For
this word location, see Bailey, Johnson, Sheridan, Walker, &c. But if
dictionaries are to be the arbiters of language, in which of them shall
we find neologism? No matter. It is a good word, well sounding, obvious,
and expresses an idea, which would otherwise require circumlocution. The
reviewer was justifiable, therefore, in using it; although he noted
at the same time, as unauthoritative, _centrality, grade, sparse_; all
which have been long used in common speech and writing. I am a friend
to neology. It is the only way to give to a language copiousness and
euphony. Without it we should still be held to the vocabulary of Alfred
or of Ulphilas; and held to their state of science also: for I am
sure they had no words which could have conveyed the ideas of oxygen,
cotyledons, zoophytes, magnetism, electricity, hyaline, and thousands of
others expressing ideas not then existing, nor of possible communication
in the state of their language. What a language has the French become
since the date of their revolution, by the free introduction of new
words! The most copious and eloquent in the living world; and equal to
the Greek, had not that been regularly modifiable almost _ad infinitum_.
Their rule was, that whenever their language furnished or adopted a
root, all its branches in every part of speech, were legitimated by
giving them their appropriate terminations:
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And this should be the law of every language.
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