Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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these words together, such as hair-pin. paperclip. fountain-pen, hookworm, freshman and many others. So we see that our language is constantly changing and adding new words all the time. Some of the latest words added are jitter-hug. air-liner, television, magic-eye. radio-ear. stratosphere. and zipper. Then there is the present style of using letters for words such as W. P. A.. A. A. A.. T. V. A. If people wish to keep up with these chunges they must live with language and keep awake to the contacts they make with language in newspapers, hooks, conversation, on the radio and in movies every day. THE ART OF WEAVING By DORIS GRAV “Tho IiikIuvo aim of Art in to makr •©me uneful thing beautiful. —Keryon Kox WEAVING, it is believed, is the oldest occupation that man has. Adam, when he left the Garden of Eden, wore a coat of skin hut soon afterwards his descendants wore nn upper garment known to them as a simln”. This was, without duuht. woven coarsely and loosely from the fibers of certain roots and plants. The first piece of weaving was not done sheerly for beauty hut for use. As centuries passed, people began to enjoy beautiful things more and more. They even carried this love into their daily tasks, one of which was weaving. Some one conceived the idea of extracting the juices of certain roots to make dyes with which they could beautify the wool before it was woven Into material. It probably faded at first, but thut, after many experiments, was checked to a certain extent. The Indians in our own country had beautiful. simply woven blankets of many colors. Even today Americans search eagerly for the beautiful Navajo blankets of the Indian. We are all familiar with the wampum of our Indian friends which was so valuable that it was used for money. Wampum, to them, was what silver. gold and paper money are to the white man today. Slowly but surely, weaving progressed until at the present day we find that weaving is no longer a neccessity or duty to be performed by the women of a household, but an occupation to be smoothly, neatly and quickly done by the larger automatic looms of factories. Despite the quickness and neatness of these looms, the work of the smaller lloor or hand looms is preferred by most people because it actually seems to be dearer to one doing the work. The rea- son for this is that the beauty, design, patience and love of the weaver seems to be woven into the pattern. In addition, such a loom gives special happiness to many unfortunates, such a the crippled, sick, convalescent, handicapped. and so forth. Some people make a living solely Irom weaving. Such must have great patience and perseverance, as without these a weaver would accomplish little. One can imagine the satisfaction in a piece of work well done. As Anson G. Chester has expressed it in his poem. “The Tapestry Weavers, Oh the •ight of it drllcatc beauty. How it pay him for all it cost, No rarer, daintier work than his Wm over done by the froi»t What awes me the most is how a blind person weaves in beautiful colors, not making a single noticeable mistake. It requires all of my sight to string-up a loom. Even then I make mistake x:fter mistake. Yet strange as it may seem. I truly believe that they do better work than most people who can see. They probably are more conscientious about their work as they know that those who can see will judge them by their work. The interlacing of threads into cloth isn't the only form of weaving. Man has found that woven reeds make excellent baskets This form of weaving is probably us old as that of clothmaking. possibly older. As the years come and go. white men are trying to get the Indians interested in their forefather's occupation. In due time, they may become outstanding leaders in the weaving world, but that will not prevent other people from being vitally interested in the century old occupation. weaving.

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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE By ALICE HENDRICKSON FOR more than three hundred years nil of us Americans have been using a language which was adopted by our forefathers. Language is a very valuable gift and without it people probably never would have been able to communicate with one another. Let us think of the growth of speech, which is oral language, from its’ beginning. Speech comes to every person unexpectedly like breathing, but it has to be perfected. The origin of language is an unsolved problem. Some people think God gave it to the very first people or that it was a gift applied by the Deity immediately after CJod created the first man, Adam. More likely, language came to man first by signs or exclamations. It is hard to say which came first. Of course, all language is really expression of thought made by signs, such as the spoken word made with voice, or written signs made with the pen. or signs made with the body. Signs were made by many savage tribes by gestures and without speaking. England was taken by the Angles who came from Northern Germany about the fifth century, and they called it Angleland which later came to be known as England. They called themselves and their language English. England was invaded by other Teuton tribes. Recause of all the different tribes that came into England, in this way the language changed. The language of the upper classes had words such as ••prince , royalty , throne and others which originated from the Norman-French while the most commonly spoken words came from the early English, loiter England became the home of many Greek and Latin scholars, who brought with them the learning and culture of Greece and Rome. Many other tongues soon increased the words in the English language. This English language of ours is continously growing and changing as the years go by. One certain idea may be expressed in several different ways by different people or races. The deaf, for instance, when they use their special language are like this. They use only the necessary signs to make a clear picture, omitting the articles ‘‘the , a , and an , and words similar to these. The same was true when language first came into use. Most words are signs of certain ideas but have been changed more or less as time passed. The English which we speak and write today is not the same as our English ancestors used. The changes take place so slowly that we hardly recognize them. They often effect (1) the vocabulary (2) meaning of words (.1) pronunciation and spelling (4) and the way in which they are used in expressing a thought. Many words that have been used in our English language have gone out of use entirely and are said to be obsolete. They are words such as thilk meaning the same; “tour , buyer; ‘•couth , known; holt , wood; and others. Words such as sooth , truth; wot”, know; eke , also; and ruth”, pity are used in ancient or archaic English. New words spring up just as fast as the old ones go out of use. These new words may either be a way of expressing things just for variety or in naming new things and ideas. Sometimes new words which were in use many eani ago are brought back by newcomers. The process of the rising and disappearing of these words can be readily noticed. Some of these words are sometimes called slang and cultured people dislike using them in their daily speech, but if they are used often enough they become a part of our accepted vocabulary. Boss , chum , mob , snob , and others are examples of this. Slang phrases can also often be found. People often use slang just to be humorous while others, in different kinds of work, often use slang that fits their types of work. Take lumbering for instance. For the expression start in or begin they may say break ground while the soldiers may say gather your pots and kettles . This proves that there is actually little difference between slang and legitimate speech. Another method of word formation is called shortening”. Examples of this are van” from caravan, hobby from hobby horse, “wig from periwig, cab” from cabriolet, cheat from escheat. Still another method is called back formation. For example shoy (chaise), chinee (Chinese). skate (earlier skates), cave (earlier eaves), and others. There are also compound words formed by thinking of two different things and putting

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BLOCK PRINTING By KARL SPRAGUR BLOCK PRINTING originated in the Orient, having been invented by the Chinese in the latter part of the seventh century. Early in the eighth century it had spread to Japan. The Japanese lost no time in developing this art. They continued to improve block printing until they had become far more skilled in the art than the Chinese originators. Today, most of the finest block printing is produced by the Japanese people. Not until the fourteenth century, did block printing find its way into Europe. It was first used for illustrating Bibles. Bibles were written by hand until Johann Gutenburg invented movable type. This invention, with the use of block prints for illustrations, made it possible to put out books on a larger and cheaper scale. Block prints, carved out of wood, have given way to linoleum blocks. Instead of being carved out. prints are now etched on linoleum. Although results from wood carving give finer lines, linoleum etching is much easier and quicker. Block printing today plays an important part in the world of art. It is done by different methods in various countries. Japan bus the most colorful method. Many people are taking up block printing as a worth while hobby. Block printing, from the drawing of the picture to the printing of the block, takes several steps. White drawing paper is used for the drawing and lettering which is done with a soft lead pencil. The drawing and the lettering is then traced on tissue paper and again on the back of the same piece of tissue paper by holding it against a window or placing it over a white sheet of paper so a pencil can be run over the lines which show through. This gives you the figure in reverse. Holding a mirror close to a printed page and looking at the reflected image in the glass will give you an idea %vhat the reverse figure is like. It is necessary to make the block in reverse because when a print is made from it. the figure is reversed back again to its original and desired form. The reversed copy of the drawing is placed on a linoleum block. It is kept in place by two or three thumb tacks while the impression is being made on the block. With different types of etching knives, the etcher then cuts out the picture. To do this requires a firm hand and greut care as one little sup ui me smie »s enough to spoil the work. All except that part of the linoleum which makes the impression when printed is etched out. Cuts of many lines require more skill than those with just a few lines. Straight lines are hurder to etch than those that are curved. After a proof has been taken, the cut is corrected to remove imperfections. More proofs are also taken, and corrected if necessary, until one feels that the block will give the print wanted. The block should be type-high for the press. If it is not, it can be built up from the bottom with bond paper or thin card-board. With the aid of wood furniture, quoins, a quoin key, and tin iron frame called a chase, the block is locked up and ready for the press. In making ready, weak impression spots are built up on the draw sheet with tissue paper or a heavier stock if the impression is very weak in spots. The guides used for holding the puper in correct alignment are then set. The work is then ready for printing. While printing, the ink should be watched so that it will lie uniform throughout. If one wanted to print the United Stales flag in colors, he would have to make three cuts, one for each color, red. white and blue. The blue field of the flag would first be printed from one block. Then the white stripes and white start on the blue field. I ist. the third block, with red stripes would be printed to complete the picture. The cuts must be so made that the blue field, stars, red and white stripes fit into their proper places. Very simple equipment is required for block printing in the home. An old wash-wringer can he used in the place of a press. Other items are a plate of glass for the inking, a rubber cushion or a rubber roller for inking the block, paper and etching knives. Very beautiful Christmas, tally, and greeting cards can be made by block printing as well as programs, posters, book illustrations, paper and magazine covers, place cards, menu cards, and the marking of detours on maps. Block printing is also used for making book plates. The textile industry uses block printing extensively for its designs. By making a hobby of block printing, a person can find great pleasure in printing his own cards, book plates and other similar articles.