As Mr. Williams shows, it is not so much a question of spelling as usage; and whilst we have so much that is arbitrary and merely conventional in our language, one is disposed to attach the less importance to any one particular instance. am not aware, however, if you have noticed that neither is " dynamometer" formed according to strict analogy. Suppose we had to coin a word fresh for our purpose. With the conjunctive vowel o would it not properly be Dynami-o-meter (dynamiometer)? This would accord with Physi-o-logy and Ichthy-o-saurus. Or, without the conjunction vowel, we might have Dynamimeter. "Dynamometer" may, indeed, be supposed to be made up of the conjunction o, blended with the long o of the Attic genitive; thus, Dynameōmeter, and the final process (perhaps a venial license) would give us the contracted (?) form in which the word is now used. Ordinary pronunciation is probably against this theory, the o being sounded as in barometer. I don't see how it can be accounted for. It was not really required at all, and ought not to have displaced the i. Anyhow, there it is, and the French, I think, use the same word, dynamomêtre. Yours, &c., G. J. W. Dear Sir, I must trouble you to correct a serious printer's error in my letter in your January number. In page 17, line 40, the word dynameter should be dynamometer, as you will find on referring to my MS. Your note appended to my letter requires a few lines in reply. I by no means admit that "dynameter means nothing at all." Dyna does not, it is true, contain as many syllables as devaμg; but whether the retrenchment of a syllable by the ordinary and perfectly legitimate operation of syncope renders the word meaningless, or whether the introduction of a wrong syllable (by which the word is not only unnecessarily lengthened but made less euphonious) converts it into an intelligible expression, I leave to your readers to decide. In my opinion a better or a neater word than dynameter could not have been framed; and I venture to contend, with great submission, that there is no foundation for your statement that dynamometer is the only admissible one. In the case you have suggested it is quite clear that "chrometer" would never have sufficed to describe an instrument for measuring time, because it would not have reasonably resembled its first derivative. "The Comprehensive Dictionary" gives the verb μErpew as one of the derivatives of dynameter, and until satisfied that that authority is untrustworthy I shall be disposed to rely upon it. Numerous similar instances occur in the same work; telescope, for example, is said, and properly said, to be derived from TMŋλe, or τηλος and σκοπεω. The fact that the Greeks observed certain rules in the formation of their compounds in no way affects the present question, seeing that the word dynameter was not invented by the Greeks but by the English. Yours faithfully, Upper Holloway: GEO. WILLIAMS. [We owe some apology to our readers for giving so much of our space for a subject not properly astronomical. We should not have done so except that we felt the importance of once for all protesting against the crude and unscholarlike way in which scientific words are so frequently formed. We never doubted that the instrument in question had been called a dynameter. What we meant was that it should never have been so named, and now that the word was more commonly spoken of as a dynamometer; that that form of the word, being correctly compounded, was preferable to the curtailed form. There is no rule of syncope known to the Greeks by which dvvapoμεтov could be contracted into duvaμεтpov. There is no sense in the word dvvn or dvva, and so none in dvvauerpov. Mr. Williams objects to our com Be it so. Take the paring the word with chronometer-chrometer. word anemometer, and we have a word letter for letter similar to dynamometer. If his "ordinary" (?) rule for syncopation be corrrct, and two instruments of measure were required, we might say "anemeter," which would really give no sense at all, any more than dynameter does. The most learned Greek scholar could only guess at what either word meant. With respect to Greek compounds, I refer our correspondent to Dr. Jelf's Greek Grammar, § 346, Obser. 1. b. How much ignorance existed with respect to this matter was shown by Professor Shillito when the word telegram was first coined. If any of the words spoken of were derived from the verb, they would have a verbal form. Thus, telegram would be telegrapheme; dynamometer would be dynamometrem (μɛrpημa) or dynamometrete (μετρητης). If Englishmen derive scientific words from Greek, they ought to conform to the Greek usage of composition. If this were done, our language would not be deformed by such monstrosities as pannus corium, and half the botanical and other scientific words which are a disgrace to us, among which I must class dynameter. Mr. Walker's objection "solvitur ambulando," as it were, for there is a Greek word extant, dvvapodvvapuç (a biquadratic root) to guide us, so that there need be no hesitation in using dynamometer. SPECTRUM ANALYSIS. No book has been published in England more likely to popularise the very interesting subject of Spectrum Analysis, than the Miss Lassell's admirable translation of Dr. H. Scheller's valuable work, published by Messrs. Longmans, Green and Co. The book was recommended to these ladies by Dr. Huggins, as the best elementary book upon the spectroscope; and, fortunately, they were so interested that they determined to publish an English Edition. All who wish to commence the study of the spectroscope, which is playing so prominent a part in Science, should read this volume, which gives a most lucid and complete explanation of the instruments which have been used for the purpose, and of the discoveries made up to the present time. In a subject so comparatively new, of course some of the theories are to be received with caution, and much that is now thought to be proved, will doubtless have to be reconsidered. With this proviso, we can thoroughly recommend the book, which is sumptuously got up and profusely illustrated. Of course, some of the most interesting pictures are those of the various views of the sun at the total eclipses, and the solar prominences which have of late years attracted such attention. We have no doubt that the work will have the large circulation which it well deserves. LUNAR OBJECTS SUITABLE FOR OBSERVATION IN 18 19 20 ... 69 27'1 58 33°5 47 30'7 36 15'0 24 44'0 12 56.5 21 ... ... ... .... ... Gambart, Heinsius, Hesiod. Kies, Lubiniezky, Stadius. La Hire, Pytheas, Gay Lussac. Rosh Gassendi, its interior. Piazzi, Grimaldi, Pythagoras. La grange, objects near E. limb. For additional objects consult the lists for November and January. SEASON.-Winter in the northern hemisphere. The solstice occurred on the 7. 22 23 ... ... ... Between new moon and the 13th the following objects constituting a zone from north to south may be observed as they come into sunlight. They with the previous zones (see January and February) have been arranged to assist the observer in picking up objects during the progress of the terminator, and will help in approximately forming zones of latitude, if arranged somewhat as follows from each zone. Mare Humboldtianum, Endymion, etc.; Plutarch, Oriani, Eimmart, etc. Webb's map will greatly assist in effecting these arrangements. Advantage should be taken when the moon is between Perigee and Apogee for observing these objects, Thales, Strabo, De la Rue, Endymion, Struve, Eimmart, Alhazen, Hansen, Maclaurin, Palitzsch, Hase, Vega. * PLATO.-On the 17th, the terminator will be near Plato. On the 18th of January, 1872, the phase of illumination (terminator through the W. part of Plato) was nearly the same as on March 10 and May 8, 1870. On May 8, 1870. - ·8= 295° 31', on March 17, 1872, 0— ·N = 280° 34'. The seasons being so much alike in both cases, it is probable that on March 17, 1872, the western edge of Plato will be just in sunlight. (a) See February 25, 1871. Errata. Page 45, February 12, for Sautbech read Santbech, February 18, for Delue read Deluc. In last line but two, for Pitavius read Petavius. Page 46, line 2, for Lapeycourse read Lapeyrouse. February 14 and 15. The objects entered against those days in the last list were not in sun-light, but were well illuminated on the following days. This was occasioned by the great eastern libration. The moon being between Perigee and Apogee, these objects were beyond the terminator, as referred to the phases. At midnight, on the 15th, six hours before First Quarter, the longitude of terminator was quoted as 8°4 west, at 6h. it had scarcely advanced beyond 15o. MOON'S TERMINATOR. Selenographic longitudes of the points of the Lunar Equator, and of 60° of northern and southern selenographic latitude, where the sun's centre rises or sets. Mercury is favourably situated for observation at the end of the month, setting on the last day an hour and three quarters after the sun; he comes to superior conjunction on the evening of the 10th, at 9h. 3m. Venus rises nearer to the sun each day, the interval decreasing at the end of the month to half-an-hour. Jupiter is still visible all night, aud very favourably situated for observation. Uranus is well situated for observation. |