Theocratic Aid To Kingdom Publishers

Lesson 27

VOCABULARY BUILDING

As time marches on speech increases. Not only does man have the power of speech, but he also has the power to increase it. When God caused to file past Adam all the beasts in Eden, man named them. By use of the mental faculties

with which God had endowed him, Adam manufactured names, words. Men have been coining new words ever since, though imperfectly. Nevertheless, the Theocratic minister must keep pace to some extent with language growth, because it is in this modern, twentieth-century world that he is sent forth to preach the gospel. Words sufficient for the task of preaching must be his to command. He must possess a good vocabulary. This is no violation of what the apostle Paul says at 1 Corinthians 1:17 and 2: 1, 4; for, in writing the inspired Greek Scriptures since Christ, Paul and his fellow writers used a vocabulary of 5,624 words.

A primary requisite to building a vocabulary is deleting slang from your present one. With this weakening force gone, proper words may replace them. Such purging of one's vocabulary at the outset will leave a firm foundation on which to build. As one builds he should guard against overworking certain words. Repeated too often, they grow threadbare and wearisome. Variety of expression is lacking; meanings are indefinite and limited. Show discrimination in choice of words. A word made to mean practically everything ends up meaning practically nothing. When everything that meets with approval is good, nothing is excellent. Some use a substitute for the overworked expression good, and then overwork the substitute, such as grand, wonderful, cute, nice, gorgeous, slick, splendid, marvelous. These words are all proper if they are used in the proper place, but are weakened and meaningless if abused by indiscriminate use.

Again, do not misuse words. Among these are such words as proposition, fix, ugly, funny, guess, balance, couple, expect, dumb, etc. An incident that is strange is not necessarily funny, nor is a person who is odd. One who is ignorant or stupid is not dumb, although another might wish that he were. Watch the use of such terms. Then the vocabulary being built will be accurate and exact.

What ways are there to add to the list of words one can use effectively? One way is through reading. Hasty reading

may give one the general thought, but it will not add to his vocabulary unless he takes note of unfamiliar terms. Use the dictionary, for all that the reading page gives one is the spelling. A pocket dictionary will give the general significance; but do not let the matter rest there. Make a note of the word and give special attention to it later. One should never slide over words he can't define. Look up all unfamiliar words, learn their exact meanings and all the ways in which each word may be used. The same procedure applies to hearing. When one hears an unfamiliar word, he should make a mental note of it and later look it up. Become conscious of words.

A farther aid to fixing the word in mind is to take note of its synonyms and antonyms, that is, words of similar and opposite meanings. In this connection, books specializing on synonyms and antonyms and other types of word lists will he of great value. Such books are interesting and even fascinating; but a word of caution: fully understand the correct shade of meaning of the words acquired from them. The safe way is to check their meanings in a good dictionary. And be sure to note and learn their correct pronunciation and spelling; otherwise how can one correctly use them in his speaking or writing? In short, get a good mental grip on a word when it is first met.

There are many words known to one which he does not use. The reason he doesn't use them is that he may not be thoroughly familiar with their exact meaning, but only recognizes their general sense when he runs across them used in their setting; or, he may be satisfied to stick to the same old overworked words with which he has always gotten by, and be content to run in his same old vocabulary rut. Of course, he would not use a word that his audience would not quickly recognize. As an aid to transferring words from the inactive vocabulary to the active vocabulary, one should note as he reads The Watchtower or other literature words he never uses, and then impress upon his mind that they are to be used by himself. Then he should

use them in writing and speaking, but never where they do not fit. He should become aware of the large reserve of words in the back of his mind but which lie dormant. Draft them into active service. Put the sluggards to work.

Another way to build a vocabulary is to try to define words with which one feels he is familiar. He will be surprised at the difficulty he experiences. How, for example, would you define disinterested? Does it mean having no interest, or what? Or take that word so familiar to God's people and used so much, integrity; can you give a clear, sharp definition of it in three or four words? Trying to give synonyms for familiar words will help one to call into service words now in his inactive vocabulary.

Here are a few miscellaneous points. Guard against malapropisms, or use of the wrong word as the result of confusing it with one of similar sound, such as using alligator for allegory. A study of derivation of words is an aid to vocabulary building. Many English words are derived from other languages, such as Latin, Greek, and French, and it will prove helpful to group them together mentally or on paper. Noting the syllabication of a word often helps to make it one's own. Observe the prefixes or suffixes, and the main part of the word, and whether it is related to some other word. Take, for example, mortal, and note the relation to mortuary, mortician, mortify. Make distinctions between pre and pro and per as prefixes and distinguish between the suffixes ible, able, ious (gracious], eous (beauteous), and ous (mischievous).

Taking note of differences and similarities, both in meaning and in spelling, as well as in the pronunciation, will prove an aid in vocabulary building. All of these, together with any devices that one may invent, will prove worth while, and, if done as unto the Lord, will make his gospel-preaching more effective.