The Dictionary of English inflected Words. Being Part II, of
the ,‘ Handy English Word-Book." By the Rev. James Stormonth.- Here we have a number of quite useless words (if combinations of syllables which are never used are to be called " words "), which simply cumber the space. Mr. Stormonth includes among inflections what would be commonly called " derivatives," and proceeds, on a principle which may be best shown by an example :—" Ammonia, n.,—nias ; ammoniac, n.,—niacs ; ammoniacal, a.; ammonium, n.,—niums," (We have omitted the syllabification, which forms a separate feature of the book.) What is the good of these plurals ? The second, anyhow, is not a conceivable word. Tho same observation may be repeated con- tinually. A dictionary, to be really useful, should contain actual, not possible forms. This contains not a few impossible ones. What would be the use of a Greek lexicon that gave every possible form of the verbs—all the weak aorists and pluperfects, for instance —that might be formed ? It would bo utterly misleading. What is the possible use of such words as " gourdy, gourdier, gourdiest," " gourdiost " meaning, we presume, the place most abounding in gourds? Is " humoursomest " other than a possible comic superlative ? Of course, if Mr. Mark Twain or Mr. Max A doler chooses to employ such a word, it must be recorded, just as the lexicographers have to record the comic compounds of Aristophanes, but a foreigner who should bo led to believe that these are real English words would certainly complain with reason of his guide. Of the same class, we find" impliciter, im- plioitest," " inelementer, inolomontest," " manilla enter, nuunificentost," Is Mr. Stormonth aware that thorn are rules for the comparison of English adjectives ? What should we think of a Latin grammar that gave us arduior and arduissimus for the degrees of arduus I Tho com- parisons of three-syllabled adjectives—and they abound in the book— are simply monstrous. On this volume, we feel bound to say, much pains have been spent, to little purpose.
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