On the Study of Words

In this compact yet thorough series of lectures, the author invites teachers and aspiring scholars to look at language as a living instrument of thought. By drawing on the traditions of Coleridge, Shakespeare and earlier philologists, he shows how words carry the victories of the past and the possibilities of the future. The opening remarks explain his shift from a narrow classroom audience to anyone eager to understand the mechanics behind English speech, promising readers a fresh perspective on the power of words.

The twentieth‑edition revision respects the original structure while integrating the latest discoveries in phonetic law and etymology. Updated footnotes, marked in brackets, clarify formerly accepted derivations that modern scholarship has disproved, and the text remains free of outdated assumptions. Listeners will come away with a clearer sense of how sound shifts shape meaning, and a practical toolkit for teaching language as an essential organ of education.