“The number of words in English has grown from 60,000 words in Old English to about a million today. An average educated person knows about 20,000 words and uses about 2,000 words in a week.”

ful—apart from what the word actually means or represents. Christina Sterbenz writing for Business Insider shares, “Robert Beard, a former linguistics professor at Bucknell University created his own list of beautiful words. Through careful research, he determined 100 English words that people seem to like most though may not use frequently. Some eccentric yet notable words include ailurophile, inglenook, and Susquehanna.” It’s a given that it is virtually impossible to separate sounds entirely from their meaning. Words with positive images, like “hugs” and “kisses,” make us warm and fuzzy. Words from the dark side of humanity, like “combat,” and “disease,” may make us cringe and shudder. Of course there’s always someone who creates a criteria of what constitutes anything… in this particular case we are pondering, “What constitutes a beautiful word?” Our guide to applying this designation is Sir David Crystal, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguistics and Founding Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (really). Crystal serves as a consultant to Babel – The Language Magazine. The Crystal Criteria of Beautiful Words insists that the words contain more than three syllables, has the stress on the first syllable, uses “m” and “l,” contains consonants that appear in English with high frequency but eliminates those with low frequency and uses short vowels, articulated in a mid or low position, in the front of the mouth. Ah beauty is so simple when you have a checklist. His top choice for the most beautiful word is “tremulous.” And because it fits every category it’s a shoe-in 

(a word that hardly meets his criteria). Somewhat of a departure from Crystal is J.R.R. Tolkien, “the Father of Modern Fantasy Literature,” famous for his high fantasy works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 

Tolkien declared that “cellar door” was the most beautiful word in the English language. This caused another wordsmith, C.S. Lewis to take up the cause, “Close your eyes and say it – slowly. Cellar door. Somehow, kind of lovely, right?

I was astonished when someone first showed that by writing ‘cellar door’ as Selladore, one produces an enchanting proper name.” Getting back to the British Council, they decided that the most beautiful word in the English language was “mother” – “an unglamorous word, yet one that conveys comfort and the deepness of human relationships.” Whatever your choice, I think readers of this magazine would nominate two words that would give “cellar door,” and “tremulous,” a run for their money. While these words may not check off all the boxes of the Crystal Criteria, they certainly convey “comfort and the deepness of human relationships.
” They are... “exceptional” and “parent.”

ANCORA IMPARO

In his 87th year, the artist Michelangelo (1475 -1564) is believed to have said “Ancora imparo” (I am still learning). Hence, the name for my monthly observations and comments. — Rick Rader, MD, Editor-in-Chief, EP Magazine Director, Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center Orange Grove Center, Chattanooga, TN

CODING AUTISM TRAINS ADULTS WITH AUTISM TO CODE

E very year, the number of people diagnosed with autism rises, however, there are simply not enough quality programs designed towards training adults with autism with real-world career skills. As a result, too many are either unemployed or working in menial jobs below their skill level. To help adults with autism learn the fundamental skills necessary to secure an entry-level web developer job, LA-based Coding Autism has announced a new program to train those with autism how to code.

To help fund the program, and allow contributors to provide for scholarships so that the entire 15-person first class can attend tuition-free, Coding Autism has launched a crowdfunding campaign at: startsomegood.com/coding-autism- training-adults-with-autism-in-code. Coding Autism’s first web development boot camp is called the ASPIRE Web Development Immersive. This is a 15-week, full-time course where students will be learning the fundamental skills of coding. The first class will take place at Hub 101 in Thousand Oaks, CA (Greater Los Angeles Area) with online classes planned in 2018. “It is completely unacceptable that our autistic community is experiencing an over 80% unemployment and underemployment rate,” said Oliver Thornton, CEO & co-founder of Coding Autism. “As passionate advocates who have either been diagnosed with autism ourselves or have family members affected with autism, we understand that with the right resources, training, coaching and environment that individuals with autism can thrive in the workforce.” By founding Coding Autism and launching the ASPIRE Web Development Immersive, Mr. Thornton believes that they can create highly qualified, skilled, and eager to work autistic employees to fill job vacancies in the tech industry. Students that want to enroll can receive more information at: CodingAutism.com •