How men first learnt to invent words, is unknown:
in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really known is
that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts
and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate them to each
other; and that, later they agreed upon certain sings, called letters, which
could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down.
These sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters, we call words.
A word, then, is simply a sound, or the written
sing of a sound, which men of any particular nation have agreed shall mean a well, of course, it is not the sing itself that has power the
thing it stands for. A foreign word which has no meaning for us can have no power over us; but the meaning of
many words of our language have the power to rouse in us the passions of fear,
love, hate, anger, desire, shame, joy and sorrow. For example, the word “Fire!”
shouted in a crowded theatre, will put the whole audience into a panic; the
word “home” will bring tears to the eyes of an exile; the world “freedom” will
rouse a subject people to revolution; the word “death” will chill the bravest
heart. To call a man a “Coward” will make him blush for shame, or rouse him to
a blaze of indignant anger: to tell him a loved one is “dead”, will fill him
with sorrow; to tell a poor man he is “rich”, will fill him with joy. And there
are words for which men have died, such as “fatherland”. “King” And “faith”.
The power of words, then, lies in their
associations -- the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled
with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain
words recall using the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read
and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great rates are those who not only have great
thoughts but who express these thoughts in word which appeal powerfully to our
minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call
literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey
his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and
association can move men to tears.
Words are alive. As time passes they are horn, grow
to full maturity. And die. And they change morally. Some that began as common ‘words
become great and noble in meaning. Like “religion”. That originally meant a
‘‘bond”. And some innocent words become degraded; for example, a ‘villain” original
meant simply a farmer, and “knave” meant simply a boy-seen ant. “Damn” meant at
first simply to condemn. And words, like coins, get worn and rubbed with use. Till
they lose their true meaning and become weak and ineffective; for example,
“nice” meant originally dainty, delicate, Fend while now it means almost
anything. We shook therefore choose words carefully and use the accurately, or
they will make our speech silly and vulgar.