12 SEPTEMBER 1931, Page 15

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sta,—Your correspondent who signs

himself " Purist," in criticizing the use of the word " Protagonist," derives it from protos antagonistes. Surely he should have written prolog agoniStcs. This may be merely a clerical error. But, if he calls himself a " Purist," he should have avoided another very common error. He writes : " Ignorant of the fact that the prefix is ` protos,' not ` pro,' the word is frequently used by speakers. . . . " The word is not ignorant of the fact. To justify his signature, he should have written, "Speakers, ignorant of the fact . . . frequently use the word."—I am,