Page:Biblical Libraries (Richardson).djvu/21

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INTRODUCTION

point of view archive is one kind of a ibrary, from the other library is one kind of an archive.

Now one may venture to say and expect to prove that library is the right general term for all collections and archive wrong for many of the collections for which it is used, but if Assyriologists wish to invert terms they are within their rights and no great harm is done if they observe the rules of the game. The "right" meaning in the case of words is simply that which on the whole consists best with its historical, technical and popular use. There is nothing specially sacred, magical, or fixed about it. It is often little more than the best word—and both right and best may differ with the audience or occasion.

Words at bottom are mainly matters of agreement; white may even be called black and black white in an understood code not only without harm but with advantage to the purpose. Mathematicians may use

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