m to be presently falling out of
use._[15]

ail.
alms.
ascent.
augur (_v._).
barren.
bate.
bier.
bray (_pound_).
bridal.
broach.
casque.
cede.
cession.
cite.
clime.
corse.
cruse.
dene.
dun (_colour_).
desert.
fain.
fallow.
feign.
fell (_skin_).
flue (_velu_).
fray (_sub._).
fry (_small-_).
gait.
gambol.
gin (_snare_).
gird (_abuse_).
gore (_blood_).
hart.
horde.
hue (_colour_).
isle.
lea.
lessen.
let (_hinder_).
lief.
main.
march (_boundary_).
meed.
mien.
mote.
mourn.
mute (_of birds_).
neat (_animal_).
ore.
pale (_enclosure_).
pall (_v._).
pen (_enclose_).
pelt (_skin_).
pile (_hair_).
pink (_v._).
pulse (_pease_).
quean.
rail (_chide_).
raze.
reave.
reck.
repair (_resort_).
rheum.
rood.
rue.
sack (_v._).
sage (_adj._).
sallow (_willow_).
sere.
soar.
spray (_sprig_).
still (_adj._ n.b. _keep still_).
stoup.
surge.
swift.
teem.
toil (_snare_).
vane.
van (_fan_).
vail (_v._).
wage (_war_).
wain.
ween.
whit.
wight.
wile.
wrack.
wreak.
wot.
aught.

[Footnote 15: Some of the words in this table are also in the last
list. This list is an attempt to tabulate words falling out of use or
seldom heard now in the conversation of average educated persons who
talk Southern English or what is called P.S.P. (see p. 38); to some
of them the word may be unknown, and if it is known, they avoid using
it because it sounds to them strange or affected. It is difficult to
_prove_ that any particular word is in this condition, and the list
is offered tentatively. It is made from Jones' dictionary, which is
therefore allowed to rule whether the word is obsolescent rather than
obsolete: some of these seem to be truly obsolete. Some will appear
to be convincing examples of obsolescence, others not; but it must be
remembered that the fact of a word being still commonly heard in some
district or trade (though that may seem to show that it is in 'common
use') is no evidence that it is not dying out; it is rather
evidence that it was lately more living, which is the same as being
obsolescent.]

4. _THAT THE LOSS DUE TO HOMOPHONY THREATENS TO IMPOVERISH THE
LANGUAGE._

New words are being added to the dictionary much faster than old words
are passing out of use, but it is not a question of numbers