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Pens and Types / or Hints and Helps for Those who Write, Print, Read, Teach, or Learn cover

Pens and Types / or Hints and Helps for Those who Write, Print, Read, Teach, or Learn

Chapter 40: ENSURE, INSURE, ETC.
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About This Book

The volume presents a proofreader’s practical handbook for producing clear printed material, treating writing for the press, proofreading methods, principles of style, punctuation, orthography, capitalization, and the history and forms of old-style typography. It supplies rules and illustrative examples, lists of preferred spellings and troublesome variants, explanations of ligatures and letterforms, plus technical terms and type-size references. Aimed at writers, printers, teachers, and learners, the text stresses legible manuscripts, consistent usage of capitals and spellings, and careful revision to minimize printing errors, and it includes an index and appendices for quick consultation.

WORDS ENDING IN “CION.”

Disregarding the dissyllable scion, we think there are but three words in use having this termination, viz.: Coercion, Ostracion, Suspicion. Two obsolete words are Internecion and Pernicion. {p170}

ENSURE, INSURE, ETC.

The language has been sometimes enriched by retaining the several forms of a “doubtful” word, as in the case of draft and draught, each form having limitations of meaning peculiar to itself. Ensure and Insure we propose to consider distinct words rather than various spellings of the same words. So, also, of Enure and Inure.

  • Ensure. [To make sure, certain, or safe; “How to ensure peace for any term of years.” To insure is to contract, for a consideration, to secure against loss; as to insure houses, ships, lives.]
  • Insure. [To underwrite; “to covenant, for a consideration, to indemnify for loss of anything specified”; as, to insure houses against fire, etc.]
  • Enure. [“To serve to the use or benefit of”; as, a gift of land enures to the benefit of the grantee. “The argument was made [a century ago] as now, that its [a protective policy’s] benefits enured to particular classes or sections.”—B. Harrison’s Inaugural Address.]
  • Inure [To accustom; as, a man inures his body to heat and cold; a soldier to blood inured.]