You may object that all this is as much mental as linguistic—­that what is proposed will result in as large accessions of general information as of vocabulary.  Let this be admitted.  Deficiencies of language are often, perhaps almost invariably, linked with deficiencies of knowledge.  To repair the one we must at the same time repair the other.  This may seem a hard saying to those who seek, or would impart, mere glibness of phrase without regard for the substance—­who worship “words, words, words” without thought of “the matter.”  There is such a thing as froth of utterance, but who has respect therefor or is deceived thereby?  Speech that is not informed is like a house without a foundation.  You should not desire to possess it.  Abroad in this world of ours already are too many people who darken counsel by words without knowledge.

EXERCISE M

A second lieutenant is the commissioned officer of lowest grade in the United States army.  Name all the grades from second lieutenant to the grade that is highest.

An admiral is the officer of highest grade in the United States navy.  Name all the grades down to that which is lowest.

Name as many as possible of the different ranks of the clergy in the Roman Catholic Church, in the Church of England.

Give ascendingly the five titles in the British nobility.

Name the different kinds of vehicles.

Name the different kinds of schools.

Name all the different kinds of boats and ships (both ancient and modern) you can think of.

Give the nautical term for the right side of a ship, for the left side of a ship, for the front, for the rear, for the forward portion, for the rear portion.

Name the various kinds of bodies of water (oceans, rivers, lagoons, etc.)

Give all the terms of relationship of persons, both by blood and by marriage.  What relation to you is your grandfather’s brother? your cousin’s daughter?

Name all the bones of the human head.

Give the names of the different parts of a typical flower.

Name as many elements as you can.  What is the number usually given?  What was the last element discovered, and by whom?

Name the elements of which water is composed.  Name the principal elements in the composition of the air.

Make as long a list as possible (up to thirty) of words that appeal to the sense of sight (especially color words and motion words), to the sense of hearing, of smell, of taste, of touch.

Find words descriptive of various expressions in the human face.

Name all the terms you can associated with law, with medicine, with geology.

Name the planets, the signs of the zodiac, as many constellations as you can.

Name the seven colors of the spectrum, and for each name give all the synonyms you can.  What are the primary colors? the secondary colors?