LECTURE.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12020, 22 August 1907, Page 2

LECTURE.

i "THE POETRY AND PHILOSO--3 PHY OF COMMON WORDS. " } There was a good attendance at St. |. John's Schoolroom last night, when the Rev. Ci.^H. Garland gave a lecture on the above named subject. Mr 1 J. M. Grant presided. Words, said the lecturer, were a 3 means of interpreting one another's l' thoughts ; they formed a strong bond - of unity between nations; they were a repository of History; and eaoh . word had a biography, influenced by - different nations and ages. The i origin of words was dealt withj -and . many interesting examples Word i given by the reverend gentleman. I He noted that in the 18th Century a ; great work was accomplished in . the comparisons of languages with i the result that leaders of thought s believed undoubtedly all languages b came from one common tong«e. Max j Mueller had said that Christianity - had opened the door for Science to s recognise this unity* by striking I out the word "barbarian, and teach- ■. ing the Brotherhood of, map,, and 1 Fatherhood; of God; The iedturer 1 gave numerous iristances of wordg b derived from one root, and he stated b that in some cases over two hundred > words came from one root. Reference was made to how dependant we are c on our physical body for the means 3 of expressing the operations of mind and spirit; also to the haphazard naming of flowers, fruits, and trees 1 from their appearance, from their habits, seeds, scent, from the mental , qualities they represent, from the 1 lands they oame, and after botanists. , Excellent illustrations of the latter were given. The root meaning of many word 3in ordinary use was re- * ferred toj and the examples created ■ much amusement. The leoturer said E something in favor of slang, and 1 quoted "The Spectator" as saying, "Slang was the conoehtrated vitality lof expression. " In closing his able; 1 interesting, instructive, and some- . what humorous lecture, Mr Garland • advised his hearers tqodncrease their r vocabulary, he pointing out that the , difference between that of a well-, . educated man and that of an orator aniounted to thousands of words. ; Hearty votes of thanks were acf corded the Chairman, and the [lecturer. , -