Page:Ralcy H. Bell - The Mystery of Words (1924).pdf/207

 England coined manywhere, an agreeable word that is quite as good as otherwhat, and as useful as his paleolithic and neolithic. Kickumbob appears in the works of John Taylor, and it is recorded in the Oxford Dictionary, together with the freakish jigamaree.

If one had time and patience enough to study the coinage of words with reference to locality, the vicinity of Boston might prove to be a fruitful field. It is said by C. W. Ernest in an Address before the Massachusetts Library Club that in the neighborhood of Boston, commonwealth came into being in 1634; help (domestic labor), in 1640; congregational (applied to a religious sect), in 1639; homestead, in 1648; platform (a declaration of principles), in 1649; rum, (an alcoholic drink), in 1650, together with many other words and phrases. Mr. Ernest may be correct, and probably is in the majority of his statements; but he clearly is mistaken as to commonwealth, since the word was used by Sir Thomas North in a translation of Plu-