Democracy—false or true?: 40 words to know before you read it
The 40 words Sir W. B. Richmond uses again and again in Democracy—false or true? that are outside the 4,000 most common in English. Learn them first and the opening chapters read much more easily. Each comes with its pronunciation and a sentence from the book.
labour/ˈɫeɪbɝ/92× in the book
Obviously, the gods thought well of labour and the labourer both loved and feared the gods.
wag/ˈwæɡ/38× in the book
If wages reach an extravagant sum, capital will not find the money to pay them.
leisure/ˈɫɛʒɝ/33× in the book
Before Labour is fit to govern it must learn how to use leisure.
noble/ˈnoʊbəɫ/30× in the book
a very noble art going hand in hand with “modern” economies and created in a primitive age, as we call it.
idle/ˈaɪdəɫ/29× in the book
In the period of exercise to gain some experience capital would be wasted; it might be gambled away or spent in hours of idle self-indulgence.
ignorant/ˈɪɡnɝənt/26× in the book
One thing, however, is pretty certain; he will be as good or evil, ignorant or learned, as he chooses.
neighbour/ˈneɪbɝ/23× in the book
… and, having done that as the first duty to his neighbour and to himself as an honourable man, he must have proved by the good use of his hours of leisure that he is in earnest …
workman/ˈwɝkmən/23× in the book
… our workmen still saw straight according to their ancient traditions as yet unbroken, as yet deaf to “catch words” from noisy rhetoric out of the mouths of ignorant and mischievous leaders inflated by vanity and rendered blind by egotism and desire for power over a more ignorant but clear-thinking workman.
poison/ˈpɔɪzən/23× in the book
Iron, steel, explosives, every poison upon the Pharmacy List, every evil pulsation of the heart were German weapons.
agriculture/ˈæɡɹɪˌkəɫtʃɝ/23× in the book
Demeter was the goddess of corn, the protectress of agriculture.
craftsmanship/ˈkɹæfsmənˌʃɪp/22× in the book
What was the meaning of all this superb beauty of labour and craftsmanship?
industrious/ˌɪnˈdəstɹiəs/21× in the book
If a man is industrious he has trained himself to be so by acting upon a theory which he has found to be advantageous.
primitive/ˈpɹɪmətɪv/20× in the book
We still think of Apollo as the primitive author and forerunner of all that Greece became.
prevail/pɹiˈveɪɫ/20× in the book
It prevailed!
cease/ˈsis/20× in the book
When reason and peaceful persuasion cease to avail, powder and shot have to be used, and sometimes unmercifully!
instinct/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/20× in the book
There is a great deal to be said for emotion, it is our strongest instinct.
artificial/ˌɑɹtəˈfɪʃəɫ/20× in the book
It is evident whatever artificial light they used was smokeless, because the ceiling and walls are not discoloured.
honour/ˈɑnɝ/19× in the book
Thus have they done it honour.
discontent/dɪskənˈtɛnt/19× in the book
And yet somehow, although perhaps they cannot define it, they feel a want, a yearning for something better, and it is that which makes their souls discontented, hard, and unsympathetic.
industrialism17× in the book
… the voices of the winds, even the wild utterances of beasts of the forest than the shrieks of machinery of which industrialism is so proud.
craftsman/ˈkɹæfsmən/17× in the book
… from a straw bed, from a girl of the people and a craftsman.
tyranny/ˈtɪɹəni/17× in the book
Licence is, in fact, the grossest form of tyranny.
worship/ˈwɝʃəp/17× in the book
… for fear of vengeance from the God of Light, whom they worshipped.
recognise/ˈɹɛkəɡˌnaɪz/15× in the book
… and they are quite capable to do that, will recognise that to preach “equality” is one thing; it sounds attractive …
folly/ˈfɑɫi/15× in the book
What folly it is when it is regarded coolly, rationally and with common sense!
cultivate/ˈkəɫtəˌveɪt/15× in the book
First comes the open country, freely cultivated, then the city …
agitator/ˈædʒəˌteɪtɝ/14× in the book
The most prominent agitators fell as victims to their cruelties and misdeeds.
squalor/ˈskwɑɫɝ/14× in the book
I have lived long enough to have seen the agriculture of our dear country productive and the people, relatively to now, content; when squalor was a far rarer spectacle than now.
starve/ˈstɑɹv/14× in the book
Doubtless starving.
desirable/dɪˈzaɪɝəbəɫ/14× in the book
It is likely that the desirable, according to my philosophy, would be the undesirable to many, perhaps, just now, most people!
genius/ˈdʒinjəs/14× in the book
… these monuments to the skill, industry and genius of Egyptian craftsmen 4,000 years ago stand as an example to us moderns, who at present show no signs of handing their genius down even to a dozen generations.
centre/ˈsɛntɝ/13× in the book
All the pagan gods emanate from the Divine centre, be it Olympus, Rome, or Jerusalem.
selfish/ˈsɛɫfɪʃ/13× in the book
… to please their followers whom they have coerced, would advocate a purely class and selfish policy which might lead to civil war, of all wars the one which is certainly soul-killing.
erect/ɪˈɹɛkt/13× in the book
They thought thus to obliterate His teaching, to wipe out the Ideal He taught, the Utopia He would erect—a kingdom of the soul that He would revive in the materialistic Roman decay.
neglect/nəˈɡɫɛkt/13× in the book
We, the English, were growing idle, neglecting agriculture, buying from foreign markets instead of creating our own.
goods/ˈɡʊdz/12× in the book
The agricultural labourer is helping to feed his country, the craftsman is making desirable and durable goods for his own as well as foreign markets, and they must be the best he can turn out to his honour!
simplicity/sɪmˈpɫɪsəti/12× in the book
In their efforts to codify it and convert its simplicity into dogmatic and puzzling creeds, upon acceptance of which or not depends the salvation or damnation of the human race …
attain/əˈteɪn/12× in the book
If it were possible to attain equality it would ruin the world; it would paralyse effort; it would reduce mankind to a system of self-indulgence, lassitude, and, finally, to imbecility.
peasant/ˈpɛzənt/12× in the book
Apollo the Healer was to give way before the child of a Nazarene peasant and a humble carpenter.
labourer11× in the book
Think of it, farmers, agricultural labourers, and all who live on and by the land!
Pronunciation: ipa-dict (MIT), from Wiktionary.
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