Whenever people tells me that they spell so poorly, they can’t even look up the spelling of a word in a dictionary, I direct them to a thesaurus, defined as a reverse dictionary. I advise them to think of a synonym for the word that they want to spell. Look it up in a thesaurus. They will find the word they want spelled correctly.
I have long been a fan of the thesaurus. These days when I write, I usually take advantage of the online version in search of synonyms to avoid using a single word over and over again.
When I was teaching, I had a class set not only of dictionaries, but also one of thesauruses. Gradually, as students became familiar with this aid, they chose it over the dictionary. A few students were dedicated to both.
According to the Meriam-Webster on-line dictionary, Peter Mark Roget, 19th century British physician, physiology expert, mathematician, inventor, writer, editor, chess whiz and lexicographer had been fascinated with words from the time he studied Latin as a schoolboy. He compiled his first draft of the Roget’s Thesaurus (Latin for treasure or treasury) when he was 26. However, he was such a strong believer in symmetry, that he wanted to establish a classification system for words in the manner science does with so many aspects of life. He initially came up with six classes of words in which to divide his 1,000 concepts. Fortunately, he added an alphabetical listing of words at the end.
By the time, Roget was 69, he finished his collection. His categorizing of words didn’t catch the interest of the reader or writer, but his list of synonyms for each alphabetical word did. Before his death at age of 90, 28 editions of his thesaurus had been published. Today, people continue to take advantage of his idea offered through a variety of sources.
Many authors acknowledge using a thesaurus to help eliminate repetition. Acclaimed author Maya Angelou once explained her writing process. “I keep a hotel room in my town, although I have a large house. And I go there at about 5:30 in the morning, and I start working. And I don't allow anybody to come in that room. I work on yellow pads and with ballpoint pens. I keep a Bible, a thesaurus, a dictionary... I stay there until midday.” Her poetic voice is melodious.
Yet over the years, the thesaurus has encountered its share of critics. While Roget compiled his lists as a means to stimulate thinking; some critics think it hampers that skill. Editor Harold Evans, once quipped that it (a thesaurus) would lead a sufferer to edit the Bible so that it read: "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was solar illumination."
Of course, repetition is an important part of poetic phrasing. It’s an important step in all learning. My own first grade readers, The Dick and Jane series, certainly focused on repetitiveness. “See Dick run. See Jane run. See Spot run.” Today, I automatically recognize these words and I appreciate the value of repetition in learning.
However, Dr. Seuss was one of the first of a number of modern writers of children’s books to turn repetition of words into making learning to read fun. “I do not like green eggs and ham./ I do not like them in a house./I do not like them with a mouse./I do not like them here or there./I do not like green eggs and ham,/ Sam-I-am.” There is a big difference in his verse to “See Spot run.”
Like most things in life, from automobiles to social media to zealots, the thesaurus can be misused. I would discourage anyone from using the thesaurus to find pompous sounding words in an attempt to make themselves sound smarter. It will not; such searches merely show ignorance. However, If we, students of all ages, use this volume in the way Roget intended, it will make us stop, weigh the subtleties of each synonym and choose the one which best speaks the truth of our theme.
2021
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