Carry, bring, fetch.—To carry means "to take along in going;" to bring means "to take along in coming;" to fetch means "to go, get, and bring."
Champion, support.—The word champion is very much overworked, being often used in the general sense of "support." It should be restricted to cases in which there is the idea of entering the lists as champion of a cause.
Claim, assert, allege, maintain, declare, affirm, state.—To claim means properly "to demand as one's own or one's due." It is often loosely used, especially in the United States, for "assert," "allege," "maintain," "declare," or "affirm." To assert is "to say or declare in the face of implied denial or doubt." To allege is "to assert without proof." To maintain is "to uphold by argument." To declare is "to say publicly, clearly, or emphatically." To affirm is "to assert on one's reputation for knowledge or truthfulness." To state, which is also often misused in the sense of "say," "assert," "allege," "declare," or "affirm," means properly "to express formally and in detail;" it always implies detail. (See "Foundations," pp. 113, 114, and "Practical Exercises," p. 99.)
Confess, admit.—"Admit, in cases into which the idea of confession does not enter, is preferable to confess. On grounds of idiom, however, 'I must confess' and the parenthetical 'I confess' are exempt from the operation of this rule."[96]
Demand, ask.—To demand means "to ask for with authority or with insistence." The use of "demand" in the sense of "ask" is borrowed, possibly, from the French use of demander.
Hire, let, lease.—To hire means "to obtain the use of;" to let, "to give the use of." To lease means "to give the use of by lease." The owner of a house leases it; the person who occupies it takes a lease of it.
Learn, teach.—Learn means to "acquire" knowledge, not to "impart" it. In the latter sense the proper word is teach.
"I have more information to-day than I had before," said Mr. Sheehan.
"This has learned you something," said Mr. Goff.
"Oh no," replied Mr. Sheehan, "it has taught me something."[97]