A Dictionary of Cont..

have the prefix a, as in awake, nwakerr, alvoke,
and so on, or it may form a compound verb with
up, as in wake up, woke up, wakened I/P, and so
on. This gives us twenty-seven forms for the
principal parts of this verb, where ordinarily two
forms are enough, as in talk, talked. This is certainly
more words than we need for such a simple
act.
The participles that have the vowel a, as in
had woke, has awoken, and so on, are not considered
standard in the United States but are still
acceptable in Great Britain. Aside from this, all
the forms are equally acceptable and which one
is used is entirely a matter of individual taste.
There is a tendency to prefer the forms with
en when the verb is used in the passive, as in he
was wakened. There is also a tendency to prefer
the forms with the prefix a when the verb is used
figuratively, as in she awoke to the danger. When
the verb is both passive and figurative these
tendencies combine and awakened is the preferred
form, as in she has been awakened to her
danger.
There is a theory that the past tense form
woke is preferable for an actual waking up when
the verb does not have an object. as in he woke
at six, and the form waked when the verb does
have an object, as in she waked him at six, but
this is not borne out in practice.
There is one more form of this verb that has
not been mentioned yet, making twenty-eight
forms in all. This is an old participle awake. It is
now used only as an adjective following a verb,
as in she is awake.
wale; weal; wheal. Wale is the best word to
describe a streak, stripe, or ridge produced on
the skin by the stroke of a rod or whip, a welt
(A livid wale across his back testified to the force
of the blow). Whenl means a small, burning or
itching swelling on the skin, as from a mosquito
bite. Because ea was formerly in many words
pronounced (as it now is in great) to rime with
say (Where thorn, great Anna, whom three
realms obey,/ Dost sometimes counsel take, rind
sometimes tea. Perhaps the plensrrre is as great/
In being cheated as to cheat), wheal and wale
were easily confused. Weal (not the weal of weal
or woe) in this sense seems to have no justification
other than as a sort of variant spelling of
wale or wheal.
walking encyclopedia, as a term for someone who
has an astonishing fund of general information,
is a clich6.
walking on air. As a way of saying that someone
is ecstatic, usually with exultation at some good
fortune, to say that he is walking on air is hackneyed.
wane; flag. To wane is to decline, to grow less, to
decrease, in extent, quantity, importance, brilliance,
splendor, or the like (The long day
wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep / Moons
rortnd with mnny voices. His influence in the
company had, actually, long been waning and his
displacement was not the sztdden reversal that
if seemed to those who were unaware of this
fact). When applied to the moon. wnne is to
545 want
decrease in the periodical manner characteristic
of the second half of the lunar period (A savage
place! as holy and enchanted/ As e’er beneath a
waning moon was haunted/ By woman wailing
for her demon-lover!).
To flag is to fall off in vigor, energy, or activity,
to droop (He begun with great bustle and
e#ort but soon flagged). Flagging differs from
waning in that an effort that pugs may revive.
The slackening of exertion or interest may be
only temporary and may revive to full force, but
that which wnnes (except for the moon) declines
or decreases permanently.
want (noun). See need.
want. This verb may mean desire or will, or it
may mean need or lack. It may have either
meaning in the sentence he wants the proper
clothes.
When want means need it may be followed by
the -ing form of a verb, as in it wanted saying,
the coat wants mending. In this sense, want may
be followed by for, as in he u*ants for nothing.
When want means desire it may be followed
by an infinitive, as in she wants to mend the coat,
I want you to come. It cannot be followed by an
-ing form of a verb or by a clause. I want YOU
should come is not regarded as acceptable English.
In this sense, want cannot be followed by
for. I want for you to cotne is usually condemned.
At one time it was usual to omit verbs of motion
after verbs of willing, as in thou shalt to
prison. This custom survives in Scotland and in
some parts of the United States, as in I’ll uwa’
up the glen and the cat wants out. A similar
contraction is seen in let me in. After let this old
usage is standard everywhere. After wnnt it is
standard in some sections of the United States,
principally the Middle West and South. In other
sections it is unusual and is thought to be Pennsylvania
Dutch.
Want may also be used as a very weak form
of ought, as in yort wjant to go slow. This is acceptable
English, at least in the United States.
want; wish; desire. Desire is the most formal of
these three words. It suggests a strong wish
(The people desire political reforms and will
make their displeasltre known at the polls). In a
specialized sense it means to desire in sexual
intercourse. Wish is the familiar term meaning
to feel an impulse toward attainment or possession
of something (I wish you were here). The
feeling it expresses may be of greater or less
intensity (I wish you would pay attention; I’ve
had to ask you twice. I wish I were dead. I wish
the wind may never cease,/Nor fushes in the
f?ood,/Till my three sons come home to me,/ln
earthly flesh and blood!). Wish has connotations
of desiring the unattainable, or of an impulse but
weakly connected with any energetic or disciplined
will to accomplish. Want is the least formal
of the three words. It suggests a feeling of
lack or need which imperatively demands fulfillment
(I want my supper! Mr. Watson, come
here. I want you). Wish is sometimes misused,
in vulgar elegance, for want in such demands as