Building a Better Vocabulary

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z In 1726, Jonathan Swift published his classic biting satire,

Gulliver’s Travels. The central character in this book is Lemuel

Gulliver, an English surgeon who takes to traveling the seas because

his business is failing.

ż Soon after setting out, Gulliver is shipwrecked. When he

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Lilliputians. The Lilliputians are a small people who talk big.

Swift, with great skill, ironically contrasts this puny race with

their pretentious, vainglorious boasting and bombast.

ż Eventually, the Lilliputians take Gulliver to their emperor. As

the story unfolds, we discover that the Lilliputians engage in

a great deal of backbiting and machinations: These physically

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over trivial, ridiculous issues. In the Lilliputians, Swift was

satirizing what he saw as petty religious quarrels over trivial

doctrinal issues of his time.

ż The Lilliputians eventually convince Gulliver to help them

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uses his great size to win a battle over their navy. However,

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for this act, he is condemned to death by being shot in the eyes

and starved to death. Luckily, Gulliver escapes and makes his

way back to England.

z Of course, this story gives us the target word Lilliputian, which can

mean either “very small” or “trivial.” The word took off immediately

after the publication of Gulliver’s Travels, demonstrating the

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Brobdingnagian (adjective)

Immense, enormous.