A Book About Words

by G. F. Graham

Saxon.	English.		Saxon.	English.
Hlaf	loaf		Hnecca	neck
Hlaford	lord		Hnægan	neigh
Hrafn	raven		Hnut	nut
Hlædl	ladle		Hlud	loud
Hleopan	leap		Hring	ring
Hlædan	lead		Hlosian	lose, &c.

The German z initial often corresponds with the English t; as:—

German.	English.		German.	English.
zahlen	tell		zu	to
zahm	tame		Zoll	toll
Zahn	tooth		Zunge	tongue
zehn	ten		Zug	tug
zerren	tear		Zweig	twig
Zinn	tin		Zwilling	twin
Zimmer	timber		zwischen	(be)tween
Zeit	tide		zwölf	twelve, &c.

The German t initial corresponds with the English d; as:—

German.	English.		German.	English.
Tag	day		Teufel	devil
Tändeln	dandle		Thal	dale
Tanz	dance		That	deed
Taub	deaf		Thau	dew
Taube	dove		Theil	deal
Tauch	duck		Thier	deer
Teich	dough		Thun	do, &c.

Some are puzzled when to spell the ending ‘ledge’ and when ‘lege.’ The following rule may be easily remembered:—Monosyllables and the word ‘acknowledge’ are spelled with a d; therefore ‘ledge,’ ‘fledge,’ ‘pledge,’ ‘sedge,’ ‘sledge,’ and ‘acknowledge’ retain that letter; whereas ‘sacrilege,’ ‘privilege,’ ‘allege,’ and ‘college’ must reject it.

Some years ago, there was a sharp controversy concerning the spelling of the word—whether it should be ‘rein-deer’ or ‘rain-deer.’ The dictionaries differed, many even giving both forms. It was found in Johnson ‘rain-deer,’ which of course settled the dispute. In spite of this decision, there is no doubt that the word is generally spelled ‘rein-deer.’ The Saxon form was ‘hrana-deor,’ i.e. ‘the running animal.’

Some lament that we have adopted the French form of the word ‘programme.’ They say that by analogy it ought to be written ‘program.’ We have ‘anagram,’ ‘diagram,’ ‘epigram,’ &c.; and why not ‘program?’ But the former is now the established spelling; and, till some daring innovator adopt the new form, and his example be generally followed, we must be content to use the old one.

A few years ago, a new word was wanted to express ‘a message sent by the telegraph;’ various forms were suggested, but at last the word ‘telegram’ was adopted. This was another argument in favour of ‘program.’

The verb ‘to repair,’ in the sense of ‘to make better’ or ‘to improve,’ is from the Latin ‘reparare,’ through the French ‘réparer;’ but when it means ‘to go back home’ it is from the Latin ‘repatriare,’ to return to your country.