Log-o-phil-ia Is Addictive
WARNING: Words fill Anu Garg's dreams, and waking hours too. He shares his favorites on the Web with thousands
- By Rudolph Chelminski
- Smithsonian magazine, December 2000, Subscribe
In 1994 a computer-sciences graduate student in Ohio named Anu Garg posted this announcement on the Web: "I have created a wordserver which will mail out an English vocabulary word and its definition to the subscribers, every day." The server was called Wordsmith; the service, A Word a Day (AWAD). Within a year, l0,000 word lovers had signed up. Today about 400,000 AWAD addicts in some 200 countries are enjoying what is by any measure one of the most intelligent free services available anywhere. It can be found at www.wordsmith.org.
Like most great ideas, this one is simple. A different word appears on the computer terminal each day along with its definition, its etymology, a quote showing it in use and maybe a few reflections about it. Not just any words, of course obscure ones, or big ones, or weird ones, or funny ones. In short, words that are interesting, like Garg himself.
Educated in India before enrolling at Case Western Reserve University on a scholarship, he's an inveterate punster, rides a unicycle, juggles and is thinking about taking up tightrope walking. He believes words are much more than instruments of communication. Improving people's vocabularies, he says, makes for a better world. "I have a dream where society will replace guns with dictionaries."
If that ever happens, who would deny Anu Garg his share of the credit?
Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.
Comments (3)
I have been getting Anu Garg's A Word A Day for years now & treasure it. Like e-mail from family & friends, it is always warmly welcomed. In addition to his words & their etymology, I greatly enjoy the quotes he includes at the end, many of which I copy & paste into my "Quotes" collection. And I love his dream of replacing guns with dictionaries. It's surely a dream MLK would have shared. If only our politicians would do the same.....
Posted by Louisa on November 21,2010 | 01:53 AM
Not only are 'words of instruments of communication' and make the world better BUT help us to face world with a lighter heart,when things 'aren't going better'.
What a wonderful vision/dream of Mr.Garg>to one day see people with more dictionaries than countries with guns.
Posted by Reyhan Chaudhuri on July 11,2010 | 03:28 AM
The 1st thing every morning, is a cup of coffee, and my visit with Anu Garg learning a new word.
Next to my coffee cup is a small blank book that I write the word down in, learn to spell it, then use the word when talking to my cats and peacocks. They do listen.
I enjoyed extracts from books and essays that we use to get also. Wish you would bring them back
Carol Tucker, Vancleave Mississippi
Posted by Carol Tucker on July 10,2010 | 08:55 AM