A Dictionary of Cont..

which produces the desired effect. An effectual
measure or remedy is one that does what was
hoped would be done. A law is effective when
it is in operation, eflectual if it accomplishes its
purpose.
Eficient also means producing the desired
effect, but it has the added connotation, in
modern usage, of doing so with a high ratio of
return for expenditure. It differs from eflectual
in carrying this suggestion and in the fact that it
is applied to persons as well as to things (An
eficient secretary is an eflectual agent for one
who would make his will effective).
Eficacious suggests the capability of achieving
a certain end, a capability often manifested
only when actually employed (an efficacious
drug in the cure of these infections). It, too, is
applied only to things, not to persons. See also
affect.
effeminate. See female.
effete is a literary word for exhausted, worn out,
applied to something or someone no longer
creative (an effete generation). Originally it applied
to animals and meant that they were no
longer capable of producing young. It is not to
be confused with effeminate.
eft. See newt.
egoism; egotism. Egoism is the name for the philosophical
belief that self-interest is the true end
of moral actions. As such, it is opposed to
altruism. The egoist relates all questions to himself.
He may believe, that is, that there is no
proof that anything exists but his own mind,
that all other people are perhaps figments of his
imagination (Subjective idealism is basically
egoism. The mature man, hardened into skeptical
egoism, knows no monition but thnt of his
own frigid cautions).
Egotism, the too frequent use of I in conversation,
hence boastfulness, too much interest in
one’s own doings to an exclusion of interest in
others, self-conceit, selfishness, is the more common
word (His absorbing egotism was annoying
to all who had to associate with him).
Egoism and egotism do not, necessarily, have to
have anything to do with each other. A selfeffacing
man may be an egoist. An egotist may
have no interest in any philosophy whatsoever.
egregious originally meant out of the common,
eminent, outstanding, exceptional; but it has
become entirely pejorative, meaning now distinguished
for some bad quality, flagrant in the
extreme (The man is an egregious ass. His
egregious lies are embarrassing to listen to).
either may be used as an adjective before a singular
noun, as in either one, or standing alone as
a pronoun, as in either will do, or together with
the word or as a conjunction, as in either Sarah
or Babs wrote it.
Either originally meant “each of two” or
“both,” as in the trees on either side of the river.
The word is used in this sense in English literature
from King Alfred down to Tennyson, Rossetti,
and Stevenson, and including the King
James Bible. Another meaning of the word, “one
of two, no matter which,” is about five hundred
151 eke
years old. In Great Britain, either in the original
sense of “both” is now considered archaic or
Biblical. In the United States it is still natural
English. Either is used in this country in both
senses and both are acceptable.
When either means “both” or “each” it is followed
by a plural verb, as in either of them are
enough to drive a man to distraction. Since the
word is not used in this way in Great Britain, the
plural verb is characteristically American. When
what is meant is “only one,” the verb is usually
singular, as in either of them is good enough.
But there are exceptions to this. In a negative
statement either is usually treated as a plural, as
in I do not think either of them are at home.
The pronoun you is normally followed by a
plural verb form, and we usually say if either of
you are ready. When words of different number
are contrasted, the verb agrees with the nearest
word, as in either he or they are to blame. When
singular pronouns are being contrasted, the strict
rules of grammar require the form of the verb
that would be appropriate for the last pronoun
mentioned, as in either you or I am to blame.
This is an extremely literary construction. In
practice, some people would treat the combined
words as they and say are and some would treat
them as orie and say is, but most people would
undoubtedly avoid the problem and say either
you are to blame or I am.
Either may be used with any number of words
in a series, as in either past, present or future.
It could be argued that in a construction of this
kind the comma represents the word or. But
either may also be used simply with the meaning
of “any one,” as in either of these three. It has
been used in this way for more than three hundred
years. The construction is rare, and disapproved
by some grammarians; but it is found in
the writings of Poe, Emerson, 0. W. Holmes,
and is recognized as standard by the Oxford
English Dictionary. Writers who use it apparently
feel that any one is too indefinite for their
purposes.
Either is followed by the word or, and never
by the word nor. In current English, the form
either, and not the form neither, should be used
after a verb that has already been made negative
by some other word, as in no one can prevent
me, either and he never told me either. This was
not always true. Shakespeare writes no, nor Z
neither. The old neither can still be heard, but it
is now considered archaic.
The pronoun either has a genitive form, as in
either’s house. The adjective can be used to qualify
a genitive noun, as in either man’s house, but
it cannot follow a genitive noun or any other
definitive, as in the man’s either house. To express
this idea we must use the pronoun form
and say either of the man’s houses. See also
double genitives.
eke out. Eke is an Old English word, now archaic,
meaning also (The king himself did eat thereof
/And eke the court beside). To eke yut is, therefore,
to add to something in such a way as to
make it suffice, or at least to make it do better