
of the titles are capitals; otherwise, the capitals appear as in the
following example:
BY HIS EXCELLENCY, B. A.,
_Governor of the State_ [or _Commonwealth_] of ——.
A PROCLAMATION for a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer.
In a monograph of a geological survey the following paragraph appears:
The dark laminated clays of the Cretaceous passing up into the Upper
Cretaceous are well shown . . . . passing up {p176} into brown
sandstones of the Coal group. There is great uniformity in the Upper
Cretaceous and Tertiary series.—
_Hayden, Survey Montana._
Webster says, that the Carboniferous age “embraces three periods, the
Subcarboniferous, the Carboniferous, and the Permian,” but the Fifth
Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol. Survey, doubtless for some good reason, changes
the style to the sub-Carboniferous (_v._ remark under Rule 8, on
“transatlantic,” etc.).
The main subject under discussion being Woman Suffrage, those words
were properly capitalized in the following paragraph:
It is conceded . . . that the avowal even, of faith in the principle
of Woman Suffrage, would handicap the party most seriously.
In accordance with Rule 3 was this direction touching a Report on
Education:
Spell “report” with capital R, when it refers to this Report; l. c.
[lower-case] in other cases.
Presidential, imperial, kingly, ducal, etc., titles are put down
when used generally, but are put up when applied to persons. In the
following example “_an_ emperor” is down, while “_the_ Emperor” is put
up.
The events which now took place in the interior of Germany were such
as usually happened when either the throne was without an emperor,
or the Emperor without a sense of his imperial dignity.—_Schiller’s
Thirty Years’ War._
Beginning with President Washington and including President Harrison,
the United States has had twenty-three presidents.
4. Names and appellations of the Supreme Being should be capitalized.
We forbear inserting a list of the sacred names, too often written and
uttered “in vain.” The reader is probably {p177} familiar with them
from listening to Sabbath services, and reading religious books with
which, we hope, his library abounds.
The word “providence” should be put down or up, according to its
meaning, as may be seen in the two following sentences:
But behold now another providence of God; a ship came into the harbor.
. . . This ship had store of English beads and some knives.—_New
England’s Memorial._
The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.—_Milton._
Nouns ordinarily common become proper when written as names of the
Supreme Being.
I hope my merciful Judge will bear in mind my heavy punishment on
earth.—_Pickwick Papers_, ch. 44.
Emerson refers “all productions at last to an aboriginal
Power.”—_Century Maga._
Plato said, that in all nations certain minds dwell on the
“fundamental Unity,” and “lose all being in one Being.”—_Ib._
In the above examples, the effect of capitals in conveying the idea of
personality is strikingly illustrated.
Pronouns referring to the Deity are not usually put up,—excepting the
personals “He,” “Him.”
O thou, whose justice reigns on high.—_Watts._
O thou, Most High—_Ps. 56 : 2._
Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most
humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness.—_Common Prayer._
_Thou_, _whose_, _thine_, _thy_, properly lower-case.
Usage is ununiform as to capitalizing the pronoun of the third person,
when referring to the Deity; some using the capital in all three cases
(He, His, Him), while others capitalize the nominative and objective,
and put “his” down; and still others put all the cases down.
God does love us. As any loving father or mother, He wants
us to want His society, and to love to be with and talk with
Him.—_Congregationalist._
Small letter in the possessive, capital in the objective: {p178}
All the works of God . . . declare the glory of his perfections.
. . . But how gross are the conceptions generally entertained of the
character of Him “in whom we live and move!”
_Dick. Improv’t Soc._ § VI.
All the cases down:
. . . They can know but little . . . of that happiness which God has
prepared for them that love him; but . . . this suffices them, that
they shall see him as he is, etc. . . . the expectation founded upon
his own gracious promise, etc.—_Rev. John Newton’s Sermon on the
“happy recovery” of King George (modern reprint)._
But, whatever the style of the office, there is one category in which
the personal pronoun must be capitalized: it is when no antecedent is
expressed. Such cases are not of infrequent occurrence. If one were to
write—
In all her troubles this good lady never failed to express her
confidence in the care of him in whom she had put her trust—
the meaning would be doubtful; “him” might refer to some humane
relative, or to the superintendent of the almshouse. But if the
sentence were written—
. . . this good lady never failed to express her confidence in the
care of Him in whom, etc.—
the meaning—that the Deity is intended—becomes clear.
Adjuncts qualifying names applied to Deity usually require no capitals:
For when we consider ourselves as the creatures of God . . . what can
induce us to love, fear, and trust Him, as our God, our Father, and
all-sufficient Friend and Helper.—
_Mason’s Self-Knowledge._
Here “all-sufficient” is properly put down; as are also “great” and
“common” in the following paragraph:
Not only honor and justice, and what I owe to man is my interest; but
gratitude also, acquiescence, resignation, adoration, and all I owe to
this great polity, and its great Governor our common Parent.—_Harris._
{p179}
But many cases occur where the adjective is properly put up; especially
if the adjective itself denotes sacredness, as the following examples
show:
Klopstock . . . suffers himself to forget that the [French] revolution
itself is a process of the Divine Providence.—
_Coleridge Biog. Lit._
Among the greater number of pagan nations, the most absurd
and grovelling notions are entertained respecting the Supreme
Intelligence, and the nature of that worship which his perfections
demand.—_Dick._
We are apt to entertain narrow conceptions of the Divine
Nature.—_Addison._
The words “Christian” and “Christianity” the best usage puts up; nor
does there seem to be any good reason why “christianize” should not
also be capitalized.
There are instances where the word “divine,” though referring to sacred
personages, should not be put up; as—
If Christ did not hold this key, how is He divine?—
_Congregationalist._
The words “godly,” “godfather,” “godmother” are put down: Webster has
“godspeed,” and says it is “written also as two separate words, as in
2 John 10.” Worcester does not admit the phrase as one word in his
defining columns, but prints it as two, under the word “God”; quoting
the same text as Webster. The Congressional Record, 50th Congress,
uses capital and hyphen, thus: “God-speed”; and this form is adopted
by Abbot Bassett, the talented editor of the L. A. W. Bulletin, in his
Farewell to former Chief Consul Hayes:
Take now the hand we so often have shaken,
Speak from our feelings so hard to subdue,
Send him in joyfulness out from our circle,
Give him a hearty God-speed and adieu.
Still Webster’s style of one word, lower-case, is, we think,
preferable, and most used.
The word “gospel” when used generally,—in the sense of good
tidings,—should be down; as “Woe is me, if I {p180} preach not the
gospel.” But when used as part of a title to a specific book, it goes
up; as “The Gospel according to St. Matthew”; “The Apocryphal Gospel of
St. Thomas”; “The Gospel of St. Luke.”
5. Names of ancient Greek and Roman divinities, and of all pagan and
heathen gods, should be put up.
When the word “god” or “goddess” is applied to a paganic divinity,
it is put down. This remark and our Rule 5 are both exemplified in
Darwin’s lines,—
First two dread snakes, at Juno’s vengeful nod,
Climbed round the cradle of the sleeping god.
_Botanic Garden._
So, also, 1 Kings 11 : 33:
Worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of
the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon.
The names applied to evil spirits should be put up:
And Satan came also among them.—_Job_ 1 : 6.
Then Apollyon said unto Christian, “Here will I spill thy
soul.”—_Bunyan._
During a violent thunderstorm, the converted Chinese steward
disappeared. The captain found him below, making prostrations before
a gilded image. “How is this?” demanded the astonished captain; “I
thought you were a Christian.” The Chinaman replied, “Your God velly
well, fine weather; stolm like this, want Joss.”
In the above example, the objects of Christian and pagan worship are
properly capitalized.
From the foregoing remarks, etc., especially under Rule 4, it will be
perceived that capitalization is, in the department of theology as in
all others, mostly regulated by office style. But in forming a style,
the above rules and examples may be found serviceable.
6. The pronoun I, and the interjection O, should always be put up.
{p181}
I scarcely knew how long I had sat there when I became aware of a
recognition.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.—_Ps._ cxlvi.
But in Latin the “O” is frequently put down.
Huc ades, ô formosa puer.—_Virgil._
Adestes o Maria, o Angele, o Patroni castitatis meæ.—
_Libellus Precum, Georgiopoli, D.C._
7. Some words which are put down when spelled in full, are put up when
contracted.
The Dr. called upon me. Need I say, I regretted the happiness of
seeing the doctor?
“Patent-office, number 16” may be written, “Patent-office, No. 16.”
The honorable the Secretary of the Navy.
The Hon. the Secretary of the Navy.
But certain suffixes, whether spelled in full or contracted, are put up
or down, or in small caps, capitalized, according to the style of the
words to which they are suffixed; as, for instance, the words “junior”
and “esquire,” which are put one degree less in dignity than the words
to which they are attached; as:
John Smith, jr., esq., [or “junior, esquire.”]
The person’s name being lower-case capitalized, “jr.” and “esq.” are
put down.
JOHN DOE, Jr. Esq., [or “Junior, Esquire.”]
The names being small caps, capitalized, the “jr.” and “esq.” are put
up.
RICHARD ROE, JR. ESQ., [or “JUNIOR, ESQUIRE.”]
The names being in capitals, the suffixes are capitals and small
capitals.
But “D.D.” “LL.D.” “M.D.” etc., are put in large or small capitals
according to office style, or a style adapted for the work in which
they appear: as— {p182}
John Doe, LL.D.; RICHARD ROE, PH.D.; J. SMITH, M.D.; ABEL MONEY, F.R.S.
Words connected with a number of designation are often put up,—and this
is the better way. So, though the words “Bay,” “Dock,” etc., in the
following examples may properly be put down if the office style require
it, yet the unfettered compositor and reader will prefer to put up
those, and all words similarly placed; as:
The planks of Bay No. 6 on Chelsea Bridge have been replaced by
ordinary boards purchased at Dock No. 8.
We arrived at Station 16, and proceeded thence through Lock 12 to Dam
No. 8.
8. Names of persons, of things personified, of nations, countries,
cities, towns, streets, ships, etc., should be put up.
Capt. Samuel Jones sailed in ship Minerva, from Sandy Hook to Tanjong
Bolus, the most southerly point of the continent of Asia.
A charming and _spirituelle_ Frenchwoman said of Julius Mohl, that
Nature, in forming his character, had skimmed the cream of the three
nationalities to which he belonged by birth, by adoption, and by
marriage; making him “deep as a German, _spirituel_ as a Frenchman,
and loyal as an Englishman.”—_Atlantic Monthly._
Charles, Susan, William, Henrietta Matilda, Benjamin Harrison Smith,
come in, this minute!
Under this rule proper adjectives may also be classed; as:
The French and American Claims Commission.
He is familiar with the German, French, Russian, Bengalee, Chinese,
and Grebo languages.
Is the Monroe doctrine heartily concurred in by European nations?
Names of political parties should be put up.
Democrat, Democratic, Democracy, Republican, Republicanism,
Woman-Suffragists, Women’s Rights party, Locofocos, Whigs, Tories,
Free-Soilers, Liberals, Independents, etc. {p183}
But when any of these words are used in a general sense, they should be
put down; as:
Whatever requires to be done by slow and cautious degrees does not
accord with the spirit of democracy.—_De Staël._
The tendency of some European nations is toward republicanism.
The words “state” and “territory” applied to political divisions of the
United States should be put up; as:
The State of North Dakota. The Territory of Utah.
This State gave a Republican majority.
Some nouns and adjectives originally proper have, by usage, the common
form; as:
We sell silver, china, and iron wares.
There is great demand for india-rubber goods.
His pets are guinea-pigs and guinea-hens.
That maltese cat follows her everywhere.
He wears russia-leather boots, morocco gaiters, and a fez cap when
dancing the german.
The burglars secured six german silver spoons.
Numbers are denoted by roman capitals or arabic figures.
There are some words yet on debatable ground. It is safe to write
“plaster of Paris” or “plaster of paris.” The latter form is well
enough for so common an article, and should be preferred by compositors.
Some words which are put up when alone, are put down when they coalesce
with a preposition; as:
I crossed the Atlantic to view transatlantic countries.
The transpacific people are apt merchants.
But some write “inter-State,” “cis-Platine,” “trans-Atlantic,”
“cis-Padane,” “cis-Alpine,” etc. We know of no good authority for such
work. It has no countenance from our lexicographers: and the hyphen and
capital in the middle of the words are needless deformities.
NOTE. The “etc.” in Rule 7 is like one spoken of by Coke (an “etc.”
of Littleton, I am told), “full of {p184} excellent meaning.”
Descending from the name of a continent to the designations “beat,”
“precinct,” “alley”; or ascending from “wharf,” “alley” to the name
of a continent, through lessening or increasing subdivisions, the
line must be drawn _somewhere_ between what is to be put up and what
is to be put down. Just where the line is drawn between capital and
lower-case initials, between the aristocrats of the page and _hoi
polloi_, is of very little consequence; but as uniformity in a work is
desirable while proof-readers are liable to differ, it is as important
to have an umpire in a proof-room as it is on a base-ball ground. And
as capitalization is wholly arbitrary, the essential qualities of an
umpire are, that he shall have a good memory, so as not to overset
to-day the decisions of yesterday, and a strong will of his own, which
shall not allow any obstinate reader to step across the important
imaginary line which separates the _ups_ from the _downs_,—the
majuscules from the minuscules.
If a printing-office requires the services of but one reader, he, happy
man, can suit himself, even though reasonably sure that he will suit
nobody else—so various and set are the opinions of men on matters of
trifling moment. If, however, two readers are employed, and on the same
work, the one with the best judgment should be allowed to decide all
doubtful points; but in this case, as in matrimonial life, the question
as to which has the best judgment, is usually decided, if not by the
strongest will, by the will of the party most reckless of consequences.
But in proof-reading, any point in dispute is usually so trifling, that
the readers can call in the office-boy, technically called printer’s
—— but we were once youngest apprentice ourself, and choose to forget
the word,—and let him settle it; whereas, in matrimonial life it is a
different Agency with a similar name who is generally called in, and
“by decision more embroils the fray.” {p185}
To show the absurdity of supposing that good readers will not differ in
the use of capitals, we once wrote a paragraph, and gave an exact copy
to each of two skilled proof-readers, desiring them to capitalize it as
they thought it should be capitalized if about to go to press. We will
here give the paragraph as we wrote it—without regard to rules—and then
exhibit their corrections, etc., in parallel columns:
Mr. Quilp lives on a wharf which is connected by an alley with a city
reservation in beat 17, precinct 8, ward 14. Said reservation is
called poplar square; an avenue, known as chestnut avenue, connects
that square with Washington street; and Washington street is a
thoroughfare connecting the Snowhill division of Junction city with
the city of Boomerang, the capital of the state of Cherokee—a state
just admitted to the union, and to all the privileges of this happy
nation, the United States of America,—the foremost republic of the
western hemisphere.
That the differences and agreements in capitalizing may be readily
observed, the two returned copies, as left by their respective readers,
are printed below, side by side.
READER A. READER B.
Mr. Quilp lives on a wharf │ Mr. Quilp lives on a wharf
which is connected by an alley │ which is connected by an alley
with a city reservation in beat │ with a city reservation in Beat
17, precinct 8, ward 14. Said │ 17, Precinct 8, Ward 14. Said
reservation is called Poplar square; │ reservation is called Poplar Square;
an avenue, known as Chestnut avenue, │ an avenue, known as Chestnut avenue,
connects that square with Washington │ connects that square with Washington
street; and Washington street is a │ street; and Washington street is a
thoroughfare connecting Snowhill │ thoroughfare connecting Snowhill
division of Junction City with the │ division of Junction City with the
city of Boomerang, the capital of │ city of Boomerang, the capital of
the State of Cherokee—a State just │ the State of Cherokee—a State just
admitted to the Union, and to all │ admitted to the Union, and to all
the privileges of this happy nation, │ the privileges of this happy nation,
the United States of America—the │ the United States of America—the
foremost republic of the western │ foremost republic of the Western
hemisphere. │ Hemisphere.
{p186}
One of these styles may be just as good as the other (see chapter on
“Style”); but whichever were selected, should be strictly adhered to,
through the whole book or work to which it was deemed applicable. Had
the above paragraph been given to still a third reader, very likely
he would have capitalized “Division,” as being of more consequence
than a beat or a ward; another would have deemed “Precinct” worthy of
being put up, while “beat” would have been placed in the small-letter
obscurity of “wharf” and “alley.” Another would say that localities
designated by a number should always be put up; as “Beat 6,” “Station
A” (See closing remark and examples, under Rule 7). The words “street”
and “avenue” are left down by both the above readers. The _Atlantic
Monthly_ puts those words up,—“The junction of Beacon Street and
Brookline Avenue”; the _Century_ magazine has “Canal street, its former
upper boundary”; _Harper’s Maga._ speaks of “the old house in St. Louis
Street in which,” etc. Each office makes its own style.
The word “city” in “Junction City” is put up,—the _two_ words forming
the city’s name. Whether to print “New York City” or “New York city”
is a moot point,—at present a matter of style. Some insist that as
_ocean_, _sea_, _city_, _street_, etc., are common nouns, they so
remain when connected with a proper adjective, and should be put
down,—and from this starting-point they have endeavored to frame a
general, and at the same time practical, rule for capitalizing common
nouns, which, when described by proper adjectives, form parts of
individual names. But, judging from our experience in proof-reading,
the endeavor has thus far been unsuccessful. The adjective, the {p187}
distinguishing word, always begins with a capital; as in “Bristol
county,” “Atlantic ocean.” The rule then, formulated, amounts to
this: “Put the distinguishing word up, and the class name down.”
But usage will not allow this; we must not write “Long island,”
“James smith,”—wherefore the rule has this qualification: “If the
distinguishing word alone _does not clearly designate the object_,
both words must be put up.” This qualification virtually annuls the
rule,—for different minds have different opinions as to whether the
object is, or is not, “clearly designated.” Reader A writes “Poplar
square,” while Reader B writes “Poplar Square.” Under the rule and
qualification, mentioned above, we have set before us, as correct
examples, “Hudson river, Red River”; as if the significance of such
prefixes as “red, swift, narrow, deep,” could not be determined by
the insertion or omission of the article _a_, of which we shall speak
farther on,—but must be made by capitalizing “river.” But admitting
that the capitalizing of “River” more clearly designates the object, we
doubt whether any printer or reader would wittingly pass one “river”
down, and another “River” up, in the same work; and the average writer
and reader for the press can hardly be supposed to take much time to
study whether a given river or city or square is just within or outside
of the limit of “clear designation.” Among the proof-readers of a
certain large work on geography, which seems to have been carefully
read, there must have been some difference of opinion on this point;
for it speaks of “the bay of Biscay” and “the Gulf of Mexico”; and
the “Atlantic ocean” of Vol. 1, becomes the “Atlantic Ocean” of Vol.
2. And such discrepancies must appear in every work which is printed
under {p188} the rule “Put the object down and the distinguishing
word up—_with exceptions_,” unless the exceptions are mentioned
individually, seriatim, and a list of the same given to all employees
who are expected to set type and read proof under such rule.
The objection to putting the class name down, is not so much that the
distinguishing word alone ever fails to “clearly designate the object,”
as that usage in many instances, and a sense of personal dignity in
others, prevent all family and many other class names from sinking into
lower-case. It were—there being no usage in its favor—a shame to print
“Andrew Jackson” with a little “j,” although the distinguishing word
“Andrew” would clearly designate the individual intended. “We sailed
past Long island” could not possibly be mistaken for “We sailed past
a long island.” In conversation the mere omission of the article _a_
would clearly indicate that we had a particular island in view, and
what island it was, even if we were not to inform an interlocutor,
that, were we to print our remark we should capitalize the “L,” and
very possibly the “I.”
“We sailed on _a_ red river,”—it may have been the Raritan, or any
other river running among iron ore; or it may have been any one of
the twelve streams of the United States which bear each the name
“Red river”; the article _a_, as Murray observes, “determines the
object spoken of to be one single thing of a kind, leaving it still
uncertain which.” “It is,” says Murray further, “an excellence of the
English language,” that, “by means of its two articles it does _most
precisely determine the extent of signification of common names_.” By
the omission of the article _a_, then, a particular river is “most
precisely determined,”—and, in print, {p189} capitalizing the “R” of
the adjective makes assurance doubly sure. But since long-established
usage determines that “Long Island,” “Harper’s Ferry,” “Lake Ontario,”
“George Washington,” etc., shall have both words put up, uniformity can
be secured only by extending that mode of capitalization to all words
in the same category—unless, as we have intimated, each exception be
mentioned individually, so that every printer may “clearly designate”
(so to speak) what is expected of him.
9. A word usually put down may be put up, or _vice versa_, by reason of
propinquity to some other word which is in the opposite category as to
capitalization.
We are not aware that this rule, or an equivalent to it, has been
formulated until now, but we have known changes in capitalizing to be
made in compliance with the principle of the rule.
A printed report (Reform School) reads:
The visitors were cordially received and welcomed by the
Superintendent and matron of the Board of Trustees.
The style required that, usually, “Superintendent” should be up, and
“Matron” down, as printed above. But when the words are so near each
other, the small _m_ looks—without regard to the maxim, _Place aux
dames_—as if the lady were subjected to an intentional slight. We think
it had been better thus:
The visitors were cordially . . . welcomed by the Superintendent and
the Matron of the Board of Trustees.
By the way, this insertion of _the_ before “Matron” shows that the
Matron was not also the Superintendent—thus illustrating Murray’s
remark on the “two articles,” mentioned near the close of the note
under Rule 8, _ante_. {p190}
This clause also occurs:
Friends of the school residing in the city and District.
Here “city” is put down, as if of less consequence than the outlying
parts of the “District” [of Columbia].
That is correct, according to usual office style; but had “city” been
put up, or “district” down, it would have been more pleasing to the
eye, and would not, probably, have wrought any mischief. In the use
of capitals, rules should be, and in fact are, very bendable. When we
write “the _member_ of Congress,” member is down, though we capitalize
“the Delegate from the Territory of Blank.” But when “Member and
Delegate” occur in the same sentence, both words are put up, agreeably
to Rule 9.
It is a good rule adopted in some printing-offices, that where the same
appellation is given to several persons or public bodies, only the
highest in rank shall be honored with capitals.
For instance, in speaking of the highest tribunal in the land, put up
“the Supreme Court”; but if a State court is spoken of put the initials
down, thus,—“the supreme court of Minnesota,” as in the following
paragraph:
This view of the law was sustained by the supreme court of Louisiana,
and, upon writ of error, by the Supreme Court of the United States
(Day _vs._ Micou, 18 Wall., 156).
So, also, “the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court”—capitals; “the chief justice of the supreme court of
Maryland”—lower-case; the highest “Commissioner” in any Governmental
Department, up; a road commissioner, down. A steady adherence to
this rule might aid students and others to discriminate between the
“Governor” of a State and the “governor” of a family; and if a decision
is rendered by “the full bench of the Supreme Court,” one would know
that no appeal could be had,—while if a decision is made by “the
supreme court,” it might, perhaps, be carried up on appeal.
But this distinction can never be fully carried out. We have known
it to be set aside by the following direction {p191} marking out a
“special style” for a volume of “Decisions”: “Capitalize Supreme Court,
Court of Claims, Circuit Court, District Court, and Supreme Court of
Tennessee.” Besides, Great Men are inimical to small letters. The
President of a Village Lyceum insists on being put up as high as the
President of the United States,—in fact, the said _p_resident may feel
that he is “a bi_g_er man” than the _P_resident.
And if, on the other hand, as some proof-readers have contended,
capitalization should be employed to distinguish, in print, our
Government from every foreign Government, the effect would be almost
too ridiculous to state; as:
The Chief Executive of the United States had an interview with the
chief executive of Mexico. The President said to the president,
“How do you do?”—and the president replied, “I am better than ever
I was before, for I see the President of the Great Colossus of the
North.”—“And I,” rejoined the President, “am delighted with the
honor of conversing with the great colossus of the south.” Here
the president bowed to the President, and the President shook the
president’s hand. The One then took his Oysters on the Half-Shell, and
the other his oysters on the half-shell.
The style was once verging toward something very ridiculous, and might
have proceeded to the above extreme had not a distinguished Secretary
of State, several years ago, made some well-timed suggestions.
If the office style require “board,” “bureau,” etc., referring to a
corporation, or collection of individuals, to be put down, cases like
the following should form exceptions:
The festive board was graced by the festive board of directors of the
Rochester saw-mills.
It should be printed “Board of Directors.”
A new bureau has been forwarded to the new bureau of musical notation.
Put up “Bureau of Musical Notation.”
Thus, by a judicious selection and arrangement of capital and
lower-case letters, Boards and Bureaus of gentlemen may {p192} be
readily differentiated from mere furniture, mahogany or black-walnut
boards and bureaus.
The principle of a change of style by reason of juxtaposition, is
recognized in the following direction for printing an important work
on the fisheries: “Put quantities, measurements, distances, and sums
of money in figures; numbers of men and vessels spelled, _except where
large numbers occur together_.”
RECAPITULATION.
In the preceding part of this chapter we felt it necessary to give many
examples, and enter upon some discussion of styles. To save time and
trouble in turning many leaves to find some particular rule, we give
below, all the rules in compact form, with but brief, if any, examples
in illustration.
RULE I. The initial letter of every sentence should be a capital.
This rule has been long established. It scarcely requires an example.
RULE II. The first letter in every line of poetry should be a capital.
What though my wingèd hours of bliss have been
Like angel-visits, few and far between.—_Campbell._
RULE III. Principal words in the titles of books, of important
documents, of proclamations, of edicts, of conventions, and words of
especial distinction in monographs, should be put up.
There is in the library a book entitled, “An Interesting Narrative
of the Travels of James Bruce, Esq., into Abyssinia, to Discover the
Source of the Nile.” {p193}
RULE IV. Names and appellations of the Supreme Being should be
capitalized.
RULE V. Names of ancient Greek and Roman divinities, and of all pagan
and heathen gods, should be put up.
Æsculapius restored many to life, of which Pluto complained
to Jupiter, who struck Æsculapius with thunder, but Apollo,
angry at the death of his son, killed the Cyclops who made the
thunderbolts.—_Lempriere._
RULE VI. The pronoun I, and the interjection O, should always be put up.
Here am I; send me, O king!
RULE VII. Some words which are put down when spelled in full, are put
up when contracted.
The honorable the Secretary of the Treasury.
The Hon. the Secretary of the Treasury.
RULE VIII. Names of persons, of things personified, of nations,
countries, cities, towns, streets, ships, etc., should be put up.
And well may Doubt, the mother of Dismay,
Pause at her martyr’s tomb.—_Campbell._
RULE IX. A word usually put down may be put up, or _vice versa_, by
reason of propinquity to some other word which is in the opposite
category as to capitalization.
The Secretary of War complimented the Secretary of the Typographical
Union, upon his skill with the shooting-stick.
Shall the Choctaw Nation or this Nation adjust the northern boundary?
{p194}
Before leaving the subject of capitalization, we must observe that
there is diversity among authors and printers in regard to the use
of capitals when two or more questions occur in succession. The rule
generally given is, “Capitalize each question”: but the exceptions are
so numerous, depending on some common relation to a term expressed or
understood (_see_ Obs. 30 and 31, Rule 29, Chap. V., _ante_), that we
forbear indorsing the rule to which we have above referred. Indeed, it
often happens that questions occurring singly are so connected with
what goes before, that they do not require to be capitalized. Each case
must be settled by the judgment of editor or author,—there is no common
standard of reference, as can easily be shown by comparing different
editions of the same work. In Buckingham’s Shakspeare, printed in
Boston, we read in As you Like It, Act 5, Sc. 2:
_Orl._ Is’t possible that on so little acquaintance you should like
her? . . . And will you persever, etc.,
the last question having a capital _A_; but in the London edition of
French & Co., we have—
_Orl._ Is’t possible that on so little acquaintance you should like
her? . . . and will you persever, etc.,
in which the last of the several questions has a lower-case _a_. Every
editor endeavors to capitalize correctly—by suiting himself.
{p195}
CHAPTER VIII.
OLD STYLE.
Fonts of movable Types, from their firſt Introduction into England
until late in the eighteenth Century, contained—owing principally to
the long “ſ” (= s) then in Uſe—far more Ligatures than the Fonts of
the preſent Day. Johnſon’s Dictionary furniſhes a Liſt which we here
inſert, with their more modern Equivalents:
ct = ct; ſ = s; ſb = sb; ſh = sh; ſi = si; ſk = sk; ſſ = ss; ſt = st;
ſſi = ssi; ſſl = ssl: and in italic, _ct_ = _ct_; _ſ_ = _s_; _ſb_
= _sb_; _ſh_ = _sh_; _ſk_ = _sk_; _ſſ_ = _ss_; _ſt_ = _st_; _ſſi_
= _ssi_; _ſſl_ = _ssl_.
It was our good Fortune, at a very early Period of Life, to attend a
dame School, where a Book, printed in Glaſgow, in the Year 1756, was
put into our Hands. This Book contained the Weſtminſter Larger and
Shorter Catechiſms, and a Directory of Public Worſhip,—the Intention
perhaps being to teach us good Engliſh and ſound “Kirk” Doctrines at
the ſame Time. Fortunately or otherwiſe, the Doctrines were above our
Comprehenſion _at that Time_; but the long _ſ_’s and the Ligatures
{p196} became Part of our Eye-Vernacular (if we may be pardoned for
ſuch an Expreſſion), at which we rejoice. We hope that the Young who
have not had the Advantages of antique Catechiſms will peruſe the Old
Style Pages of this Chapter until they become ſo familiar with ancient
and nearly forgotten Letters as to be able to enjoy the many good
Things to be found in old-time Books, whether printed in Glaſgow or
elſewhere.
To Printers who have “ſerved their Time” in the Book-offices of the
Eaſt or the early ſettled Cities of the South and Weſt, a Chapter like
this may ſeem wholly ſuperfluous. But in a Country like ours, where new
Towns and Cities are daily ſpringing into Exiſtence, daily Newſpapers
ſpringing up with them, it often happens that Boys and young Men who
have had but ſcanty Schooling are taken as Apprentices to learn the Art
of Arts. Many of theſe become rapid and correct Compoſitors, and in
Proceſs of Time drift to Cities where are Printing-offices with more
Varieties of Type than the new Comers have been accuſtomed to,—among
the reſt, Old Style, both in its ancient and modernized Forms; and it
is, in good Part, for the Benefit of theſe that we devote a few Pages
to Old Style.
In purſuing our Subject we ſhall paſs by {p197} Caxton, who, as
Everybody knows, introduced movable Types into England in the
ſeventh Year of the fourth Edward, make but brief Mention of Caſlon
(1692–1766), who about the Year 1720, made Matrices and call genuine
and beautiful old-ſtyle Type,—and come directly to the Fact that, in
1843, an Engliſh Printer deſired to reprint in Old Style a Book of
the Time of Charles II. The old Matrices of Caſlon were found (_v._
Brit. Encyc.), and from them a Font was caſt, which, with improved
Preſſes, etc., gave a better Impreſſion than had been obtained in
Caſlon’s Time. Since then (1843), the Demand for Old Style has ſteadily
increaſed, both in England and America, and our Founders have produced
a modernized Old Style; in which, however, it is thought by many that
Legibility has been ſacrificed to Beauty and general Effect. Our
Purpoſe here is to treat of the earlier Style, which ſtill reaches
Printing-offices occaſionally as Copy, and in which Programmes for “Old
Folks’ Concerts,” and alſo ſome Pamphlets, are printed even in theſe
Days.
In Old Style, _s final_ is a ſhort _s_; in all other Parts of a Word,
even if it is the laſt Letter of a Syllable of a Word divided at the
End of a Line, the long, kerned “ſ” is uſed. To prevent breaking the
Kern the long “ſ” was caſt in the ſame {p198} Matrix with ſuch Letters
as it would otherwiſe interfere with,—the two, or in Caſe of double
_ſ_ the three, Letters forming one Type; juſt as “f” is now ligated to
other Letters, as fi, ffl, etc.
And here, while ſpeaking of Ligatures, we would fain digreſs a
Moment,—even at the Expenſe of lengthening our old-ſtyle Chapter,—to
remark that there are ſome interfering Combinations for which Ligatures
have not been caſt. We have ſeen Book-catalogues in which the Word
“_Illuſtrated_” frequently occurred, having the Kerns of the italic
_I_ and its Neighbor _l_, one or both, broken off. The ſame happens
when the Word “Illinois” is ſet in italic, unleſs the Compoſitor inſert
a thin Space to keep the Letters from encroaching on each other’s
Territory. The ſame Method muſt be obſerved when the Combination of
_f_ with _b_, _h_, or _k_, is met with; as in Hofburg, Hofhoof, and
Hoffkirchen; otherwiſe one or more Letters will preſent a mutilated
Appearance on the Proof-ſheet.
An italic ſhort _s_ ligated with _t_, formerly in Uſe, does not ſeem
to have remained long in the Printer’s Caſe; but—perhaps from the
Beauty of its Curves—the “ct,” both in roman and italic, retains its
Popularity, and is found in Fonts of modernized Old Style which have
rejected the long _ſ_ and its Ligatures. Indeed, we have what are
{p199} called “ct Books,” in which the deſignating Term is uſed as
though it were as needful as “fi,” and the other Combinations of the
kerned Letter _f_.
We conclude this Portion of our Work by preſenting ſome Fac-ſimiles of
Old Style, produced by Photogravure. The firſt is Part of a Page from
“Annals of King George,” printed in London, in 1717.
The next is a Fac-ſimile of four roman and three italic Lines from T.
B. Reed’s “Hiſtory of Printing.” Theſe ſeven Lines were printed from
Type caſt in the Matrices made by the elder Caſlon, in 1720. They ſhow
an immenſe Improvement when compared with the Page of the “Annals”
executed but three Years before.
The third Sample is from Fry & Steele’s “Specimens of Printing Type,”
dated 1794; while the fourth, from the Foundry of Caſlon the younger,
dated 1796, having dropped the long “ſ” and its Ligatures, informs us
of the Period when the Old was giving Place to the New. {p200}
[Illustration: The above is a fac-simile from the second volume of
Annals of George I.; London, 1717.]
{p201}
[Illustration: Facsimile of four roman and three italic lines from T.
B. Reed’s “History of Printing”, printed in type cast in the matrices
made by the elder Caslon in 1720.]
[Illustration: Facsimile of ten lines from Fry & Steele’s “Specimens of
Printing Type”, dated 1794.]
[Illustration: Facsimile of ten lines from the Foundry of Caslon the
younger, dated 1796.]
{p202}
CHAPTER IX.
TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN THIS WORK.
CASE. A frame divided into boxes, or compartments, for holding types.
The upper case contains capitals; the lower case, small letters.
CHAPEL. An association of workmen in a printing-office.
CHASE. An iron frame in which the pages of matter are locked up.
DOUBLET. A portion of a take repeated by the compositor. For instance:
“It is of no use to lament our misfortunes, of no benefit to grieve
over past mistakes.” Suppose the compositor to have set up as far
as the second “no” inclusive,—he then glances at his copy for the
following words, but his eye catches the _first_ “no,” and he resets
what is already in his stick. Of course the proof will read thus:
“It is of no use to lament our misfortunes, of no use to lament our
misfortunes, of no benefit to grieve over,” etc.
FORM. The pages of matter inclosed in the chase.
GALLEY. A frame which receives the contents of the composing-stick.
When the stick is full, it is emptied upon a galley.
IMPOSE. To lay the made-up pages of matter on the stone, and fit on the
chase in order to carry the form to press.
INDENTION. The blank space at the beginning of a common paragraph, or
of a line of poetry, etc. When the first line is not indented, while
the following lines of the paragraph have a blank space before them,
the paragraph is said to be set with a “hanging indention.”
_Specimen of Hanging Indention._
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in
General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same.
{p203}
JUSTIFY. To insert spaces between the words of a line of type, so that
the line shall exactly fit the width of the stick.
_To_ LOCK UP A FORM is to drive quoins (wedges) in such a manner as to
hold the type firmly in the chase.
_To_ MAKE UP is to adjust the matter in pages of equal length, as
nearly as may be, for imposition.
MATTER. Types set up, so as to form a word or words. When it is to be
distributed (put back into the cases), it is known as “dead” matter. If
not yet printed, or if destined for further use, it is called “live”
matter.
OUT. A portion of a take, accidentally omitted by a compositor. An
“out” is generally referable, as in the case of the “doublet,” to the
recurrence of some word, or sequence of letters. For instance: a take
had in it, “He injured his foot, by wearing a tight boot.” The proof
had, only, “He injured his foot.” The compositor had the whole sentence
in his mind; and having set the final letters “oot,” referred these to
the last word, “boot,” and thought he had set the whole sentence.
QUÆRE, or QUERY, variously abbreviated, as _Qu._ _Qy._ or _Qr._, and
sometimes represented by an interrogation point, is written in the
margin of the proof-sheet, to draw the author’s attention to some
passage about which the proof-reader is in doubt.
REVISE. The second proof is a revise of the first, the third is a
revise of the second, etc. _To_ REVISE is to compare the second, or
any subsequent proof, with a preceding one, to see whether the proper
corrections have been made.
SHOOTING-STICK. A wedge-shaped piece of wood for tightening and
loosening the quoins that wedge up the pages in a chase.
SIGNATURE. A letter or figure at the bottom of the first page of every
sheet. It denotes the proper order of the sheets in binding.
SPACE. If a line of type be divided by vertical planes into exact
squares, each of these squares occupies the space of an _em_, or
_em-quadrat_. Ems are used to indent common paragraphs, and to separate
sentences in the same paragraph. {p204} The next thinner space is
the _en_, or _en-quadrat_, which is one-half of the em. The next
is one-third of the em, and is called the _three-em space_; next,
one-fourth of the em is the _four-em space_; then, one-fifth of the em
is the _five-em space_. Thinner than any of these is the _hair-space_.
The three-em space is generally used in composition; the other sizes
are needed in justifying.
STICK (COMPOSING-STICK). A frame of iron or steel, in which the
compositor sets up the type. By means of a movable slide, it can be
adjusted to the required length of line.
STONE. A table of marble, or other stone, on which forms are imposed,
and on which they are placed for correction.
TAKE. That portion of copy which the compositor takes to put in type
(or “set up”) at one time.
{p205}
CHAPTER X.
VARIOUS SIZES OF ROMAN LETTER—MODERN.
[Illustration: Examples of Diamond through Great Primer sizes of type.]
VARIOUS SIZES OF ROMAN LETTER—OLD STYLE.
[Illustration: Examples of Nonpareil through Great Primer sizes of
type.]
{p207}
INDEX.
Abbreviated words, how punctuated, 80.
Abbreviations, Catalogue of fishes, 68.
Abbreviations, mischievous, 26.
Abbreviations of States, Territories, Post-offices, 69.
“able,” words ending in, 155–164.
Accents, 121.
Acute accent, 121.
Adams’ _or_ Adams’s, 94.
Advertisement, Publishers’, 5–7.
Aldus Manutius, 75.
Alterations on Proof-sheet, 30.
Ancient and modern methods of punctuation compared, 73–75.
Apostrophe, 118–119.
Attention to revising, 47.
Authors’ proofs, 47–49.
Authors should punctuate their MS., 71.
Brace, The, 121.
Brackets, 93, 94, 120.
Briefs, Lawyers’, 24, 25.
Bureau or Academy yet wanted to settle all difficulties in syntax
orthography, punctuation, etc., 65.
Bureau, Smithsonian, of the English Language, desiderated, 65, 127.
Canceled words, how restored, 29.
Capitalization, 171–194.
Capitals and points, when to be mentioned by copy-holders, 45, 46, 55,
56.
Capitals, Rules for use of, very flexible, 190.
Captions, size of type, form of tables, etc., Directions for,
furnished compositors and proof-readers, 37, 38.
Caret, The, 121.
Cedilla, The, 122.
Chirography, Mercantile, 24, 26.
Circumflex accent, 121.
Close attention to revising, 47.
Close pointing, 80.
Colon, 97, 98.
Comma between subject and predicate, 77–79.
Comma, rules for use of, 100–112.
Comma, use of, depending on taste in many cases, 80.
Compositors and proof-readers punctuate, 36.
Compositors and proof-readers should punctuate, if author neglects, 71.
Compositors’ names on proofs, 46.
Copy for printers, black ink on white paper, 31.
Copy-holders’ duty, 41.
Copy to be followed closely in doubtful cases, 123.
Correcting proof-sheets, Marks used in, 43, 45.
Correctly spelled list of doubtful words, Webster style, 127–140.
Correctly spelled list of doubtful words, Worcester style, 141–154.
Court, Records of, 51.
Court, Transcripts of Records of, with extraneous documents, 25.
Dash, the, 89–91.
Dash, the, Rules for use of, 114–118.
Dash, used too freely by writers for the press, 90.
D.D., LL.D., M.D., 181, 182.
Difficulty of drawing line between words “up” and words “down,”
183–189.
“Directions” for style of any work, frequently consulted, 37.
“Directions,” Samples of, 38–40.
Discussion of various modes of spelling same word, 126.
Distributing type, 33; results of error in, 34.
Diversities of grammar and idiom—of orthography, etc., Smithsonian
Institution might settle all controversies by Bureau of Language,
whose rulings should be adopted in Governmental publications, 65.
Division of words on vowels or syllables, 87, 88.
Division of words—to be avoided or not, 89.
Doubtful orthography; double column lists in dictionaries, 125, 126.
Doubtful words, query to author or editor, 31.
Dr. Johnson and proof-reader, 32.
Duty of copy-holder, 41.
Eccentricities of orthography, punctuation, capitalization, etc.,
recorded for reference by proof-reader, while a work is in progress,
37.
_ei_ and _ie_, Rule for, 169.
Ellipsis, or Omission, Marks of, 121.
Employé or Employee, 39.
English Grammar defined, 72.
_Ensure_ and _Insure_ differentiated, 170.
_Enure_ and _Inure_ differentiated, 170.
Erasures, to be made with ink, 29.
Errors from mistakes in distributing, 34.
Errors in MS. copy, corrected, or pointed out, in printing-office, 36.
Errors,—marked in text, and correction denoted on margin, of
proof-sheets, 41–45.
Errors, rare, from printed copy, 18.
Errors unavoidable, while present methods continue, 34.
Esq., Jr., rules for, 181.
Exclamation, note of, rules for use of, 113, 114.
Fac-similes of Old Style, 200, 201.
Faults of manuscript reappear in proof-sheets, 25.
First letter in line of poetry, 174.
First proof, specimen of, 44.
Footnotes in manuscript, 30.
Footnotes, references to, 123.
Foreign words italic, 57, 58.
Foreign words roman, 58.
Full point, or period, 96.
General remarks on incongruities of style, 66–70.
Gods, pagan, capitalized, 180.
Golden rule of punctuation, 77.
Grammatical points, 72.
Grave accent, 121.
Greek alphabet, 54.
Handwriting of Clergymen, 22, 23.
Handwriting of lawyers, 23–25.
Handwriting of mercantile and business men, 24, 26.
Handwriting of physicians, 27.
Heathen deities, names of, to be capitalized, 180.
Hyphen, 118.
Hyphens in _one-half_, _two-thirds_, etc., 87.
Hyphens in succession at end of lines, not to exceed three, 89.
Hyphens, use of, 84–89.
I and J, 29.
I and O, to be capitals, 180, 181.
“ible,” words ending in, 165–167.
Illegibility of the writing, no damages, on account of the, 15.
Importance of _a_ and _the_, 188.
Initial letters put up, 172–174.
Ink, black, on white paper, for press, 31.
_Insure_ and _Ensure_ differentiated, 170.
Interrogation, note of, rules for use of, 112, 113.
_Inure_ and _Enure_ differentiated, 170.
“ise,” words ending in, 168, 169.
Junior, Esquire, rules for, 181.
Juxtaposition influences use of capitals, 189.
Language—“The Foundation for the Whole Faculty of Thinking”—should
have the sharp oversight of those who would “diffuse knowledge among
men,” 65.
Last reading for press; careful, deliberate, etc., 49–51.
Lawyers’ briefs, 24.
Leaders, 121.
Lead pencils, avoid, when writing for press, 31.
Lead pencils, no erasure with, 28.
Length of pause at the various points, 72, 73.
Liberal pointing, 80.
Ligated letters, Old Style, 195.
Lines above and below a correction, to be compared when revising, 47.
LL.D., D.D., M.D., 181, 182.
Manuscript, faults of, reappear in proof-sheets, 25.
Manuscript for the press,—black ink on white paper, 31.
Manutii, The, 75; Manutius, Aldus, 75.
“Mark-off,” 47.
Marks of Ellipsis, or Omission, 121.
Marks of Parenthesis, 120.
Marks of Quotation, 119, 120.
Marks used in correcting proof-sheets, 43, 45.
Matter “off its feet,” 42.
Meaning of “Put up” and “Put down,” 171, 172.
M.D., LL.D., D.D., 181, 182.
Mercantile chirography, 24, 26.
Method of reading points, capitals, etc., 46.
Mingling of styles, 40.
Namely, viz., to wit, how punctuated, 82.
Names of compositors on proofs, 46.
Names of countries, states, ships, towns, streets, political parties,
etc., capitalized, 182.
Note of exclamation, rules for use of, 113, 114.
Note of interrogation, rules for use of, 112, 113.
Note on the “etc.,” in Rule 7, on use of capitals, 183–189.
Note-references, 123.
Notes as to captions, size of type, form of tables, etc., to be
furnished employees, 38.
Nouns ending in _o_, plurals of, 167, 168.
O and I, capitals, 181.
O, nouns ending in, 167, 168.
“Off its feet,” 42.
Old Style, 195–201.
Omission, or Ellipsis, Marks of, 121.
One correct spelling, according to Webster, of variously spelled
words, 127–140.
One correct spelling, according to Worcester, of variously spelled
words, 141–154.
One style for Governmental publications desiderated, 127.
Orthography, 125–170.
Orthography, definitions of, 125.
Orthography; the Webster list of doubtful words (1500+), in the _one_
preferred manner of spelling, 127–140.
Orthography; the Worcester list of doubtful words (1500+), in the
_one_ preferred manner of spelling, 141–154.
Over-punctuated manuscript, 30.
Pagination of MS., 29.
Paragraph mark (¶), 122.
Parenthesis, 92–94.
Parenthesis, marks of, 120.
Pauses and sense both indicated by punctuation, 75, 76.
Period, or full point, 96.
Personified things capitalized, 182.
Physicians’ chirography, 27.
Plurals, when denoted by apostrophe and _s_, 94, 95.
Pointing—close, liberal, 80.
Points, capitals, etc., method of reading by copy-holder, 46.
Points mark _sense_ as well as _pauses_, 75, 76.
Possessive case of nouns singular ending in _s_, 94.
Preambles, resolves, and provisos, how punctuated, 81.
Preferred spelling, Webster’s, of 1500+ words of various orthography,
127–140.
Preferred spelling, Worcester’s, of 1500+ words of various
orthography, 141–154.
Principal words capitalized, 175, 176.
Printers, usually best proof-readers, 35.
Professional men “at the case,” 36.
Proof-reader and Dr. Johnson, 32.
Proof-readers and compositors punctuate, 36.
Proof-reader, to query doubtful words, etc., 31.
Proof-reading, 33–58.
Proof-sheets, marks used in correcting, 43, 45.
Proof-sheets, numbered in regular sequence, 46.
Proof-sheets of Records of Court, 51.
Proof-sheets, second reading and revising of, 47.
Proofs, routine in regard to, 37.
Proper nouns, having common form, put down, 183.
Propinquity a reason for putting up or putting down, 189–192.
Provisos, preambles, and resolutions, how punctuated, 81.
Punctuation, 71–124; a modern art, 73.
Punctuation, ancient and modern methods of, 73–75.
Punctuation by compositor and proof-reader, 36.
Punctuation, by one reader only, 47.
Punctuation of _viz._, _namely_, _to wit_, 82.
Punctuation, rules of, not fixed, 75.
Punctuation, uniformity of, not attainable, 123.
“Put down” and “Put up,” meaning of, 171, 172.
Quantity, marks of, 121, 122.
Quotation marks, 119, 120.
Reading final proof before printing, 49–51.
Reading Greek, 53–56.
Reading points and capitals, 46.
Recapitulation of rules for right use of capitals, 192–194.
Recipes—Greek and Latin, 27, 28.
Records of Court, no alterations in, allowable, except clerical errors
in punctuation, 51.
Records of Court, transcripts of, with extraneous documents, 25.
Records of Court, uniform style in, not to be sought at expense of
departing from copy, 51.
Reference marks to footnotes and sidenotes, 123.
Resolutions, preambles, and provisos, how punctuated, 81.
Restoring canceled words, 29.
Revising, 47.
Revising, in, great care required, 47.
Rhetorical points, 72.
Rules of punctuation, 96–118.
Rules of punctuation not fixed, 75.
Rules for capitalization very bendable, 190.
Samples or directions and notes to printers, 38–40.
Second proof, 46.
Second reading of proof by copy, 47.
Second, third, etc., revision of proof-sheets, 48.
Section mark (§), 123.
Semicolon, 98–100.
Semicolon before _as_, when particulars follow a general statement, 82.
Sense and pauses, both indicated by points, 75, 76.
Sentences difficult and involved, compositor and proof-reader to
follow copy carefully, 123, 124.
Separation of words in manuscripts, 74.
Size of type; captions; form of tables, etc., directions for, to be
supplied, 38.
Slips of proof, numbered in sequence, 46.
Space before and after dash, 91.
Spanish ñ, 122.
Specimen of first proof, 44.
“Spectator” of 1711 wished for an Academy to settle differences
between grammar and idiom, 65.
Spelling, errors in, silently corrected, 36.
“Stet,” 29.
Style, 59–65.
Style of the office, 40.
Style of writing in the fifth century, 74.
Style, peculiarities of, to be noted by proof-reader, for reference,
37.
Styles, mingling of, 40.
Styles; Worcester, Webster, and Office, 61.
Subject and predicate, no comma between, except to prevent ambiguity,
77–79.
Suggestions to writers for press, 28.
Supreme Being, names, etc., of, capitalized, 176–180.
Syllabication, 87–89.
Tables, form of; size of type; style of captions, etc., sometimes
furnished to compositors and proof-readers, 38.
Technical terms used in this book, 202–204.
_Tout-ensemble_ survey of a proof-sheet, 40.
To wit, namely, viz., ending paragraph, how punctuated, 82.
Two “Chapter V.’s,” 30.
Type, how distributed, 34.
Umlaut, 122.
Uniformity—very important in some works, of no consequence in others,
52.
Use of comma, in many cases, depends upon taste, 80.
Varieties of style, 61–63.
Various marks used in writing and printing, 118.
Various sizes of type—modern, 205.
Various sizes of type—old style, 205.
Viz., namely, to wit; ending paragraph, how punctuated, 83.
Viz., namely, to wit; how punctuated, 82.
Webster’s preferred columns of words of doubtful orthography, 127–140.
Worcester’s preferred columns of words of doubtful orthography,
141–154.
Words connected with a No. of designation, 182.
Words doubtful, query, 31.
Words ending in _able_, 155–164; in _ible_, 165–167.
Words ending in _ise_, 168, 169.
Words from dead and foreign languages, 56–58.
Words ending in _cion_, 169.
Words l. c. when spelled in full, u. c. when contracted, 181.
Words, not English, to be printed in italics, 57, 58.
Words, not English, to be printed in roman, 58.
Write _plain_ English, 26.
Writers for press should understand technics of proof-reading, 42.
Writing, bad, robs compositors, 21–23.
Writing becomes automatic, 19.
Writing for the press, 15–32.
Writing legibly, imperative, 21.
Writing, illegibility of the, protects printers in suits for damages,
15.
{p215}
ADVERTISEMENTS.
READINGS FOR HOME HALL AND SCHOOL
_Prepared by Professor LEWIS B. MONROE Founder of the Boston School of
Oratory_
HUMOROUS READINGS In prose and verse. For the use of schools
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“The book is readable from the first page to the last, and every
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MISCELLANEOUS READINGS In prose and verse $1.50
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DIALOGUES FROM DICKENS Arranged for schools and home amusement By W.
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Original spelling and grammar have been generally retained, with some
exceptions noted below. Original printed page numbers are shown like
this: {p52}. Original small caps are now uppercase. Italics look
_like this_. Footnotes have been relabeled 1–7, and moved from within
paragraphs to nearby locations between paragraphs. I produced the cover
image and hereby assign it to the public domain. Original page images
are available from archive.org—search for “penstypes00drew”.
The turned comma in ‹MʻDonough› on page 119 is a glyph (Unicode
character [‹ʻ› U+02BB; modifier letter turned comma]) that is not
well supported in current browsers. It is retained in the simple text
edition, but an image is substituted in the html, epub, and mobi
editions. On page 122, the _x_ with combining cedilla has been rendered
as an image in all but the text edition. Other Unicode characters
rendered as images include: Arabic semicolon, double high-reversed-9
quotation mark, single high-reversed-9 quotation mark, asterism, double
vertical line, and white right pointing index. Many glyphs that are not
included in the Unicode system are represented as ‹[Symbol]› in the
text edition, and as images in the other editions.
Page 68. The phrase ‹“Gunther’s Cat-Fish., Brit. Mus.,—which,› was
changed to ‹“Gunther’s Cat-Fish., Brit. Mus.”,—which,›.
Page 91. The text posits as a rule, ‹A thin space should be placed
before, and also after, a dash.› Unfortunately, the Project Gutenberg
“House Style” has overruled Benjamin Drew’s rule in these ebook
editions.
Pages 127–154. In the Orthography lists, Webster and Worcester, a few
words appear to be out of order, but have been retained as originally
printed. For example, there is the sequence [Reposit, Resin, Rosin,
Resistance] on page 151.
Page 145. The word ‹Enclyclopædia› was changed to ‹Encyclopædia›.
Page 155. The word ‹Affiiliable› was changed to ‹Affilliable›.
Page 168. The enlarged left curly bracket was eliminated from the entry
‹Portico›.
Page 191. The phrase ‹a bi_g_er man› is retained.
Page 195–199. Chapter VIII was printed in an Old Style which included
the long “ſ” and many obsolete ligatures such as “ct”. Sadly, only the
_ſ_ can be represented in this ebook. For the html, epub, and mobi
editions, an image of the ct ligature has been provided. But to see all
the ligatures as originally printed, you must seek out the original
page scans.
Page 201. Captions were constructed for the three illustrations on this
page, based on the text of page 199.
Page 215. A new heading ‹ADVERTISEMENTS› was inserted for this section.
Text styling in this section has been considerably simplified.
Page 207. The page reference for topic ‹Advertisement› was changed to
5–7.
Page 224. The word ‹thoroughout› was changed to ‹throughout›.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Pens and Types, by Benjamin Drew
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 60126 ***
Pens and Types - or Hints and Helps for Those who Write, Print, Read, Teach, or Learn
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PENS AND TYPES
OR
HINTS AND HELPS
FOR
THOSE WHO WRITE, PRINT, READ, TEACH,
OR LEARN
BOSTON 1889
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS
10 MILK STREET NEXT “OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE”
NEW YORK CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM
718 AND 720 BROADWAY
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889,
BY BENJAMIN DREW,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
C. J. PETERS & SON,
TYPOGRAPHERS AND ELECTROTYPERS,
145 HIGH STREET, BOSTON.
To the Memory
OF
GEORGE...
Read the Full Text
— End of Pens and Types - or Hints and Helps for Those who Write, Print, Read, Teach, or Learn —
Book Information
- Title
- Pens and Types - or Hints and Helps for Those who Write, Print, Read, Teach, or Learn
- Author(s)
- Drew, Benjamin
- Language
- English
- Type
- Text
- Release Date
- August 18, 2019
- Word Count
- 51,488 words
- Library of Congress Classification
- PN
- Bookshelves
- Browsing: Journalism/Media/Writing, Browsing: Language & Communication, Browsing: Teaching & Education
- Rights
- Public domain in the USA.