When Mr. Kennedy named his work on word analysis "What Words Say", he
gave it the best possible title. Composite words have a wealth of
meaning; each syllable is significant. And, as a rule, only to those
who can read this significance does the word yield its full meaning.
Accuracy is the mark of a scholar. Accuracy in speech and in the
understanding of speech cannot be attained by those whose knowledge of
words is vague and general. Pupils should early learn how to interpret
_what words say_, and to discriminate carefully in the use of words,
for these are the tools which they are to use in all the various
departments for acquiring knowledge.

Normal, Ill., Aug. 30, 1904. E. W. CAVINS.

INTRODUCTION

BY DR. EDWIN C. HEWETT.

I have long thought that the careful, discriminating study of words is
much neglected in our schools. And I am glad to approve, and help to
forward, anything that will promote such a study.

Not only will such a study improve a person's language greatly, but it
will, at the same time, do much to improve the clearness and precision
of his thinking; thought and language have a reciprocal effect.

If a child, while young, can be made to be interested in words
themselves,--their origin, their exact meaning, their relations to
each other and some of the changes in their meaning which result from
their use,--he will be likely to retain that interest through life; it
will be more likely to increase than to diminish.

It seems often to be assumed that a student can do nothing profitably
with the study of words made up from Greek and Latin roots till he has
acquired some mastery of those languages. But I know from experience
and much observation that this is not true. Why should it be? Must one
master Greek and Latin before he can understand that, in English
words, _graph_ means write; _ge_ means earth; _phone_ means sound;
_cur_ means run; _fin_ means limit; _port_ means carry, etc.?

And then having learned the meaning of the prefixes and suffixes, is
it preposterous to train him to know the etymological significance of
a few hundred words by showing him how they are built up?

Of course, we know that many words in common use have shades of
meaning quite different from, and in some cases almost opposite to,
their literal significance. But will not the student be better able to
understand these derived meanings by knowing their literal