Word Origins

The pale Usher—threadbare in coat, heart, body, and brain; I see him now. He was ever dusting his old lexicons and grammars, with a queer handkerchief, mockingly embellished with all the gay flags of all the known nations of the world. He loved to dust his old grammars; it somehow mildly reminded him of his mortality.

I can see the pale Usher now, worn thin in coat, heart, body, and mind. He was always dusting his old dictionaries and grammar books with a strange handkerchief. It was mockingly decorated with the bright flags of all the known nations of the world. He loved dusting his old grammar books. Somehow, it gently reminded him that he would die.

“While you take in hand to school others, and to teach them by what name a whale-fish is to be called in our tongue, leaving out, through ignorance, the letter H, which almost alone maketh up the signification of the word, you deliver that which is not true.” —Hackluyt.

“While trying to teach others what to call a whale-fish in our language, you leave out the letter H out of ignorance. Since that letter almost alone gives the word its meaning, what you say is not true.” Hackluyt.

“WHALE. * * * Sw. and Dan. hval. This animal is named from roundness or rolling; for in Dan. hvalt is arched or vaulted.” —Webster’s Dictionary.

“WHALE. * * * Swedish and Danish hval. The animal is named for its roundness or rolling motion, because the Danish word hvalt means arched or vaulted.” Webster’s Dictionary.

“WHALE. * * * It is more immediately from the Dut. and Ger. Wallen; A.S. Walw-ian, to roll, to wallow.” —Richardson’s Dictionary.

“WHALE. * * * The word comes more directly from the Dutch and German Wallen, and the Anglo-Saxon Walw-ian, meaning to roll or wallow.” Richardson’s Dictionary.