Talk:Thomas Prendergast

[Untitled]
a,an about after again ago all almost alone also although always among and another any as at away back be because before behind below beside best better between beyond bring but buy call can come directly do down during each either else enough every except far few find first for forward from give go have he her here hers him his how however I if in instead into it its large last lest let like make many may me might mine more most much must my near neither never next no none nor not now of of off off often on only or other ought our ours out over own perhaps procure put quickly quite rather see sell send several shall she show since slowly some soon still stop such take tell than that the their them then there therefore these they this those though through till to to-day to-morrow together too took towards under unless until up upon upper us very want we well what when where which while who whole whom whose why will with without yes yesterday yet you your yours

PRENDERGAST

A LIST OF THE COMMONEST ENGLISH WORDS, DECLINABLE AND INDECLINABLE. [184 words ; lemmatised by me; listing might apart from may was my decision ]

He adds following numbers:

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen

fifteen

twenty thirty forty fifty

hundred

thousand

And he did retain also following negatives:

can’t couldn’t don’t shan’t shouldn’t won’t wouldn’t

The Mastery of Languages, or the Art of speaking Foreign Tongues idiomatically Thomas Prendergast | 1864 [p.164]

Thomas Prendergast published this extremely interesting list in 1864, long before Dolch, Fry and others. Long, long before computerized language corpora. And it’s strikingly accurated in many aspects, IMHO - apart from the strange appearance of the word upper, that is.

The list descripted in his own words:

“Annexed is a list of the commonest words of the language, both declinable and indeclinable. Four of these, on an average, will be found in every line of an English book, and in every col- loquial sentence containing a dozen words. This list is not to be learned by heart, nor is it intended to be used in any way by the beginner. Its object is merely to show which are the most essential words in all languages, in order that they may be introduced into the sentences which are to be translated and given to beginners. There are no nouns included in the list, because it is for the learner himself to select and insert those which he will have most occasion to use at first. It may be said that the list contains merely what all grammars exhibit; but this method prohibits the use of grammars and all other English books at the outset.” [pp.162-163]


 * 1) English #Prendergast #wordlist #talika_nimi #Inli_pasila

Jansegers (talk) 17:25, 13 August 2020 (UTC)